This is Rachel. She lives in San Francisco, loves yoga, and cares deeply about animals.
Rachel cares so deeply about animals that she doesn’t eat them — or any food products that come from them. Rachel is an ethical vegan, and she’s been using MoneyVoice to give feedback to the places she spends money.
Most restaurants where Rachel goes out to eat aren’t vegan. Some places have a plant-based entree on the menu, but usually she has to ask for a modification or orders several side dishes. Over time, it can get pretty frustrating.
“As a vegan, you often feel invisible. In your mind you’re waving your hand saying, ‘Hey, I exist! I have money to spend. Could you please add a single item to your menu that I can order?’
I really hate asking for modifications. I feel like that annoying person who has a “special diet” and takes up all this time when they order their food. I’m not trying to be annoying — I’m just trying to live by my values.”
Rachel’s not the only vegan who feels this way. Another MoneyVoice user, Monica, became vegan for health reasons following a bout with breast cancer. She often finds that the vegetarian entree options are loaded with cheese, which makes her feel sick. She usually ends up patching together a meal of fries and side salads.
Given the abundance of creative, flavorful vegan food ideas out there these days, why haven’t more restaurants begun offering a vegan option?
We at MoneyVoice suspect that the answer lies in a simple disconnect between what the business thinks the customer wants and what the customer actually wants. This disconnect exists because people haven’t had a fast and easy way to express what they want in a way that businesses can easily understand, quantify, and take action on. MoneyVoice changes that.
Enter: The Little Chihuahua. With three locations in San Francisco and a dinner menu that includes tofu and vegetable options, TLC is a business that tries to offer something for everyone. In the words of owner Andrew Johnstone:
“We are certified “Ocean Friendly” by the Surfrider Foundation and we are in the process of becoming green certified by the city of San Francisco. I created our menu to be transparent, and we have left it up to the guest to request their meal to be vegan. Vegans do love the fact that most items we offer can be vegan.”
Rachel went to The Little Chihuahua recently after yoga class and ordered her favorite item — plantain tacos with black beans on the side. As usual, she asked the cashier to leave off the dairy-based ‘crema.’
After eating her meal, she wrote this feedback in MoneyVoice: “Please offer a vegan entree option.”
Several other users “upvoted” this feedback. Rachel got the notifications on her phone and was excited that other people who ate at The Little Chihuahua felt the same way she did.
MoneyVoice allows businesses to respond directly to the customers who provide them feedback. In this case, The Little Chihuahua was more than willing to provide a explicitly vegan entree.
“Having real fans vote and give usable feedback is great. Since we have multiple locations, sometimes in-person feedback doesn’t make to to upper management. We learned from this feedback that we should create some vegan-specific dishes and highlight them on our menu,” says Andrew.
The Little Chihuahua has always been a values-based business, but it was hard to know that a simple change could be so valuable for their customers.
“I always liked The Little Chihuahua — I went here at least once a month before,” says Rachel. “But now that I see how they really care about listening to their customers, this is going to be my go-to place anytime I’m craving yummy mexican food. I really appreciate how they are helping more people access plant-based food. I can’t wait to see if other restaurants will follow TLC’s example!”
MoneyVoice isn’t a “vegan app” and it isn’t just for feedback at restaurants. It’s for anyone who needs help having their voice heard by businesses. MoneyVoice empowers you by letting you leverage the power of your purchases and team up with other customers who share the same values and goals. There are great businesses out there that are always ready to innovate and change, and sometimes just need their customers to show them the best opportunities to improve. Thanks to Rachel for using her voice, and to The Little Chihuahua for making vegan life just a little more delicious. With enough people using MoneyVoice we can expand on this success to make millions of vegan-friendly changes at millions of businesses. Vote with your money!
