Going Meatless Could Give Franchises a Boost

What do Ancient Greeks and fans of the “Fast and Furious” franchise have in common? Besides the fact that Paul Walker (R.I.P) and Vin Diesel’s bromance should appeal to all of them, the answer is avoidance of meat.

That’s right; more and more Millennials are making meat a no-no, many going so far as to cut out all animal products to go full vegan.

Citing data from 210 Analytics, QSR reported more than 60 percent of the coveted demographic consume meat alternatives.

Julieanna Hever, a dietician and author, told QSR that many young people are attracted to vegan cuisine even if they don’t consider themselves strict vegans. She described these individuals as “flexitarians,” people “who are open, interested, and recognize the benefits of eating vegan foods, even if they aren’t fully committed to a vegan diet.”

At the same time, Hever said that 1 in 10 Millennials do consider themselves vegan.

Fortunately, franchise brands don’t have to overhaul their entire menus to appeal to vegan Millennials. Hever pointed to chains like Chipotle and White Castle as inspiration – both introduced simple meatless alternatives to popular products.

“Because Millennials are so interested and so socially conscious about health, environmental choices, and animal welfare, if better products are available, they’ll come back and they’ll bring their friends,” Hever said.