ARRoc and RAVS, under VegFest, are introducing a new initiative to help local restaurants provide vegan menus, which we will promote.
Offering vegan options just makes good business sense due to changing preferences of a significant number of non-vegans, and it’s on that basis that we would appeal to business owners:
- “Recent research suggests 36% of U.S. consumers either prefer milk alternatives or use meat alternatives, which is substantially more than those who claim to be vegan.” [source]
- The “market for non-dairy products is skyrocketing; meat alternatives sales are expected to reach $5 Billion by 2020; and more than one third of consumers are open to plant-based products.” [source]
- “The past few years have seen the dairy alternative sector increasing its share of the overall market to now account for 20% of the industry up from barely 14% in 2010.” [source]
- “Thirty seven percent of the population always or sometimes eats vegetarian meals when eating out.” [source]
- “The market for meat alternatives…is expected to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 6.4% between 2015 and 2020.” [source]
How can you help? Tell restaurants that you would like to see more vegan options, or the options more clearly identified. Let us know which restaurants you have spoken to that you think we should reach out to. By the time we talk to them, they will have already heard from many of you. We will work with them to, as needed:
- find items on their menu that are already vegan or are easily veganizable
- help them with ideas about what vegan menu items could be added
- publicize their new vegan menu through RAVS, ARRoc, Roc VegFest, and Rochester Vegan Facebook Group
- (websites, social media, and emails as applicable)
- provide a Roc Vegan Guide logo they can use on their menus and other places
- include their restaurant in our Roc Vegan flyer being printed in February 2018
Please note: while some advocates may be interested in further health modifications to menus such as offering oil-free, please understand that the Roc Vegan Guide project does not include that, at least at this time. Business statistics listed above show that over one third of consumers are interested in plant-based eating, but the numbers for adding other modifications will be much lower than this. We want businesses to have an excellent experience selling plant-based meals to as wide an audience as possible. People who want further health modifications will still benefit from being able to start with a vegan menu item and then ask chefs to cut the ingredient out of an individual meal. Thank you.
To suggest restaurants that you have spoken to, please contact VegFest: