ARLINGTON, VA—Interstate Hotels & Resorts has launched a vegetarian and vegan culinary promotion for its managed hotels to meet the needs of travelers seeking plant-based diets.
The initiative targets lunch and dinner entrées in restaurants and banquets across Interstate’s full-service hotels and features 27 vegetarian/vegan menu items.
According to research by Interstate, there has been a 350% increase in the number of people consuming a plant-based diet within the past decade, with more consumers reportedly looking to meat-alternative options for reasons supporting animal welfare, the environment, health and wellness.
“We recognized a shift in the growing demand of consumers craving healthier options and it is our job to cater to the desires of our guests and meeting attendees,” said Interstate’s VP of Food & Beverage Operations Bradley Moore. “There is a clear need to offer plant-based menu items and we are thrilled about the quality, variety and benefits our hotels will be able to provide to travelers seeking healthy alternatives while on the road.”
Creative Options
In designing this promotion, Interstate’s Food and Beverage Advisory Council joined Moore at the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, OH, to uncover what new, high-quality offerings could be provided to better accommodate guests’ needs and demands, and resulted in a variety of meat-free options being created. Six of the featured recipes include Corn Risotto, Eggplant Meatballs and Zucchini Noodles, Nashville Eggplant with Mac & Cheese and Wilted Kale, Pastrami Beets, Zucchini Squash Spaghetti with Spigarello Hazelnut Pesto and Tuscan Avocado Toast.
Hotels are customizing their menus online and also are featuring collateral to promote these new additions, with photography provided by Tim Turner Studios in Chicago and creative copy executed by IMI Agency in Atlanta.
Interstate Hotels & Resorts’ current global portfolio represents 540 properties in 12 countries, including a pipeline of signed hotels under construction or development.
