Communicating Your Eco-Credentials

Environmental concerns have made restaurants that feature healthy, sustainable, organic, and eco-friendly options quite popular—but only if the customers know about it. One way to do this is by making your menus more informative, without overwhelming customers with too much information. Here are a few ways some restaurants have accomplished that.

Fast Facts:
A chain with a hip urban vibe and an eco-friendly consciousness was looking for just the right way to let customers know about their use of sustainable, local, organic foods. They used up-front signage and environmental facts on their menus help to start a conversation—even kids’ menus talk about their holistic, moral and ethical approach to everything they do.

Tell a Story:
A green restaurant and lounge that’s all about eco-conscious dining—from their sustainable, artisanal and seasonal ingredients to their green building and operating practices, express this on their menu by telling stories about the local sustainable sources that they use, keeping track of their environmental footprint and recycling their cooking grease for bio-diesel use. They believe that sharing their ideals can help their customers make a difference too.

Keep it Short:
A Healthy Fast Food chain finds that balancing on the fine line between promoting healthier options and lecturing the customers can be tricky. So they downplay the nutritional element, and promote the “guilt-free” angle. That way, diners feel a little better about what they’re eating as well as enjoying a cool environment, especially when the graphic symbols used to depict various health-related topics are fresh and fun. Another chain emphasizes how easily they can customize food for the customer’s dietary needs—they offer nutritional information to help them make the best choice for their lifestyle.

"Eco-friendly", "sustainable" and "organic" are big buzzwords these days, helping the public choose restaurants that fit their ideals. Educating customers means building emotional and intellectual connections that mean long-term loyalty for your business, and a food business consultant can help you find just the right fit.