Tokyo City has started an initiative for businesses: “Advisory for Receiving Muslim and Other Foreign Tourists.”
In this initiative, experts from various fields give talks and advice to restaurant and hotel businesses on how to receive customers from various cultural backgrounds and value systems from all over the world.
Recently interest has not only been towards Halal, but also towards vegetarian, vegan and Kosher catering, as well as other cultural topics such as furthering understanding of the LGBT community.
VegeProject’s Haruko Kawano was chosen as the advisor on vegetarian and vegan catering.
Ms. Kawano was able to give a lecture on the basics of vegan catering, and VegeProject was able to collaborate by giving advice specific to each business, hold ingredient brainstorming and taste testings, and provide support on advertising.
Here we will introduce some snapshots from the advisory sessions between December 2019 and March 2020.
【Lecture and Q&A on Basics of Vegetarian and Vegan Catering】
【Taste testing and proposing of vegan menu items】
Many businesses that participated have since given us feedback that thanks to the lectures and one on one advisory sessions, their perspective has changed and their understanding has deepened regarding vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.
In addition, some of these businesses have already started selling new vegetarian and vegan menu options that we were worked on through this initiative!
Regarding incorporating plant-based options into your menu, once the your business has the key points down, it is important for you to let the uniqueness of your business shine through. And no matter what business you have, there are always way to incorporate some delicious vegan goodness! Even if it’s just starting with one menu option, it is important to start.
The initiative from Tokyo City ended in March of this year, but if anyone wishes further seminars or individual advice, please contact us at contact@vegeproject.org.