Vegan Restaurant: Trend and Success

Fighting animal exploitation, living a more sustainable lifestyle, adopting a healthier diet: there are many reasons that lead people to embrace veganism, a growing trend worldwide.

By choosing not to consume anything of animal origin or anything that involves animal suffering in the production process, vegans are transforming consumption patterns and creating new market demands.

As a result, companies across many segments are adapting and creating alternatives that meet this audience's demands. The food market is no different: more and more restaurants are offering vegan options on the menu or are 100% vegan.

If you're thinking about starting a business and opening a vegan restaurant, keep reading this article and check out our tips for success!

What is a vegan restaurant?

A vegan restaurant is one that offers only vegan options on the menu. Ou seja: alimentos e bebidas que não contenham nenhum ingrediente de origem animal, como carnes, ovos, laticínios e mel. 

They also make a point of not using any kind of supply that is tested on animals, such as hygiene and cleaning products. 

It's also common for these establishments to adopt other sustainable practices, such as choosing local suppliers, organic food, and reducing waste and solid residues, among others.

So this type of restaurant is focused on meeting the demands of vegan consumers, which go far beyond a plant-based meal.

Vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian: what's the difference?

Besides vegans, many other people are concerned with reducing their consumption of animal-based foods. This often causes some confusion. Check out the differences below:

• Vegan – Doesn't consume anything of animal origin or anything involving animal suffering.
• Vegetarian – Doesn't eat animal-based foods. Some don't eat meat but do eat dairy and eggs, for example.
• Flexitarian – Prefers plant-based foods but eats animal-based foods now and then.

So a vegan restaurant can also serve vegetarians and flexitarians. This audience is growing and generally looks for healthier, more sustainable options.

Is it worth opening a vegan restaurant?

Vegan and vegetarian restaurants are one of the biggest trends in the food market. Many entrepreneurs have their eye on this opportunity, and everything suggests that opening a business in this field is worth it.

According to a survey conducted by the consultancy SkyQuest, the global vegan food market is expected to surpass US$ 34 billion by 2028. 

This points to great potential for new businesses, driven by wider adoption of veganism and vegetarianism. Some data compiled by the Brazilian Vegetarian Society (SVB) help paint a picture of the situation in Brazil:

• According to the latest IBOPE study on the topic, conducted in 2018, 14% of Brazilians identify as vegetarian. 
• Also according to the IBOPE study, in metropolitan areas, 16% of the population is vegetarian.  
• The SVB estimates that, of the 30 million Brazilian vegetarians, approximately 7 million are vegan.
• A study by Galunion indicates that 98% of the vegetarian public eats out and 59% of them do so at least twice a week.

With this audience in mind, restaurants are adding options to the menu and creating new vegan businesses.

According to a survey by Happy Cow and Veganuary, there are already more than 2,900 establishments with vegan options in Brazil, which puts the country in first place in the ranking of those with the most options for this audience in Latin America.

But that doesn't mean there's no room for new businesses. On the contrary: there's plenty of demand and, as we've seen, it's growing. Even if the business isn't 100% vegan, it's worth including options for this audience on the menu.

Leia também: Restaurant soft opening: how to run your pre-opening

5 tips for a successful vegan restaurant

If you plan to follow the trend and bet on a vegan restaurant, know that there are some challenges: competition is growing and the audience is quite demanding. So check out some tips to stand out and succeed!

1 – Know your audience really well

First of all, get to know your audience's profile very well. If possible, hire a consultancy to help you put together a business plan that takes into account the specifics of the vegan diet as well as consumption behavior.

Also, talk to vegans and vegetarians to understand their concerns and what they expect when they go to a vegan restaurant.

2 – Create a diverse menu

Vegan options are far from limited! So put real care into designing your menu, including dishes and drinks that appeal not only to vegans but also to other audiences. Some common cuisine options are:

• vegan burger
• vegan sushi
• vegan pizza
• vegan feijoada

Variety of flavors is crucial. Use fresh, local ingredients, include seasonal dishes, and innovate by offering vegan cheeses and other plant-based foods.

Finally, don't forget to also consider dietary restrictions and preferences (gluten-free, organic, etc.).

3 – Choose good suppliers

The vegan audience is quite demanding and cares about the entire production chain of what they consume, to make sure there's no animal exploitation of any kind. That's why you should be very careful when choosing your suppliers. 

Prefer local producers you can visit to learn where the food comes from. Don't compromise on quality and, if possible, use ingredients with organic and vegan certifications.

4 – Adopt sustainable practices

Vegan consumers don't choose restaurants based on the menu alone. They also value sustainable practices.

So, besides choosing reliable suppliers, you should also focus on things like eliminating the use of plastic, disposing of solid waste properly, reducing food waste, and other actions that lessen your environmental and social impact.

Learn more: Sustainable restaurant: 9 ideas to implement now

5 – Offer personalized service

Finally, to set yourself apart from the competition, offer excellent, personalized service.

Train your service team to be friendly and consultative, answering questions about the menu and making suggestions to customers based on their preferences.

Meet EPOC: the ideal solution for restaurants

Beyond following all the tips we listed above, your business's success also depends on an agile operation and efficient management. For that, count on EPOC!

We have an end-to-end solution for your restaurant: POS, back office, KDS, digital menu, self-service, and much more. If you'd like to know how we can help, Schedule a free demo and see how it works in practice!