Longstanding Greek Restaurant in Germany Launches Vegan Menu with Great Success

Pano, the owner of the Greek restaurant Taverna Athene in Berlin, took the plunge during the coronavirus lockdown and introduced his own vegan menu. His restaurant has been open since 1984 and even before the coronavirus pandemic, some naturally vegan dishes, such as starters, were labeled on the menu. However, the real impetus to expand the vegan offering came during the pandemic when his sister switched to a vegan diet. This personal influence led to a comprehensive revision of the menu. 

‘If you win the vegan, you win the whole family.’ 

How are the vegan dishes being received by guests? Very well, as Pano reports. His fears that regulars would stop coming because of the addition of plant-based options to the menu have not materialized. 

Quite the opposite: families could now come to him as a group. Previously, they had to take their vegan children or grandchildren to another restaurant that had suitable options. Now Pano not only attracts ‘that one vegan’ to his restaurant, but the whole family comes along. Even guests who are not vegan order the plant-based dishes and are delighted with the now lactose-free tzatziki, for example. 

More and more people are recognising the health and ecological benefits of a plant-based diet and are actively looking for restaurants that offer attractive vegan dishes. By expanding their range accordingly, restaurants can appeal to this growing target group and increase their sales. 

‘Just be brave and dare to make a change.’ 

The introduction of vegan dishes also brought with it some challenges. Pano invested a lot of time in developing and perfecting the new dishes. It took around 1.5 years from recipe development to the successful launch. The vegan tzatziki in particular was a challenge that took him six months to perfect. 

The team initially had reservations, and the chef in particular had difficulties adapting to the plant-based cuisine and new preparation methods. But the coronavirus period made this easy to manage. Initially, there were mix-ups by the service staff and mistakes were made. For example, the plant-based tzatziki was confused with the animal-based tzatziki. To avoid this, there are now different shapes of cucumber (diced in the vegetable version, grated in the animal version) and different decorations.

In the beginning, they also had a lot of unsold goods that had to be disposed of. Pano realized that many people were still put off by the term ‘vegan’, which is why he omits the word ‘vegan’ from some vegan dishes, such as the dessert, and instead emphasizes the delicious ingredients that make this dish special. 

‘If guests can come less often due to the increased prices, you have to win over a new target group.’ 

The marketing strategy for the new dishes in his Greek restaurant was well thought out. Initially, the vegan menu was introduced as a ‘soft launch’ without advertising and only accessible via a QR code. This allowed Pano to react flexibly to feedback from guests and improve or redesign vegan dishes without having to reprint the menu every time. 

This was followed by a listing on ‘Happy Cow’ by a satisfied guest and collaboration with vegan influencers. Today, many guests find their way to his restaurant via Google, Happy Cow and Instagram, which is one of the 10 most popular restaurants in Berlin according to TripAdvisor. 

The positive effect on sales was clearly noticeable. After corona, there was a real boost in sales due to the vegan dishes. Pano explains that in times of rising prices, people go out less often, which is why it is important to listen to the changing wishes of guests and tap into a new target group with plant-based dishes. 

For restaurant owners or chefs who are unsure whether introducing vegan options is worthwhile, Pano has clear words: ‘I would definitely recommend it. It can be a sales boost. Just be brave and have the courage to change things and not do what others have always done.’ 

Pano's success story shows that vegan dishes are not only well received, but can also make a significant contribution to increasing sales and guest satisfaction.

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Interview, Writing & Photos by: Anna Karle, Vegan Hospitality Consultant based in Stuttgart, Germany

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