Should vegans eat at non-vegan restaurants?
Is it better to support vegan-only businesses or should we just support vegan options wherever they are?
Vegans support vegans
What’s better than going to a café or a restaurant where you can order anything and be sure that it’s vegan? No careful analysis of the menu is needed to find maybe one, possibly-vegan option, no awkward questions about ingredients and no risk of being accidentally given a non-vegan meal. You can relax and enjoy your meal without seeing other people gorging on animal foods.
Of course, vegan restaurants are the best, there’s no doubt about that. But unless you live in one of the few vegan-friendly cities or close to a vegan café, it’s never going to be a regular event.
I think all vegans prefer vegan businesses, but should we eat only at vegan restaurants and nowhere else? If you can, then absolutely, yes – but it’s difficult to apply the same logic in other areas of life. Most of us probably do our food-shopping in non-vegan shops and supermarkets, we buy toothpaste and paracetamol at a chemist’s, and we go to non-vegan pubs for a drink.
The point is, we can’t be perfect in an imperfect world and while it’s wonderful to support vegan businesses whenever possible, it may be just too strict to limit ourselves to eating out at vegan-only eateries.
Vegan options
If you don’t have a vegan restaurant near you or you want to socialise with non-vegan companions, a place with vegan options is the next logical choice. Vegan options deserve all the support we can offer but for many vegans, they come with a few potential pitfalls.
Were my chips fried in the same oil as fish or meat? Did they use a clean knife and chopping board to prepare my food? And what’s the white stuff drizzled on top of my meal – coconut cream or dairy?
These questions generally divide vegans into three groups – those who ask and examine, those who don’t worry so much about the details and those who decide what makes a difference and act accordingly. By the latter I mean decisions such as having a separate set of utensils for vegan options is great, but it won’t help save any animals’ lives so perhaps we don’t need to interrogate the staff about it. On the other hand, finding a dollop of dairy cream on your meal is not acceptable – not only because you don’t want to eat it, but because it increases the reliance on animal products and poses a health risk.
Either way, you know what makes you uncomfortable and what you can tolerate so the choice is yours. While you may not want to eat chips fried together with fish, other vegans might not see it as a big issue. Cross-contamination exists almost everywhere – that’s why there are labels such as “may contain milk” on dairy-free chocolate and this situation is similar. We’d prefer it not to be that way and in a vegan restaurant it’s not an issue but at other places, it’s a risk you may have to take.
There are still many restaurants that don’t have any or many vegan options on the menu so, in my opinion, restaurants that have at least one vegan main meal deserve support. And if you think the vegan option is boring, try suggesting a small change. Just adding some fresh basil, a few olives or capers to a tomato and pasta dish can make it a lot more appealing! It’s similar when your local shop starts stocking a new vegan product and you feel obliged to buy it so they keep it going and more people will get a chance to try it.
Chains vs small businesses
How about vegan options in independent cafés and restaurants versus big chains? That’s a tricky question because it adds the ethics of supporting small businesses as opposed to big corporations and again, everyone has a slightly different view on this – from chain haters to chain lovers.
Of course, it’s comforting to know that you can buy your vegan lunch at a chain restaurant and it’ll be the same in other branches wherever you go. If you don’t have any other option or are in a hurry, go for it. But without doubt, an independent restaurant is a more ethical choice.
Having said that, it’s also absolutely fine to get excited to try a new vegan offering at a chain restaurant – we’re only human!
Formerly vegan businesses
That’s a sore spot. What to do when your favourite vegan place starts serving animal products? For many people, it’s a betrayal that puts them off ever visiting again. For others, it’s a disappointment but they’ll still support the vegan side of the business as much as possible with the hope of eventually extinguishing the non-vegan options.
Either way, you go from comfort to discomfort and it’s not great. On the other hand, the owners probably had a rough choice to make – close down or compromise. Many small vegan businesses have closed down because they couldn’t survive and chose to close down rather than compromise their values. Commendable, certainly.
Supporting a formerly vegan café which has a range of vegan options is, I reckon, still more ethical than supporting a chain restaurant with one vegan meal on the menu. If it was my place, I wouldn’t start serving animal products to keep going but I still think the vegan side of the business needs us, the customers, to keep it thriving.
Speak up
Don’t be afraid to ask about vegan options or ingredients. I know, it may feel weird and you may not like the answers but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. And if you return to the same place, you won’t have to ask again. Clear and respectful communication is vital – and not just when it comes to food!
About the author
Veronika Prošek Charvátová
Veronika Prošek Charvátová MSc is a biologist and Viva! Health researcher. Veronika has spent years uncovering the links between nutrition and good health and is an expert on plant-based diets.
