29 September 2025

Last week, a local climate action group promoted Plant Based Restaurant Week. Someone had taken the time to encourage restaurants in the area to participate in this event, promoting climate-friendly eating.

Reminder: plant based diets are associated with better health outcomes as well as lower impacts on the planet.

Thrilled to learn about this, I immediately went online to check menus and make my plans to try them out. Out of the eleven restaurants listed, only four had what seemed to be plant based options (although not specified as vegan except in one case) and only one mentioned Plant Based Restaurant Week. I reached out to a couple - one responded to say that they did have a special offering (Romanesco Cauliflower Heart with butternut squash and pecan sage gremoulata…yum!) - they had promoted it on their Instagram story, a message that disappeared practically before I could even read it!

I’ve been curious about why more restaurants don’t include vegan options. If you owned a restaurant, wouldn’t you want to open your doors to the widest possible customer base?

Lacking for responses on Linked In, where I had posed the question, I consulted with my “research assistant”, Chat GPT. Here’s what I learned:

• Customer Demand Perception - restaurant owners aren’t seeing enough requests for vegan options, so they assume there is no need. But vegans are likely to select the restaurant on the basis of menus offered, and often influence a larger omnivorous group to select the inclusive option.
• Menu Development Challenges - old-school chefs were not trained for vegan cooking and may find it outside their comfort zone. But there are simple tweaks to regular dishes, and many plant based ingredients are easy to keep on hand.
• Kitchen Operations & Cross-Contamination - this may be a very real challenge in smaller kitchens, which might explain why some of the menus included plant based options but did not label them “vegan”. In terms of inventory, beans and lentils take little space and come in non-perishable forms.
• Cost and Supply Concerns - yes, many meat and cheese substitutes are expensive, however those are not always necessary. White beans could make a creamy dish and inexpensive tofu is a great meat alternative.
• Cultural and Culinary Tradition - in the US, much of our ethnic food is inauthentic anyway. Looking to older eating patterns, meat was certainly less prominent and most meals were not smothered in cheese. We can protect tradition AND evolve.

Even when there are vegan dishes, they are sometimes hidden in the menu. In the UK, where [I believe] the term “vegan” is less vilified, plant based options are found on most menus and clearly labeled. Some restaurants even offer an entirely vegan menu in addition to their regular offerings. I’d venture a guess that they would not be doing this if it did not make business sense!

Are we in the U.S. too hooked on prime cuts to be ready for prime time when it comes to climate and health? The good news is that Gen Z and Millennial diners are driving demand for plant-based choices, and chains like Burger King and Chipotle have already shown that these options can sell.

In fact, restaurants who start doing this right now - before everyone gets in on it - will benefit from low supply and high demand, from vegans, plant-curious consumers and the people with whom they socialize. Be like Field of Dreams…offer it and they will come!

Plant Based Restaurant Week was certainly a step in the right direction. I’m a huge fan of progress over perfection. If you care about your health, the planet or the animals raised for meat and dairy (pick one, two or three), encourage your favorite restaurants to offer plant based options.

It’s not about restricting choices, but adding possibilities!

I usually consult the Happy Cow app to find vegan-friendly restaurants, but it’s certainly not complete. What places do you recommend?