Why Add Vegan Choices?
Vegan Blount County helps people find restaurants with vegan options in Maryville, Alcoa, Townsend, Walland, and surrounding Blount County communities.
Adding even a few vegan choices can help your restaurant welcome more diners, serve mixed-diet groups, and be easier to recommend.
Vegan Choices matter for restaurants
- An $8 Billion Market: Plant-based food is a permanent shift in how Americans eat, cementing itself as a massive $7.9 billion retail industry with sustained consumer demand (Data: Good Food Institute / SPINS).
- Massive Household Penetration: Plant-based options are no longer a niche market. Recent market research reveals that 60% of all U.S. households actively purchase plant-based products annually, and 78% of those consumers make repeat purchases
- Valuable Customer Segment: People who buy plant-based meets spend on average $500 more at restaurants than other diners.
- Make Sure Groups Visit: When a group includes one vegan, vegetarian, or healthy eater, clear plant-based choices can make your restaurant easier to choose.
Simple Ways to Add Vegan Choices
Start with what you already serve
Look for menu items that are almost vegan already. Pasta, tacos, curry, rice bowls, salads, veggie sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, and grain bowls can often be made vegan with small changes.
Offer simple substitutions
Plant-based milk, olive oil instead of butter, vegan cheese, vegan mayo, beans, tofu, hummus, avocado, or a plant-based burger can make familiar menu items work for more diners.
No vegan menu required
You do not need a separate vegan menu to welcome plant-based diners. A few reliable options, clearly described and easy to order, can make a real difference.
Make ordering easy
Add a short note such as “can be made vegan” or “ask for vegan preparation.” This helps diners order confidently and helps staff know what to suggest.
Check ingredients
Sauces, dressings, breads, rice, beans, broths, fried items, and desserts are common places where diners need clarification.
Try one item first
You do not have to change everything at once. Test one vegan entrée, one plant-based milk, or one easy modification and see how customers respond.
Get Listed in the Guide
Vegan Blount County helps local diners and visitors find restaurants with plant-based options in Blount County.
- The vegan community is tight-knit, and they tend to give a shout-out to good vegan experiences. This is free advertising for your restaurant.
- Vegan Blount County connects with vegan communities in Knoxville and Chattanooga. Vegans will travel for good food.
- We also promote restaurants with vegan choices in our Blount County Vegan Facebook Community.
- Having vegan entrees on your menu means you can be added to the app Happy Cow. Vegans worldwide use this to find restaurants with vegan choices nearby. With so many tourists in Blount County, that’s a win for you.
If your restaurant offers vegan choices or items that can be made vegan, let us know.