Is opening a strict vegan restarunt a good idea?

Question

I would like to open a restaraunt in my later years, after collage. I know that the numbers of veganism are growing in uban areas. Would it be a good idea to open a vegan restarunt after I get out of collage?

Answer 1

That depends on the area. In Texas it will be less popular than in California. I think strict vegan is extreme. I think it is better to have two menues - strict vegan and alternative menue. This way people can go to this place and take their non-vegan friends. I know that a lot of people who normally eat meat don't mind a vegetarian meal, but they find vegan to be too blant or just unappealing in general.

Answer 2

No matter what type of business you are thinking about opening, the key is to know your market. Is there are local market for what you want to do, and is that local market projected to be at least stable, but preferably, growing?

If the answer to those questions is yes, then go ahead and start thinking in terms of a business plan. But this is basic information that applies to any business. Oh, and if you don't manage to improve your grammar, spelling and punctuation, your basic writing skills, your business plan will be ignored. So would any resume that you write.

You should also talk to small business owners in the area, and don't forget to start talking to banks. At this point, though, you are only talking to banks about the general idea, to get information about how to do a business plan, how to get loans, etc.

Entrepreneurship is a serious concept and takes a great deal of planning. Even then, the failure rate within the first year of opening a small business is high, and the failure rate in food services is even higher.

Caveat emptor.

Answer 3

I think that it might be a bad idea, because even though you're right that many people are turning to veganism, many still view veganism as extreme and even unhealthy. I think you're goal would be served just as well if the menu was mostly vegan...you can call it a "vegan-friendly" place rather than a vegan place (which would prevent excluding non-vegans, also) I'm no expert, but you could probably find a specific cuisine that would lend itself to being mostly vegan. Good Luck!

Answer 4

You might consider a vegetarian restaurant, where vegan items are clearly marked on the menu and many of the non-vegan items can be "prepared vegan upon request", instead. That way you can serve vegan customers well while pulling in business from all those non-vegan vegetarians. Also, I'd think omnivores would be more likely to try a vegetarian restaurant than a vegan restaurant.

Answer 5

Probably not. There are very few areas with enough vegans to support a restaurant; you'd have to do a lot of research to just find a _potential_ customer base. And then you'd have to appeal to all of them, which seems unlikely -- do you want fine dining, or, as seen on the campus of my alma mater, a vegan hole-in-the-wall that's run on 'pay what you can' lines? The type of vegan restaurant is going to limit your customer base even further. You'd be taking a tiny per cent of the population, and a tiny per cent of that, and then have to rely on them for almost all your trade.

Loads of restaurants go under despite trying to appeal to the majority. I don't know that you'd find much backing.

I grant that there's a "but why couldn't omnivores eat there as well?" question, but it seems rare that non-vegetarians will go out of their way to go to a vegetarian restaurant. If it's nearby, good, and they have a vegetarian friend -- sure. But.

I've been a vegetarian since birth, and can pretty safely say that I'd be very unlikely to go to a vegan restaurant. Meat substitutes repel me, and I have little patience for anything but very high-quality produce, and I'm not _too_ unusual with that.

Expensive food, limited menu, tiny potential customer base -- eh.

A tiny café in the perfect city might fly, but it'd be an awful lot of work. You wouldn't want to be in "collage" right now -- a serious vegan chef training program would be an almost critical background. Menu planning is challenging work even for omnivores.

Answer 6

I would say have a vegetarian restaurant and have portion of the menu vegan only. I would also say serve things that their non vegan friends can eat like mac and cheese or eggplant parm. You can do an Italian theme and have a vegan part of the menu.

Answer 7

I think it's a great idea, assuming that it prepared a vartiety of good vegan food, and possibly with some of it gluten free, low sodium, etc. I know that in my area we have a vegan place and it is hugely popular. I know many vegans who will always try a new place, so I'd call it a quite good idea! Assuming that you know how to and can afford to open your own restaurant.

Answer 8

I think it could be a very good idea, if you opened it up in the right area. You need to be in an area where people are open to trying something new or may even be vegans. I wish you luck.

Answer 9

First, make sure when the time comes for you to undertake the venture, there are sufficient vegans in the vicinity of your restaurant to start the business.

Many things can happen over the next few years.

The idea is good but do remember to do a market research then, not now.

Answer 10

I would definitely do a feasibility study in the area that you would like to open one first, and find out how many people in a given area would support your business. If you still want one than go where there are a lot of vegetarians.