Decoding: why the vegan trend can be profitable for an omnivorous restaurant...

For several years now, followers of the vegan diet have been flourishing everywhere. More widespread than ever, this trend reflectssocietal evolutions that are having an impact on consumption, and which restaurateurs have every interest in addressing. By understanding what is at stake, restaurateurs will be able to adapt their offer to meet the current demands of French customers.

How can you take advantage of veganism, improve your brand image and attract a new audience, without transforming your restaurant's identity? We explain it all here.

1. The vegan trend reflects changing consumer demands

What is veganism?

Veganism - or veganism - is a dietary practice that strictly excludes all products of animal origin, i.e. all substances derived from breeding, hunting, slaughter and fishing. Vegans therefore refuse to consume products such as meat, eggs, milk or cheese. But veganism cannot be reduced to a restrictive diet: it's a real way of life whose precepts extend to most areas of consumption. So why is this trend in the news at the moment? And what are the demands of its followers? Animal protection, you might say. Yes, but not only that. Veganism reflects a rethinking of our consumption patterns. It embodies a widespread awareness of the impact of our food on the environment and on our health. Livestock farming alone is responsible for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than all the cars, planes, trains and ships on earth put together. Meat is also considered responsible for many cases of obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease. While many intellectuals reject these accusations, many French people have decided to eat less meat (or none at all) and to make green the king of their plates.

The rise of the vegan trend in cultural and media terms

"Isabelle Goetz, spokeswoman for Peta France, tells Konbini: " Everyone knows what the word 'vegan' means today, andfive years ago it didn't mean a thing to anyone, as this way of life was not at all widespread in France.

• More and more fans

The word "vegan" only officially entered the French dictionary in 2013. Yet today, it's a term on everyone's lips. And with good reason: the trend is gaining more and more followers! According to a study by Vegan Life Magazine and The Vegan Society, the number of people following a vegan diet has increased by 350% in ten years. And we can predict a bright future for this lifestyle, with 42% of them aged between 15 and 34.The trend is therefore gaining momentum, and the consumption of vegan products (which doesn't just concern people who eat them exclusively) has soared: between 2012 and 2016, demand for these products saw a spectacular increase of 257%.. New York-based Baum&Whiteman, specialists in the food and beverage industry, are therefore convinced: the big food trend of 2018 is the vegan diet!

• An increasingly positive perception of veganism in society

At the same time, society's perception of veganism is increasingly positive. For proof of this, just look at the media and social media. Influencers (Niomi Start's Instagram account has almost 2 million followers), journalistic personalities (Aymeric Caron gave a wide-ranging presentation of his book No Steak) and Hollywood stars (Pamela Anderson, Nathalie Portman and Peter Dinklage) are all publicly committed to the vegan cause.[caption id="attachment_3112" align="aligncenter" width="479"]

Paméla Anderson for the vegan collection of the French brand Amélie Pichard[/caption].

So much so that veganism is becoming a marketing and sales tool of choice for many brands! According to market research company Mintel, the "vegan" designation on cosmetics increased by 100% in Europe in 2017. Prestigious brands have even followed this movement and created their first vegan products. DocMartens, the famous shoe brand, released a vegan-friendly collection in 2016. Same quality, same style... but 100% vegan! The cosmetics industry hasn't escaped this trend either. The Body Shop was the first brand to offer alternatives to products tested on animals, back in 1989. A pioneer in the field at the time, the brand is now followed by many others, such as L'Oréal Paris.

So why and how can your omnivorous restaurant, like cosmetics or clothing brands, take advantage of the vegan trend without distorting its core identity?

2. Growth opportunities in the foodservice market

Vegetables back on the map in French restaurants

The gastronomy sector has also gone vegan. The criticisms of veganism heard a decade ago are long gone. In 2017, the famous Le Bocuse d'or competition even marked the occasion: its final was devoted to... a vegan plate! The prize was celebrating its ^30th anniversary and wanted to "keep up with the times", explains three-star chef Régis Marcon, President of the Bocuse d'Or organizing committee.While few chefs actually claim to be vegan, many have taken advantage of the trend to promote healthier eating in their restaurants. Such is the case with chef Jean-François Piège, who at the start of 2018 appeared in numerous media outlets to present his new book Zéro gras. The book represents a decisive turning point in the chef's cooking, as he now offers balanced dishes as part of his menu.

A master of low-calorie diets, vegetables are no longer seen as a simple accompaniment to meat. To meet the growing demand for healthy cooking, chefs are having to reinvent the way they work. In 2017, the 50 Best, a competitor of the Michelin guide, honored 6 French chefs by ranking them among the 50 best restaurants in the world. Interestingly, three of them put vegetables at the center of their plates:

• L'Arpège, by Alain Passard, who has removed red meat from his menu,
• Alain Ducasse's Plaza Athénée, which has reduced its emphasis on animal products and developed the concept of " naturalness ",
• Bertrand Grébaut's Le Septième, which aims to "make vegetables meaty".

Vegans and vegetarians alike are delighted to see the vegetable back in the spotlight in French gastronomy. Michaël Bartocetti, Pastry Chef at the Shangri-La Hôtel Paris, offers a 100% vegan palace tea time . Some have taken the concept a step further, creating"vegan butcheries" to reconstitute the appearance of meat with plant-based materials, or even"vromageries" to offer vegan cheeses (the cream is impressively replaced by cashew nuts).Great chefs and start-ups are not the only ones to enhance the value of plant-based products, however. In France, the number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants is said to have risen from around a hundred in the early 2000s to over a thousand in 2014, according to the Association végétarienne de France. Many omnivorous restaurants are also taking advantage of this trend and deciding to offer one or more vegan alternatives within their menu, so why not you?

Attract new customers and improve brand image by offering a vegan alternative on the menu

• Optimize your chances of attracting a growing number of niche customers

By offering a vegan dish on your menu, you'll increase your chances of attracting new customers. As we've seen, there are more and more vegans in France and around the world. And while vegans may represent a niche, the demand is so great that applications like VegOresto list restaurants where vegans can eat. Having a presence on such apps would give you extra visibility with this specific clientele - but not only with them! It's important to remember that vegans rarely eat out with other vegans. The latter will therefore be able to recommend your establishment to the omnivores who accompany them.

• Offering a vegan alternative to meet the needs of the majority of French people

However, offering a vegan dish will also enable you to satisfy customers who do not follow these dietary restrictions! A CHD Expert study shows that 46% of French people How do you explain this desire? And what are the advantages for you? Including a vegan dish on your menu is strategically interesting on several levels for your communication: Firstly, your restaurant will reflect the image of an establishment that is "in tune with the times", as chef Régis Marcon used to say.Finally, as more and more people attach importance to the quality of the products they eat and to their figure, meatless dishes are often perceived as tasty, low-calorie options.

• Offer a vegan alternative to position yourself as an eco-responsible restaurant

Offering a dish without animal products will alsoimprove your restaurant's image. As we've seen, the demands of veganism reflect a growing consumer awareness and a desire for a healthier, more committed lifestyle. Responsible consumption no longer rhymes with elitism, and so it will be appreciated by a large majority of your clientele if you offer an alternative considered to be respectful of the planet and animals on your menu.

A low-cost alternative

More virtuous, this gastronomy is also less expensive. Plant-based products are less expensive than meat, for the same proportion, quality and nutritional value. Vegan and vegetarian dishes, composed of inexpensive basic products (legumes, soya, vegetables, condiments, etc.), offer an interesting margin for your restaurant. Furthermore, plant products keep longer and don't require any particular storage constraints. This makes it easier for you to negotiate prices with your suppliers, as you'll be able to buy in larger quantities than with meats, for example.But be careful! Although these products are more profitable, they also require more labor. It's important not to neglect vegan recipes. There's no question of offering something that seems timid or bland compared to the rest of your menu. Customers who opt for a dish without animal products should feel just as pampered as those who don't. Never cooked vegan before? Don't panic, as three-starred chef Emmanuel Renaut says : "Everything has already been written about meats,whereas vegetables are still terra incognita: the diversity is incredible, the palette of flavors and colors infinite. And there are a thousand ways to approach a zucchini, a turnip, a pumpkin...". So give free rein to your imagination and treat vegans, vegetarians and everyone in between! It'll be good for your image, and win you more customers, as more and more of them are looking for the rare gem offering them dishes without animal products! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us!