Quaker Steak and Lube is one of the most popular casual-dining restaurants in the United States. They have a vast menu, but they are known for their award-winning steaks. Their menu is loaded with non-vegetarian food.
But are there vegan options at Quaker Steak and Lube? The quick answer is no. If you’re a vegan looking to have a fun meal with your friends, Quaker Steak and Lube is not the best option.
This is primarily because of their limited vegan food options. The restaurant prides itself on steaks and other animal-derived foods.
But that being said, they do have a few specialty vegan options. So, if you’re curious about these options, read till the end!
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What Is Quaker Steak and Lube?
Quaker Steak and Lube is one of America’s most popular chains of casual-dining restaurants. Their signature dish is chicken wings, and they’ve won many awards in recognition.
The first Quaker Steak and Lube restaurant was opened by George Warren and Gary Meszaros in 1975. It was built out of an old abandoned gas station in Sharon, Pennsylvania. “Jig” and “Moe” then decorated the place with parts of old automobiles and license plates, giving it a very rusty, vintage look.
Here’s an interesting fact about Quaker Steak and Lube. Did you know that the first original restaurant was a “cook-your-own-steak” kind of restaurant?
The restaurant has blown up since then, and they have won over 100 awards for their food.
Are There Any Vegan Options at Quaker Steak and Lube?
As mentioned before, this popular restaurant is known for its steak and chicken wings. So, it’s very clear that they focus more on non-vegetarian food. However, they do offer a select number of vegan options.
So, let’s look at what Quaker Steak and Lube offers regarding vegan food.
Beyond Meat Burger
As the name suggests, this burger offers much more than just meat. The company states that all ingredients in this meal, right from the bun to the patty, are vegan-friendly.
The bun of the Beyond Meat Burger is made from gluten-free ingredients. So, people who are sensitive to gluten or have gluten allergies can enjoy their burgers without worrying.
The main ingredients of this patty are soy and GMO, both derived from plant sources. They also claim that these burgers have great taste and flavor.
In addition, they also claim that the burger can be enjoyed by people with dietary restrictions.
How Popular Is Veganism?
Veganism may have started as a mere trend, but it has now become a way of life for some people. And there are three major reasons for this.
Economical Reasons
Over the years, people have slowly become aware of the dangers of non-vegetarian food. Consuming non-vegetarian foods like chicken, beef, turkey, or pork, harms the environment, which has been a very apparent cause for most people to shift to veganism.
Treatment of Animals
People have started to also realize animals like chickens, cows, pigs, etc., are solely raised for consumption. The animals are fed many harmful substances that make them look healthier. Some animals are also kept chained and locked most of the time,
Health Benefits
Non-vegetarian food like chicken, beef, turkey, and bacon may taste good, but they also bring many detrimental health effects. Most non-vegetarian foods are a rich source of fat which, if eaten in large amounts, leads to obesity.
This further leads to other problems, and the person becomes prone to developing heart problems, liver problems, etc.
Should Restaurants Start Including Vegan-Friendly Food?
Studies have shown that in just over three years, the number of people who have adopted veganism has increased by a shocking 600%. So, as you can see, veganism is a way of life that has rapidly grown over the years and continues to evolve.
To keep up with this, restaurants must start incorporating vegan options into their menus. When a restaurant diversifies its menu, they automatically begin to gain more from it as it begins catering to a larger audience.
But a restaurant does not need to stop offering non-vegetarian food altogether. The restaurant will only have to balance vegan and non-vegan food to reach a more extensive clientele.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the benefits of including vegan food in a menu.
Rapid Growth of the Audience
Veganism is more than just a simple food trend; it has now become a lifestyle. More and more people continue to incorporate this into their daily lives.
You’ll be surprised to know that vegans and non-vegans are now curious to try vegan food to see what the entire buzz is about! When a restaurant changes its menu and includes vegan food, you can instantly notice the broader customer base.
You can easily target more people, including vegans, flexitarians, etc. In addition to that, you can also appeal to people willing to change their standard order.
When a restaurant upgrades its menu and includes vegan options, you can bet that the word will spread like wildfire. This is because many restaurants do not have vegan food, and vegans as a community are very close.
By incorporating vegan options at your restaurant, you can be sure that you will receive a free boost in marketing and effectively increase your sales!
Reach New Heights in Sales Value
As mentioned above, when you start to include vegan options, you automatically boost your sales. This is because a wider menu will attract a wider audience and yield better results.
However, this also depends on the number of vegan options you introduce, their variety, and their presentation.
A study by the founder of Veganizer, Kiki Adami, showed that nearly 17 restaurants witnessed a boost in their sales value after incorporating a vegan menu. This change was reported to be between a small 10% and an incredible 1000%!
Offer More Variety to the Existing Customers
A lot of casual restaurants like Quaker Steak and Lube have regular customers. Regulars are people who are frequent visitors to a place. These people might be very familiar with the menu and what the place has to offer them.
While they may be satisfied with the current menu, a little variety never hurt anyone, right? By adding a few vegan foods to your regular menu, the existing customers will find it more diverse, and you will retain them.
Customers, especially the regulars, tend to get bored of the same menu and move to other restaurants. But by making changes to the menu, you can be sure that your regulars will stay interested for longer.
For example, imagine you run a restaurant, and you have a regular. You already know their usual order, but they will find it interesting when you offer them something out of the ordinary. Your regular will also have more interest in exploring the other vegan options and will stay in your restaurant to try them out.
Attract Bigger Audiences
When you add a vegan kick to your menu, you’ll notice an increased number of customers.
Consider your friend group as an example. If you eat with your friends, you will want all your friends to have a nice meal. So even if one of your friends happens to be a vegan, there is a good chance you would go to a restaurant with more vegan options.
The same applies to the customer as well. When you decide to veganize your menu, you increase your chance of winning bigger groups and appealing to their tastes.
Final Words
With this article, you may have concluded that Quaker Steak and Lube is certainly not the best option if you are a vegan or simply looking to try vegan food. The company’s menu focuses more on non-vegetarian food and offers very little when it comes to vegan food.
As mentioned earlier, they have only one vegan option, the “Beyond Meat Burger.” Customers have said that while this burger tastes delicious, it is not enough. They need to offer a more comprehensive range of vegan options.
So, if you’re looking to grab a quick bite, this burger might suffice for you. But in the end, there are not many vegan options at Quaker Steak and Lube.