Plant-based cuisine has gained visibility and legitimacy in the last years. Despite this growing interest, many establishments notice that their plant-based dishes don’t attract as much as expected.
Indeed, having a plant-based option on the menu does not guarantee it will be chosen. Between the curiosity to try a vegan dish and the final decision, there is often a missing step: the moment when the guest is truly convinced and attracted by the offer.
Marketing a plant-based offer means transforming a culinary promise into a concrete choice, removing the barriers that might hold the guest back.
In establishments where teams take the time to explain the concept, carefully present the dishes, and train staff on how to communicate about them, the plant-based option becomes a choice of pleasure rather than a fallback alternative. It then appeals to a broader audience, such as flexitarians, vegans or vegetarians, guests open to new culinary experiences or simply food enthusiasts.
The role of sales and marketing is to open the door, using clear arguments that speak to all types of guests, and a presentation that makes them want to try.
Clarify positioning and promise
First and foremost, it is essential to define what your plant-based offer brings to your establishment.
Is it intended to expand the current menu choices, embody a vision of sustainable dining, or convey a more modern culinary identity?
This promise should be clear without ambiguity when reading the dish’s name, and be experienced throughout the guest journey.
By explaining what the guest will experience in terms of taste, nutritional balance, seasonality, or local terroir, you turn a simple option into a real value proposition.
Understand expectations and remove barriers
Guests may choose a plant-based option for various reasons: personal well-being, animal ethics, environmental awareness, or culinary curiosity. This provides multiple opportunities for your establishment to stand out by offering dishes that align with these motivations.
On the other hand, barriers can cause frustration or even leading guests to give up on choosing a plant-based option. Concerns about portion size, flavor, protein content, or ingredient confusion can leave the guests feeling confused, preventing them from choosing your establishment due to a lack of clarity or coherence in your offer.
Effective marketing anticipates these concerns. It reassures guests about portion generosity, highlights flavor markers, and emphasizes technical mastery.
In the dining room, just a few words can dispel doubts and guide choices. This moment often determines the guest’s final decision.
Showcase the plant-based offer on the menu and in the dining room
Presentation is as important as content. Dish names should evoke flavors. Concise and precise descriptions should guide the imagination and highlight the dish’s strengths.
For example, mentioning a carefully crafted sauce, a silky texture, or a perfectly executed cooking technique can make a difference.
Plating should extend this narrative with a well-presented dish, clean presentation, coherent visual identity, and confident, consistent communication from staff.
Train teams on the commercial approach
A short training session or an awareness workshop helps anchor the key points: understanding the fundamentals allows staff to grasp the purpose behind the offer and respond to objections calmly and effectively.
This commercial approach relies on simple words, a smile, and the conviction that the plant-based option is a choice of pleasure.
When the team believes in the offer’s potential, guests feel it and are more likely to choose the dish.
Measure, learn, and adjust
Marketing also involves observation. Guest feedback, dish rotation, and sales by service or channel (restaurant, room service, events) provide valuable insights.
By analyzing what works, like dish names, plating, key consumption moments, you refine the offer and enhance its performance. Talking with guests is also important to understand their expectations and how the current offer can be improved.
Over time, the plant-based offer becomes part of the routine, and its loyalty potential becomes tangible.
Communicate with impact and consistency
Communication extends the experience beyond the table.
Highlighting the offer on the specials board, on the menu, or through elegant presentation helps make it more visible and attractive.
In terms of digital strategy, include the plant-based offer across the communication channels, creating tailored content for each platform.
Your communication should promote the plant-based offer and highlight the environmental commitments that support it. This culinary innovation is also an opportunity to showcase what makes your restaurant special, using carefully chosen words and elegant visuals that build trust.
Your plant-based offer then becomes a reference point—a dish guests recommend and return for.
A sustainable differentiation opportunity
A well-promoted plant-based offer becomes a mark of quality and a loyalty driver that strengthens brand image, turning a creative culinary proposal into an action aligned with sustainability values.
Above all, it supports the evolution of gastronomy expected by guests, more creative, more responsible, and just as generous.
Establishments must anticipate and organize their commercial approach to prepare for this transformation and meet the growing demand.
To go further, discover our online training, “Commercialiser son offre végétale” (French version), designed to support hotel and restaurant sales teams. It provides advice and practical guidance to clarify your plant-based offer’s positioning, build a persuasive commercial discourse, and train teams to showcase dishes both in the dining room and through sales channels.
