Top 3 Things Vegan Customers Want And Why You Should Listen
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Vegan customers aren’t as unique as you think. They’re just like the rest of your customers. The problem is that vegan customers often are not treated like regular customers, which leads to negative customer feedback, poor reviews, and the perception that vegan customers are picky, demanding, or ungrateful. Here are the top 3 things vegan customers look for in their food service experience.
Just like traditional customers, vegan customers want to…
Order from a menu. Telling a vegan customer that your chef can create vegan dishes upon request is like forcing your traditional guests to order the chef’s tasting menu every time. That’s just not a reasonable expectation to think a customer would want to be surprised every time they come to your restaurant.
Feel satisfied with their meal, not leave hungry. Requesting a meal free from animal products doesn’t mean your customer wants a tasteless, boring, or even “healthy” meal. Vegan food in 2019 can be just as interesting and flavorful as traditional options. We see vegan burgers, vegan chick’n”, vegan seafood, creamy vegan sauces, vegan cakes….just about anything can be “veganized” these days. Vegan does not = healthy (although it can, just like a non-vegan meal can be steamed instead of fried, for example). When “veganizing” a recipe, the chef must take into account the nutritional balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in the dish to ensure that customers feel satisfied with their meal. Vegan recipe development often requires extra thought and research from chefs who are not trained in vegan cuisine. This is why when I work with chefs, they consider me the vegan expert and I consider them the expert in their kitchen. We collaborate toward the best outcome for their customers, to keep the restaurant thriving amidst changing clientele.
Feel welcomed, understood and taken care of by service staff. Imagine a vegan customer who is seated at your restaurant and brought a bread basket. She asks “is your bread vegan”? The server does not know how to answer the question, returns to the kitchen to ask the chef, and comes back with a confused response or takes the bread away from the table, offering no alternative option. Will this customer feel welcomed, understood, and taken care of? Absolutely not. In order to confidently serve vegan customers, you need to consider their needs before they walk through the door. Without preparation, you leave their experience to chance, and you also leave your 1 to 5 star review to the whim of the guest and how generous they are feeling about your efforts that day. My vegan hospitality certification program offers servers the opportunity to be prepared to confidently serve any vegan guest.
You deserve to take control of your guests’ experience because their experience is a reflection of your company’s values and capabilities. Responsible business owners don’t leave things to chance. They plan, prepare, and execute, and if they do not have the time to do it properly themselves, they hire a professional to help. The restaurants I have worked with through my High Impact Hospitality Consulting program have all exponentially increased their service to vegan clients and all clients with dietary requests. It’s an incredible feeling to take chance out of the equation and know that you’re doing the best you can for all of your guests.