Restaurants are constantly tweaking their menus to cater to the evolving needs of their clientele. Whether driven by dietary restrictions, new trends or ethical dilemmas, the demand for new health conscious options is real and not to be ignored!

In the past, vegetarian & vegan options may have been sparse at most fast casual establishments, but consumer demand has spurred innovation and variety when it comes to plant based foods and alternative menu items in recent years. Making our menu inclusive of these options has allowed us to experience a broader appeal and the ability to reach a larger demographic. Often times, the individual in a group with the most stringent dietary preferences or considerations drives the decision of that entire group in terms of where to dine. Therefore, we’re not just appealing to them, but their friends and family as well!

Being a restaurant located in a college town certainly has perks, one of which is a customer base that is dialed in to the most up to date wants and needs in terms of dining options!

HOTS has stayed ahead of the game by observing these trends and the demands of their evolving customer base.

While HOTS has worked hard to incorporate these options into our menu, we’ve done so with a focus on staying true to our core American comfort food brand.

Currently, our most popular plant based offerings are our Garden “Vegan Tender” and Beyond Meat’s “Beyond Burger”.

The Vegan “chicken” tenders are cross-utilized on our menu and can be served alone, used to make a vegan version of our popular “Crispy Buff Wrap” or as protein to top one of our delicious salads!

The Beyond Burger is our top selling plant based item! It’s an incredible product that cooks like, feels like & tastes like a regular Burger!

While it does make great business sense to offer these types of menu options, there are other considerations as well.

By offering plant-based and health conscious alternatives, HOTS can do its part to positively impact climate change and alleviate the real ethical concerns that come with consuming animal protein.

This new plant-based demand across all industry sectors, but specific fast casual dining will force many restaurants to re-examine the needs of their target demographic. Major menu changes and plant-based options will be necessary if they wish to stay relevant. Although change can be difficult, it’s also beneficial & delicious!