It’s Friday night and you and your crew are trying to figure out which one of your favorite veg*n eating establishments to frequent once again. Vivian says, “Oh, but we were just at Vegetable Planet last week, let’s try some place else.” Victor says, “Well, there’s Sushi Veg but we were there last weekend.” Veronica says, “Vegan Bistro would be great, but we went there for lunch on Wednesday.” Stuck in a quandary over where to go, you and your crew continue pondering: which one to choose!? Does this ever sound like a scenario from your life?
While most veg*ns prefer veg*n eateries, some might argue this narrows the veg*n dining possibilities and its potential benefits. By dining at the same veg*n eateries, veg*n diners aren’t spreading the word to other non-veg*n establishments about how popular veg*n eating has become in our society! Despite the possible mishaps of great terror (such as the unexpected and “accidental” appearance of animal products, hurtling the veg*n body and mind into a state of moral and ethical devastation and possibly anaphylactic shock!), it does seem more beneficial for veg*ns to dine at non-veg*n restaurants, if for nothing more than to acquaint the staff and perhaps, other diners, with veg*n food and, hopefully of the flavor, without sacrificing principles!
Think of it this way: the more people who order a particular dish, the more likely it will be that your local non-veg*n restaurant will maintain the dish on the menu and consider creating more veg*n options! It might well be that the non-veg*n diner might even order the veg*n dish because it’s something new and different at their fav eatery! All of us at some point in our lives have certainly seen a dish ordered by another diner and thought: “Wow, that looks really good, I wonder if I can order the same thing…?!” Wouldn’t it be nice to demonstrate to non-veg*ns by allowing those at tables nearby to see, smell and hear (oh my this is delicious!) how tasty and appealing the veg*n dishes at a non-veg*n eatery truly can be? Why not push the paradigm and be the person who orders the fabulous-looking dish that others yearn to order? Sans cruelty?!
True, we may wish that more people could just eat veg*n all the time, but unfortuantely, that is not likely to happen in the next few days, months or even years! In the interim, wouldn’t it be better to help expand the veg*n eating options at non-veg*n eateries, so that more animals, our environment and our society will benefit too? Even if it’s just helping a few restaurants have a few more diners that consume veg*n food, isn’t that better than having all those customers only eat non-veg*n?
Please don’t misunderstand my post for one that promotes mass food chains or the like and requesting veg*n options, as it is unlikely that a few local customers could change the status quo at those restaurants (it requires more on these fronts, perhaps more in a future post…). Since eating veg*n is a lifestyle decision that has positive ramifications, which holistically affect our world, part of this choice should include eating locally grown and produced food. So why not do the same with your choice of business? Choose locally-based businesses and promote veg*nism! The added benefit is that small restaurants are sure to want to hear from their patrons, and do their best to cater to your needs!
Here’s to dining, veg*n style, no matter what the “genre” of food might be at your local restaurant! Veg*n diners: trendsetters with principles!
1 Comment
Chia (324 comments)
May 1, 2008 at 12:01 pmI understand what you mean and agree that when there is demand, the restaurant will try to meet it. They are in business to make money! However, I am weary of cross contamination and prefer to use my dollars to support all vegetarian establishments.