Plant-Based Offerings are important for food service businesses: survey

Meatless Chik’n Tender (CNW Group/Sol Cuisine Ltd.)

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Restaurants in North America that do not offer an adequate selection of vegetarian and vegan menu items could find themselves losing customers as the industry reopens in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That is the key finding from recent survey results released today by Sol Cuisine Ltd. The Company’s survey, conducted by Hanover Research, which polled 500 Canadian and U.S. consumers in July 2021 found that more than half of respondents would “reconsider going to a restaurant that did not offer vegetarian or vegan options.” This is a direct result of the increasing number of vegetarians visiting restaurants as part of a larger group. The survey also revealed that 65% of respondents indicated that they go to restaurants with vegetarians sometimes, often, or very often.

The Study of 500 consumers in Canada and the U.S. was conducted by Hanover Research in July 2021, focused on ascertaining consumer attitudes and behaviour toward plant-based offerings, specifically within the food service sector. A selection of the results is included below:

52% of consumers surveyed indicated that they would reconsider going to a restaurant that did not offer vegetarian or vegan options;
65% of respondents indicated that they go to restaurants with vegetarians sometimes, often, or very often;
50% of these consumers indicated that the presence of vegetarian options has increased in importance in the past 2 years; and
Only 3% of consumers said that plant-based options/meat alternatives are not at all important to them.

“Consumers want restaurants to offer more and better plant-based options, and restauranteurs are accommodating, with growth both in new launches as well as a deeper menu,” John Flanagan, CEO of Sol Cuisine commented in a statement. “We expect that consumers will continue adding larger proportion of plant-based foods into their diet, both at home as well as on the go. With a deep portfolio of best-in-class, highly differentiated products aimed at food service customers, Sol Cuisine is positioned to be a North American partner of choice as we all get back to enjoying the food we love, with friends.”