By Madeline St. John

There are a few reasons why Hawai’i is considered paradise. I presume to say that the food is one of them. Unfortunately for the vegan crowd, many local Hawai’i favorites are meat-based—locals love their seafood and their SPAM. However, on the flip side, Hawai’i has a great diversity of culinary influences, inspired by the many cultures that have shaped the islands, so when it comes to vegan fare, there is a wide variety of options.

One great facet of Hawai’i is the fresh fruit, of which there is abundance and a wide variety. Go to a farmer’s market—there are quite a few of them—and pick up some tropical delights. My favorites include: pineapple (of course), apple bananas (smaller, tangy-er, and sweeter than your typical banana), lychee (spiky and red on the outside, juicy and delicious on the inside), and papaya (cut it in half, spoon out the seeds, then scoop the rest of it into your mouth; you can also use it as a bowl, fill it with some non-dairy yogurt for breakfast or sorbet for dessert).

While fruit is the highlight of my vegan experience, fresh vegetables are also in good supply. Locally-grown greens and tomatoes make fantastic, flavorful salads. Sweet Maui onions are a must-try. Another local favorite is soybeans, or edamame, cooked with sea salt. You pinch the pods and pop the beans into your mouth. So ono! (Delicious in Hawaiian!)

Fresh, home-cooked, medium-grain rice is a staple in Hawai’i. Pretty much every household has a rice cooker. While I enjoy simply eating warm rice with uncooked tofu, drizzled with some shoyu (“soy sauce” in other parts of the U.S.), others may opt for more complex flavors. Vegetable stir-fry with onions, garlic, tofu, and some kind of sauce, eaten over rice, is one of my go-to dishes when cooking at home. In a sweeter incarnation of rice, mochi is a tender, chewy cake made of rice. Sweet and soft, mochi makes a delicious vegan dessert. Just make sure you avoid butter mochi and the pink ones (which use red food coloring and are fairly common).

Along with rice, tofu takes center stage in my experience as a vegan in Hawai’i. It is incredibly versatile, and easy to find. My family typically buys boxes of four blocks at a time, from Costco. One somewhat surprising virtue of tofu is its ability to make great desserts–especially chocolate mousse. I imagine (I have yet to try it) that vegan chocolate mousse would be wonderful when combined with a slice of haupia (How-PEE-a). A type of coconut pudding, Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian dessert. It is rather easy to make at home, but it is also sold in some stores and restaurants. Because it sometimes uses coconut milk as its base, it can be vegan. Check the ingredients when eating out.

Another traditional Hawaiian food that happens to be vegan is poi. This is a purple paste made from ground taro root. While I find it delicious, I have heard it may be an acquired taste. It is a starch, so try eating it with some salty, flavorful protein. A spoonful of sugar also helps it go down (this is how I ate it as a kid, and still do at times).

While it is not descended from ancient Hawaiian tradition, shave ice is a very popular local dessert (and its popularity seems to be spreading across the Mainland, with Kona Shave Ice trucks). Consisting basically of sugary syrup drizzled over shaved ice, this makes for a great post-beach treat. “The Local,” a new shave ice place in Kailua, on O’ahu, serves up syrups made from actual fruit. They offer flavors like lychee and pickled mango that will give you a true taste of the islands, and it is the most distinctive, flavorful ice I have ever had.

Poke (POH-kay) is another dish that is close to many hearts in Hawai’i. While it has come to be associated with the raw fish dish, “poke” comes from a Hawaiian word meaning “to cut crosswise into pieces.” Foodland, a grocery store chain famous for its fresh fish poke, also offers a tofu poke option. While this is tasty, I found that a more-than-satisfactory substitute could be made at home (and have included the recipe along with a photo of the dish!)

Growing up, my family did not eat out very much. For the most part, we bought groceries and cooked food at home. When we did eat out, we typically went to a small restaurant in Kailua or Kaneohe, on the Windward side of Oahu. Just in case you happen to find yourself there, in search of vegan or vegetarian options, here are a couple recommendations.

Saigon Noodle House, located in Enchanted Lake shopping center, is a brightly lit Vietnamese restaurant, with a friendly owner, generous servings, and a vegetarian section of their menu. While I am not sure how many of their offerings are entirely vegan, their tofu vegetable sandwiches and green papaya salads are two tasty options. Ba-le is another Vietnamese chain restaurant, located across the islands, that offers vegetarian options and is known for its delicious bread.

Castle Hospital, also on the Windward side, is run by Seventh-day Adventists. Because of this, their cafeteria is entirely vegetarian. The cafeteria is buffet-style, with a variety of refrigerated and hot plate options.

Windward Community College’s recently opened Uala Leaf Café, located on campus in Kaneohe, offers a vegan option daily and is open Monday-Friday from 11 to 1:30. Their monthly menu can be found online.

Happy vegan eating!

Tofu Poke
1 cube tofu (about 12-14 ounces)
Shoyu (soy sauce) to taste
3 green onion stalks
About a teaspoon of sesame seeds
Garlic powder, chili powder, and ginger powder to taste
Squirt of juice from a local fruit that tastes like a lime (i.e. just use lemon or lime juice)

I cut the tofu into cubes, chopped the green onion stalks, mixed all of the ingredients together gently, and eat it over warm rice. Yum!

Shop at TheVegetarianSite During the Month of March 2016 and Support The Vegetarian Resource Group!

For the month of March, TheVegetarianSite will donate a portion of your purchase to The Vegetarian Resource Group. TheVegetarianSite offers non-leather shoes and clothing, cruelty free personal care products, books, videos, food, and more. We thank them, and we’d like to thank you for supporting The Vegetarian Resource Group!

Save the date: VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP VEGAN THAI DINNER IN BOSTON AT MY THAI VEGAN CAFE
Sunday, October 16, 2016, 6 PM

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan Thai dinner
at My Thai Vegan Café in Boston on Sunday, October 16, 2016 during the
annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG
advisors Reed Mangels PhD RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Debra Wasserman,
and vegetarian dietitians from around the country. All are welcome.

MENU:
Tom Kha, Thai Coconut Soup with tofu
Thai Mango Salad
Nam Prik Kaeng Kari with tofu (Yellow Curry) and brown rice
Pad See Ew. Wide rice noodles with Chinese broccoli and vegan gluten.
Fruit cocktail for dessert or other fruit
Tea and cold water

This will be a plated sit down dinner.

TO RESERVE: Send $30 person (includes tax and tip) (Under eight is half
price) with names of attendees to The Vegetarian Resource Group,
P.O. Box 1463,
Baltimore, MD 21203.
Call (410) 366-8343.

You can also pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write Boston Dinner in the Comments.
Refunds after September 30th only if your seat can be replaced.

Hope to see you there!

Companies Using Animal-Based Stearic Acid/Stearate Compounds

The Vegetarian Resource Group already reported on Wrigley’s use of tallow- and lard-derived stearic acid in Life Savers Pep O Mint®, Spear O Mint®, and Wint O Green® flavors. http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/18/stearic-acid-in-life-savers-mints-derived-from-tallow-lard/ We also pointed out in that article that the magnesium stearate in some of their products is palm oil-derived.

Hershey’s told us by phone and email that their magnesium stearate is “usually” derived from animal fat. They were not able to elaborate further when we asked if “usually” meant something closer to 51% or 99%.

Mondelēz International told us by phone and email that their magnesium stearate could be sourced from “either animal or plant.” They were unable to be more specific although we made several attempts at clarification.

Look for future articles on this subject. See part 1 of this article here:
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/02/23/stearic-acid-and-stearates-in-mints-almost-all-vegetable-sourced-part-1-of-3/

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Find The Vegetarian Resource Group in Booth #504 at the 12th annual DC Green Festival May 6-8th. Find Tickets to the event here: http://bit.ly/23hupdK

Kids 16 and under gain free entry. Seniors and Military receive a discount at the door. Students receive free admission on Friday and receive a discount on Saturday and Sunday at the door.

Mothers receive FREE admission all weekend. Happy Mother’s Day!

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Below are some recent additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Clovermint Café
3433 Griffin Rd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
Clovermint Café is a healthy, vegan restaurant in the Fort Lauderdale area. They opened the business with a mission to provide healthy and delicious foods to the community. In doing so, they keep all of their food vegan and gluten free, and they use whole ingredients to prepare the recipes. All of their dishes are vegan including avocado fries, which are coconut and almond encrusted avocado slices that have been fried in coconut oil and served with a garlic dipping sauce. They offer many other options including a hummus plate, a buffalo cauliflower plate, a sunflower seed tuna melt, cinnamon apple pancakes, and decadent chocolate cake. Come by and try some of the delicious vegan food they have to offer!

Cuong’s Vegan Sandwiches
2 Beach St.
Boston, MA 02111
Cuong’s Vegan Sandwiches is a take-out restaurant in Boston! It is the perfect stop if you are in a rush and need an inexpensive meal to go! You can choose from a variety of sandwiches including Massaman Curry, which is stir-fried veggie beef with peppers, mushrooms, coconut milk, and more! They offer other sandwich options in addition to salads, spring rolls, desserts, and bubble teas.

Love, Peace, Sol Café
3435 Albion St.
Denver, CO 80207
Located inside a Victorian house, enjoy vegan soul food dishes such as a breakfast burrito, quesadillas, Southern style collards and kale, spicy Louisiana red beans and rice, and lentil patties with barbecue sauce. Menu options can vary.

No Bones Beach Club
5410 17th Ave. NW
Seattle, WA 98107
Located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, No Bones Beach Club is a vegan Tikki Bar serving up bar snacks including eggplant fries and cauliflower wings, soups, salads including buffalo tofu salad and Caesar salad, sandwiches, tacos, tempeh kabobs, lettuce wraps, desserts, and more. Each month they donate a percentage of their proceeds to a local animal rescue.

The Block off Biltmore
39 S. Market St.
Ashville, NC 28801
This vegan bar offers a variety of food, drinks, and events in a socially conscious environment. The extensive drink menu features beer, wine, and cocktails with locally sourced ingredients when available. Food selections range from soups, salads, and sandwiches. Be sure to check out the website to keep track of upcoming events, shows, and open mic nights.

The Hall: Kit Fox
1028 Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
Kit Fox offers sandwiches and sides. This temporary location is one of six vendors in The Hall, a restaurant built to re-establish the culture of Market Street. Enjoy free live music every Tuesday night from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Vegaritos Burrito Cafe
6904 4th St. NW
Washington, DC 20012
Choose a protein, beans, rice, and toppings to create your own burrito or bowl. Everlasting Life Restaurant’s new dine-in is a vegan spin on the common burrito bar. Vegan meat, cheese, and sour cream are available.

A reader wrote about the Mellow Mushroom Gluten Free Pizza:
“no longer vegan: gluten-free crust now contains egg according to their website.”

When we checked, the website indicated it was vegan and without eggs.
When we contacted Mellow Mushroom, they replied:

“This is an old file that is cached on the server. You might have used a saved link to get to it. I’ll make sure it gets removed.

The current menu is here: http://mellowmushroom.com/gf, and there are no eggs in the gf crust.
You can always use our allergen site as well: http://www.nutritionix.com/mellow-mushroom/menu/special-diets/premium

Thank you for letting us know,

Digital Content Manager
Home-Grown Industries of Georgia, Inc.
dba Mellow Mushroom”

By Samantha Gendler

I have been enjoying morning smoothies for years. To me, they are the perfect breakfast: they are easy to make the night before, nutritious, filling, and the possibilities are endless! But this winter, it’s been so cold, and the thought of chugging down my usual frosty treat when it’s 12 degrees on my morning commute has not been appealing. I’ve found myself trying to “get it over with,” which is not how one should feel about breakfast! The most important meal of the day deserves to be savored.

So, I set out to try a new breakfast that would meet my same criteria but have a warming sensation, instead of a frostbite-inducing one. It had to be something I can prepare the night before (I’m already waking up at 5:15 as it is!). It must be travel-friendly, healthy, filling, and of course — vegan!

There are several recipes for overnight oats floating around the internet, and so I decided to try a vegan version using some of my favorite ingredients.

Overnight oats is like oatmeal, but forget that pre-packaged flavored stuff that can be loaded with sugar! Instead, use regular plain rolled oats. You can manage the sweetness with your toppings and get as creative as you want. As long as you keep the ratio to 1/2 cup rolled oats and 1/2 cup vegan milk of your choice, the rest is up to you.

Here is what I used for my favorite version yet:

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup vegan milk (I used the Unsweetened Almond & Cashew blend from Almond Breeze).
1/2 Tbs all-natural maple syrup (adjust if you like it more or less sweet)
1 tsp vanilla (I am usually generous in this department!)
1/2 Tbs chopped nuts (I used pecans today – any nut is fine.)
1 Tbs chia seeds
1/2 Tbs dried unsweetened cranberries (raisins work well, too)
sprinkle of cinnamon

Stir all ingredients together and cover overnight in the fridge. Enjoy in the morning. That’s really it!

Because I eat them once I get to work, I’ve purchased a ceramic travel mug with a lid similar to this one, which serves as the soaking and heating container.

A lot of people enjoy overnight oats cold, but as I want something warming, I just take them out of the fridge after roughly 8 hours, give it a stir, and pop in the microwave for about a minute. When I’m feeling fancy, I drizzle the whole thing with nut butter. My favorite nut butters for this are from JEM Raw Organics. They are extremely creamy, not chunky, and don’t require being mixed beforehand, like some other butters in which the nuts and oil separate. In addition to using raw organic nuts, JEM avoids white sugar, opting for raw coconut sugar instead. The Cashew Cardamom flavor is my favorite to drizzle on this version of overnight oats; it gives the whole thing an exotic flair. The Hazelnut Raw Cacao would make a fantastic topping too, if you like an indulgent bit of chocolate-y flavor with your breakfast.

If I have fresh fruit on hand, I top with blueberries, blackberries, or sliced banana. When I heated this up at work last week, the smell permeated the office and someone asked “Who is baking cookies?” That’s how heavenly it smells! It is warm, filling, and stick-to-your ribs hearty. Give overnight oats a try and let us know what topping combinations you enjoy.

Here are some other topping combination suggestions:

-almonds, dried apricots, shredded unsweetened coconut
-banana, walnut, cinnamon
-coconut milk, cashew, dried papaya
-lemon zest, fresh blueberries
-vegan chocolate chips, dried cherries
-pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, ginger, cloves
-peanuts, strawberry jam
-raisin, cinnamon, pecan

Nutritional Analysis for Recipe Above:

Calories: 344
Total Fat: 12 grams
Carbs: 50 grams
Sodium: 91 mg
Protein: 10 grams
Fiber: 14 grams

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Introduction

Since August 2015 when The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) received confirmation from Wrigley® that it uses tallow- and lard-derived stearic acid in several flavors of its Life Savers® mints, we canvassed the mint market to identify brands containing animal-derived stearic acid or stearate compounds such as calcium stearate or magnesium stearate.

The VRG investigated 68 different mint brands in order to analyze trends in stearic acid/stearate use in mint products.

Based on our research The VRG determined that:
• Most mint brands that we researched (48/68 = 70.6%) contain one or two of the following: stearic acid, magnesium stearate or calcium stearate.
• Only 6/68 = 8.8% of all mint brands that we researched contain animal-based stearic acid or stearate compounds.
• Only three confections companies (Wrigley, Hershey’s®, and Mondelēz International®) state they use or may use animal-derived stearic acid or stearates in some of their mints. All three are very large corporations producing high product volumes.
• However, it is not correct to conclude that all large corporations use animal-derived stearic acid and stearate compounds. A notable example of a major company that uses vegetable-based stearic acid and magnesium stearate is Nestlé® UK. This company also confirmed by email that the sugar used in their products is not processed with animal ingredients.
• All smaller and/or newer companies use vegetable-sourced stearic acid an/or stearate compounds. Some of these companies use the chemically inaccurate term “vegetable stearate” on their ingredient statements highlighting their ingredient source.

Of the top five mint brands (by 2014-15 sales volume: http://www.statista.com/statistics/262572/leading-us-breath-freshener-brands-based-on-sales/),
o #1 Tic Tac® contains vegetable-derived magnesium stearate and sugar. According to an email response from Tic Tac Customer Relations their sugar has not been whitened through cow bone char.
o #2 Ice Breakers® contains magnesium stearate that according to its manufacturer Hershey’s is “usually” animal-derived.
o #3 Altoids® Original by Wrigley is non-vegetarian containing gelatin.
o #4 Breathsavers® contains magnesium stearate that according to its manufacturer Hershey’s is “usually” animal-derived.
o #5 Listerine® Pocketpacks® by Johnson & Johnson® contains no animal-derived ingredients nor sugar.

There are many vegan mint products considering both ingredients and sugar whitening methods. Look for a complete list of vegan mints in an upcoming article.
Please watch for follow-up articles!

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, join at http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php
Or donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

The contents of this website and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

By Angie Riccio

Since working in kitchens and eating out at kitchens has consumed my life, I have seen the best and worst scenarios when it comes to an allergen or vegan friendly kitchen, and have put my experiences into what I hope helps your establishment get on the right track to a friendly dining experience for all.

Working at a restaurant is one of the most stressful and satisfying jobs you can take on. You are not only in-charge of producing a delicious meal in a timely manner, but you are also in charge of making or breaking a relationship with a new customer. Catering to a customer’s needs can be a challenge when your kitchen and staff are not prepared, but easy when you have the right tools and mindset. In 2016, the world is changing at a rapid pace where each customer who walks in the door could have an allergy, a lifestyle choice, or a religious devotion to why they need your help while ordering.

To aid in keeping your business vibrant, taking a few steps so your kitchen is vegan friendly can help you prepare for whatever curveball is thrown your way Sunday morning during the brunch rush.

SANITATION:
When you start cooking at home, you make sure you start with a clean kitchen in order to produce the best product. When you go to a restaurant, you hope for the same, or an even better environment. The idea of going out to eat has become the idea that you are taking the night off from cleaning and want someone else to get their hands dirty. The customers judge an establishment from the moment they walk in. Are the tables dirty? Is the staff well kept? Are the floors clean? And most of all, if I can see the kitchen, is it clean? If any of the answers are no, society begins to question how they are producing a non cross contaminated meal if the sanitation standards are so low. I know for a fact I am not the only person who feels this way. Living with a carnivore means I am on constant clean up, but never afraid of cross contamination or somehow eating meat when I was supposed to be eating a veggie burger. Sanitation can be difficult and the last thought on your mind during a busy Friday night rush, but a few simple rules to keep in mind will keep your guests happy and healthy and the kitchen in great shape for when customers arrive.

1. Clean as you go. Just like at home, clean every surface as you cook.

2. Use separate tools for separate needs. A meat cutting board, versus a vegan, a meat frying pan versus a vegetarian friendly one, etc. Although it can become expensive for the kitchen it will erase any doubt that the meal is not vegan friendly. The money will be earned back in no time if your customers are happy and continue to come back.

3. Separate sanitation buckets for non vegan and vegan clean up. If you are cleaning off a counter with a rag recently cleaning up blood from steak, there is a chance of leaving a trace. Keeping it separate erases all stress.

4. Never, rush. If you rush a meal and have any doubts of cross contamination, start over. The guest would most definitely rather wait than feel like their lifestyle is disrespected.

5. Keep the overall kitchen and restaurant clean. A clean environment is a great way of showing that you are careful when producing your dishes.

6. Do not be afraid to be honest. Most people want to hear if you use the same grill, cutting boards and utensils for each dish. Let the customer be the one to decide if they want to dine there.

Show me what you’re working with:
When you place your order at a restaurant you are leaving your order in the hands of another human being to produce completely vegan friendly. When kitchens such as As220 in Providence, RI have an open kitchen where you are able to watch your meal be prepped and cooked before your eyes, you feel a sense of reassurance. As220 is a small local restaurant, show venue, and art gallery which ties in local beer, wine, produce, and meat from New England with an alternative twist. With a relatively small menu, they offer a separate completely vegan menu cultivated from comfort food such as mac and cheese, to a fancy seitan cutlet served for two. As220 cooks all of their food on a line that is visible for guests to see. During a slower lunch service the chefs will ask you to come over to the line, to see if you would like to add any other fresh toppings to your burger or salad and to show you just what you are about to consume. With labeled pans, sectioned off grill areas for vegan friendly dishes, you are able to feel a sense of respect. Every meal has a description of just what is going inside of the dish, including any micro-ingredients. The cooks are always willing to substitute, make suggestions, give explanations, and make your dining experience out of this world.

Other restaurants will have an open grill, showing you what they are adding to the food, as well as how it is prepared; however, they often forget to only cook vegan or vegetarian food in one restricted area causing cross contamination. Chain restaurants and hibachi bars will have open grills but due to the volume of food they are producing and the time frame they are expected to get dishes out, your meal is being cooked alongside meat dishes or on a grill that may not be clean enough to consider your meal vegan. If a restaurant is looking to step up their game when it comes to showing the guest how they work and what is going into their food there are a few options to consider.

1. Table side service. If the dish is simple like preparing guacamole, a salad or sauce, bring it to the table to prepare causing not only a vegan meal but a show helping you get a more impressed, returning customer.

2. If your grill or open kitchen cannot be vegan friendly, considering cooking on a separate pan on top of the grill, labeled. This one extra step takes no time at all, and will keep customers happy.

3. Keeping the open kitchen clean shows the customer that you care about them. Working on a dirty grill should never be acceptable, not just because I can see it, but because it is careless.

4. If you do not have any open kitchen, make sure you are willing to help your customer order a delicious meal and what ingredients you are putting inside the meal, what the work station looks like and that you are willing to go through the measures to make sure the meal is 100% vegan friendly.

Helping your guests will only help you have happy repeat customers!

ATTITUDE
When you first walk into your favorite restaurant, what is the vibe? Are you greeted by an inviting staff member, or walked promptly to your table with a smile? Whether it’s a seat yourself, order at the counter, or host setting, you are still invited in with certain care that keeps you returning. Whether it’s a special you have questions on or the everyday menu, typically if this is your go-to-establishment they have all the answers, suggestions, and know what you need to help satisfy your hunger. The other side of the spectrum however is filled with a staff and a restaurant that gives you an attitude that is unexplainable and unforgivable. People go out to eat in all different moods: happy, hungry, running late, upset, and while celebrating. No matter the mood, they often want great service and to leave in a better mood than when they arrived. Customer service will either make or break your company. Owning a business, or managing a restaurant means you are in control of the attitude. Making sure each staff member understands the importance of treating every customer, vegan or not, like royalty is your job will set the bar higher. When you are catering to your guest, no amount of needs, questions or complaints should cause you to give a bad attitude if you want repeat customers. When it comes to having the right attitude:

1. Hire the right staff. Not everyone belongs in the industry. Make sure you spend time getting to know your staff and your new hires to make sure they are a right fit before letting them in front of your guests.

2. Train the staff properly. Businesses typically do not spend enough time training their staff on the ins and outs of the restaurant. Giving your employees the right tools to make the right choices will only help your guests feel more at home.

3. Do not be afraid to hire, and rehire staff. If someone who was wonderful leaves your place of business, it is ok to hire them back. If someone is not cut out for the job, it is ok to let them go. Having the power to control your restaurant will only give you the power to keep your doors open longer.

4. Set by example. Do as you want done, and do not be afraid to express your dreams. This is your place of work. Make the best out of it.

5. Encourage your staff to take on the role of personally making each guest’s day better. As I like to say, go above and beyond. It is your paycheck, your tip, and your business that the customer controls. Don’t mess it up!

SHOW ME YOU CARE:
I have had multiple experiences when after I inform the restaurant where I am dining at that I am vegan and will need to avoid certain foods and by-products, the manager has arrived at my table within minutes to inform me that they are taking my request into great care. Showing your guest that you cared enough to not just enter in your dietary restrictions into the POS system, but went the extra mile to inform your manager of the concern, shows me you care. Most of the time the manager comes over to the table when there is an error with the food you have received. The idea that the manager comes over before a mistake happens really shows the team went the extra mile to ensure my happiness. When the wait staff takes the time to ask questions, talk to the kitchen or another staff member about what a meal includes, that shows they care.

When it comes to a vegan lifestyle, at least for myself, if I were to accidentally eat animal products I feel emotionally upset. For someone to take you serious without an allergy, really shows the restaurant’s values. There is a pub local to Boston, titled The Yard House. They have an entire vegetarian menu using meat substitutes from Gardein. Every time I order off of the menu, they make sure to ask, am I vegan or vegetarian and if there are any questions I have about the menu while ordering. My meal is then brought over by the manager to ensure me what I ordered is what I am receiving. I am now very loyal to the Yard House and have never been disappointed with a visit. I have a number of experiences at other establishments where I am ignored, my requests are not entered in the POS, and the wait staff ends up feeling guilty and I end up sick. The restaurants that put the effort and time into every guest are the ones I feel confident recommending to my vegan and non vegan friends.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK:
After hiring and training a happy staff, keeping your kitchen clean and professional and showing care for your clients, you are on your way to a well-run restaurant! The rest of it relies on passion. Throughout my years of working in the industry and school I have found a number of people with a love for food. By being a true foodie, you must love all food, causing you to challenge yourself to eating all food groups and preparing meals that satisfy all needs. One of my housemates throughout college was a meat eating, butcher with a love for food. He to this day, will venture to any vegan restaurant with me, and prepare me meals that are better than I could make myself. His love and commitment to creating perfect meals has helped him throughout his career. He has taught coworkers and classmates how to work with allergen friendly, vegan, and vegetarian products. With the passion and devotion to see all food as equal, and all guests as important, you are able to cater to everyone, including your restaurant. I am proud of my friend for paving the way in the culinary industry to ensure everyone’s meal is important, and conveying that as a chef it is your job to work with the clients to make their day the best day. I believe that the future has in store thousands of vegan friendly meals in every city, and foodies will be coming forward to help us enjoy a meal in every restaurant nationwide. As a customer, keep eating out, making suggestions, writing reviews, and speaking with the management staff on your experience. We all have a voice. Let’s use them.

For a list of vegetarian and vegan restaurants around the country, see
http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

For more information helpful to restaurants and food services, see
http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm