{"id":5664,"date":"2022-07-20T17:37:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T22:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-gordon-food-service.pantheonsite.io\/grow-your-plant-based-menu\/"},"modified":"2024-09-05T15:29:06","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T19:29:06","slug":"grow-your-plant-based-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.com\/en-us\/ideas\/grow-your-plant-based-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"Grow your plant-based menu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remember the 1980s original gangsters, Boca Burgers and Gardenburger? Thanks to 21st century food science, plant-based foods have come a long way, and they are here to stay.<\/p>\n

Restaurant operators today are thinking far beyond the bun. With plant-based foods that look and taste like beef, poultry, seafood, eggs, milk, etc., the challenge is figuring out how to add them to the menu and build loyalty.<\/p>\n

Several Gordon Food Service experts explained why it makes sense to offer plant-based options and ways you can market them.<\/p>\n

Menu callouts matter<\/h3>\n

Veg-centric dining, meatless Mondays and mindful eating have changed the menu landscape. Even so, \u201cvegan\u201d or \u201cvegetarian\u201d callouts spook many mainstream diners. As with all parts of the menu, authenticity works, according to Texas-based Culinary Specialist Matt Dummar.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have it in their mind that vegan or vegetarian doesn\u2019t taste good, so there\u2019s no need to call it out,\u201d he said. \u201cThe vegans will know. The rest of your customers don\u2019t have to worry because they will enjoy it if you make something thoughtful.\u201d<\/p>\n

He advises operators to create a plant-based appetizer<\/a>, burger or LTO but not make a big deal about it. Dishes using alt-proteins will catch on if they are appetizing and approachable.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuild a menu item that includes a plant-based product. Taste it, and come up with sauces and sides that help it stand on its own as a thoughtfully chef-crafted recipe,\u201d Dummar suggests.<\/p>\n

Health and social appeal<\/h3>\n

Success of plant-based menu items will depend on how they are described and how the waitstaff is trained to talk about them, explains Illinois-based Culinary Specialist Bill Barker.<\/p>\n

\u201cOperators can easily promote themselves as earth and health friendly,\u201d he said. \u201cConsumers don\u2019t have to worry about allergens, steroids or antibiotics, and parents can feel confident their kids are eating safely.\u201d<\/p>\n

When consumers feel good about choosing plant-based foods, restaurants can double down on their messaging about using environmentally friendly disposables or takeout packaging. The combination of plant-based food and thoughtful packaging enhances the whole operation.<\/p>\n

The National Restaurant Association\u2019s \u201cState of the Restaurant Industry Report 2022\u201d shows eight of the top 10 trends are directly or indirectly related to sustainability and plant-based products.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s already a perception that plant-based is better for the environment and that definitely goes hand-in-hand with talking about sustainability,\u201d said Abby Windau, a Business Solutions Specialist in Ohio.<\/p>\n

Watch for limitations<\/h3>\n

Between veg-centric dining and plant-based possibilities, the audience is vast, but not unlimited.
\nDespite all the trend predictions, Windau warns that some people could be turned away because plant-based foods are processed and often not low-calorie options.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot depends on the operator, their brand and target audience. As with everything, people want options,\u201d Windau said. \u201cIf people think it\u2019s healthy, it might continue to grow \u2013 you just have to pay attention to your customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s especially true for steakhouses, Barker advises. There\u2019s no reason to stray from steaks. Just remember, plant-based foods occupy more than the center of the plate. He points to a croissant made with Zero Egg that\u2019s the best he\u2019s ever tasted. There also are plant-based milks that can be used in sauces or dressings.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t like the idea of paying restaurant prices for vegetables,\u201d Dummar said. \u201cSo make it special \u2013 thoughtfully prepared and presented, with flavors people can\u2019t prepare at home\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Make it more than a trend with appetizing and approachable dishes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":5665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGrow your plant-based menu<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thanks to 21st century food science, plant-based foods have come a long way from the original veggie burger patties, and they are here to stay.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfs.com\/en-us\/ideas\/grow-your-plant-based-menu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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