Restaurants that pay attention to the ‘vegan veto vote’ see more diners

A recent expansion of the plant-based menu at already vegan Texas barbecue restaurant Ore Nell’s helped fill the restaurant’s seats during the winter off-season. This is a classic case of a vegan veto vote.

“I sold more seitan than ribs on a Wednesday in January,” said Will Myska, executive chef and owner of Ore Nell. “We didn’t eat too many orders of ribs, but we had 12 orders of seitan. This has really helped us stay relevant during these slower months. It is a challenge to meet the demand.

The vegan veto vote occurs when a group of family, friends, or coworkers are planning to go out to eat together and there is an herbivore among their ranks. The vegan or vegetarian vetoes any suggestion of a restaurant that doesn’t offer solid plant-based meals and directs the group to a restaurant that does. Restaurants with robust vegan menus benefit from the vegan vote, while restaurants with mediocre options face a veto.

Although the term “vegan veto vote” has been appearing here and there in the mainstream press for years, few people, other than vegans and vegetarians, seem to be aware of this phenomenon or its impact on a restaurant’s bottom line. I found reference to the phenomenon’s ability to increase restaurant business as early as 2007 in an academic article, published in the journal Hospitality Review, on how to “understand the vegetarian customer”.

Based in Kittery (the Maine municipality with the most vegetarian businesses per capita), Ore Nell’s has long been popular with groups, thanks in part to its barbecue tofu and vegan mac and cheese. In August, Ore Nell’s opened a second restaurant in Biddeford and this winter, a vegan menu revamp added BBQ XOLO seitan and vegan queso to both menus. The redesign boosted demand.

Restaurant consultant and chef Mimi Loureiro of Rye, New Hampshire-based XOLO Kitchen helped Ore Nell’s modify its menu. Loureiro said that in his experience, most restaurateurs have never heard of the vegan veto vote and are unsure whether it hurts or helps their business.

“Will (Myska) is aware that having vegan options makes sense from a financial standpoint, but also from an inclusive standpoint,” Loureiro said. “It’s unusual for barbecue in Texas.”

Loureiro’s suggestions also helped lighten the load in the kitchen. Previously, Ore Nell cooks made two versions of potato salad and coleslaw: one vegan and one non-vegan. She suggested swapping Hellmann’s vegan mayonnaise for regular mayonnaise (which contains eggs) and serving all customers the vegan version.

“The whole team took this on as a fun challenge,” Myska said. “At Kittery, we set a precedent with smoked tofu and vegan mac and cheese. Biddeford really took it by storm, so we reached another (underserved) customer base there.

Other local restaurants have also experienced the positive side of the vegan veto vote, including Bird & Co. in Woodford’s Corner. The restaurant added vegan churro French toast and plant-based chimichangas to its brunch menu and found that the number of families and groups frequenting the restaurant had increased, a fact it attributed to a menu that offers something for everyone. Other restaurants with significant vegan and vegetarian options report a similar response from diners.

The DIY Veggie Life Burger at Three Dollar Deweys is an award-winning crowd-pleaser. Photo courtesy of Three Dollar Deweys

At Three Dollar Deweys in Portland’s Old Harbor, chef Emma Lown sees many group meal tickets that include vegan dishes, such as vegan nachos or barbecue jackfruit sandwiches, as well as non-vegan options.

“I’m going to offer a ticket for a cheeseburger, a Reuben and two vegan options,” Lown explained. Last year, she refreshed Dewey’s already vegan menu, adding a crispy Buffalo tofu sandwich, vegan poutine, and a build-your-own Veggie Life veggie burger, which, by the way, was named best city’s veggie burger in 2023. Best of Portland competition.

In Arundel, fine dining restaurant Bandaloop also attracts many groups due to its vegan menu. “Big groups come here because they know everyone will have choices,” said Bandaloop executive chef and co-owner W. Scott Lee.

Last Valentine’s Day, for example, Bandaloop’s three-course prix fixe meal offered diners a choice of tofu or lamb. Lee said he always develops the menu, which changes seasonally, to have a plant-centered base that can complement different protein choices. The current menu includes a number of vegan dishes, such as a Three Sisters stew with chocoyotes made from Maine masa corn. Additionally, the grilled chicken dish with crispy Brussels sprouts, pumpkin polenta fries and tangy dark chocolate mole “is vegan except for the chicken,” Lee said, as are “almost every dish that we are preparing. This allows customers to swap out a plant-based protein – like cooked or fried Heiwa tofu – to veganize their order.

A personalized chocolate-raspberry vegan cake from Sol Food 365 at Bandaloop. Photo courtesy of Bandaloop

This appeal to vegans carries over to Bandaloop’s desserts, which employs vegan pastry chef Missy Christy Maidana and does a regular business of vegan evening desserts, as well as custom orders of vegan cakes for special occasions. At Ore Nell’s, the vegan pecan pie tartlets have proven particularly popular.

Even during the slow winter season, these plant-based touches fill the dining rooms of Ore Nell’s, Bird & Co., Three Dollar Deweys, Bandaloop and many other vegan spots, making them welcoming to mixed dining groups. This is the power of the vegan veto.

Avery Yale Kamila is a food writer who lives in Portland. She can be contacted at avery.kamila@gmail.com.

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