Restaurant Campaign Toolkit

Getting Started – The Restaurant Campaign

This Action Sheet provides an overview of the Campaign and guidance about how the various documents in the Campaign Toolkit fit together. It is particularly useful for Group Leaders of Pods.

Identifying Candidate Restaurants to Approach for The Restaurant Campaign

While anyone in any restaurant at any time can explore the possibility of making a temporary or permanent shift in a restaurant’s menu offerings, it is likely that certain characteristics would make some restaurants more or less likely to be interested in and able to accommodate this request.

Implementation Strategies for The Restaurant Campaign

Many Pod members have reported great success getting their favorite local restaurants to add healthier, vegan, and whole food, plant-based (WFPB) meals to their menus. These Implementation Strategies are offered as a guide to support efforts to take an initial conversation with a waiter and turn it into a menu item.

Shortcut to Success Overview – This document has been translated into French!

As you get ready to head out the door for dinner, this document offers a shortcut to quickly identify the essential information that will support your efforts to start a conversation with the restaurant manager/owner. (For the full Shortcut to Success packet, which includes the overview and the five key documents, click here.)

2018 Making Waves Challenge

It’s time to make waves in your community! The “Wave” is a fun Challenge in which individuals and members of a Pod (or any other group) may participate to get more plant-based, no-oil meals into restaurants around the U.S. and the world.

Restaurant Campaign and Certificate – This document has been translated into Danish!

Writing Reviews on Happy Cow and Other Apps

Suggestions on how to write a compelling, effective review from a health perspective on apps like HappyCow, and a list of other apps you can use to get the word out about plant-based meal options.

Supporting Veg Restaurants and Encouraging Healthier Options

While the Restaurant Campaign is mainly focused on restaurants with no vegan/WFPB options, it is also important to support vegan and vegetarian (“veg”) restaurants, and find ways to work with them to incorporate healthier menu options.

Submitting Stories to Media Outlets

Once a restaurant has added to their menu one or more plant-based, no oil meals, a key next step is to get the word out about this great new option. Seeing an article or positive review of their restaurant in the local newspaper is likely to motivate and encourage restaurants. Writing a Letter to the Editor or a positive restaurant review can be a very effective way to advocate for healthier menu items.

Rev Up the Restaurant Campaign!

“Tips for Designing a Meal” Card

Print this card, share it with others, and bring it with you when you dine out for inspiration when ordering.

WFPB Diet Explained for Restaurant Owners and Managers – This document has been translated into Spanish!

Information on WFPB Diets and tips for adding WFPB meals to the menu, for Restaurant Owners/Managers.

Plant-Based Cooking with No Oil for Restaurants – This document has been translated into Spanish and French!

Creating plant-based options that contain no oil for a restaurant’s menu may seem daunting. This Info Sheet focuses on how to make this adjustment seamlessly and deliciously.

Key Facts for Restaurants

This Info Sheet contains a list of key facts and statistics about the growth of the plant-based foods and restaurant industry. It was created to clarify for restaurant owners and managers the financial opportunity associated with offering plant-based menu options.

Maximizing Participation in the Restaurant Campaign via Happy Cow

This Info Sheet is a summary guide for restaurant owners/managers who have added plant-based meals to their menu, possibly at the request of their customers, and have been encouraged by their customers to submit a request to be listed on HappyCow.

PPC’s Culinary Philosophy

Explains the PlantPure Communities Culinary Philosophy and what it means to be “PlantPure.”

Please use the Restaurant Campaign Certificate Application and Reporting Form (click here for the Spanish version) to apply for a PlantPure Communities Restaurant Certificate, or to report on healthy meals that have been added to restaurant menus – including electronic menus, special inserts/cards, specials boards, and traditional menus. For details about the Certificate, please review the Action Sheet: Restaurant Certificate listed above. 

Find out what it means to endorse the Restaurant Campaign, as well as the objectives of the Campaign!

Please share your questions with us so that we can include them in this section! Email info@plantpurecommunities.org.

Check out the Dining Out Toolkit for valuable information and resources about dining out.

The HappyCow website and app is a worldwide guide to vegan-friendly restaurants and health food stores.

VeganXpress is an on-the-run guide to what’s vegan at fast food and chain restaurants in the USA and beyond. iPhone users can purchase the app ($1.99) to assist them in finding vegan options at restaurants like Chipotle, Olive Garden, Applebee’s and more!

VegGuide.org is a worldwide, community-maintained guide to veg-friendly restaurants and shopping.

How to Explain You’re Vegan in 83 languages – printable cards which are free to download, developed by MaxLearning.

Healthy Dining-Out Tips recommended by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine.

“Dining Out When You Must,” recorded lecture from Mary McDougall, 2/15/2017

145 Vegan Chain Restaurant Menus Every Vegan Needs to Know (article)

How to Eat Vegan at Any Restaurant (article)