Move the Vegan Section to the Top — A +18 Point Retention Jump in Real Numbers

A 24-table meyhane in Türkbükü, Bodrum moved its vegan mains to the very first category on its QR menu. Three months later, the repeat-visit rate among vegan and vegetarian guests climbed from 28% to 46%. It is one of the cleanest examples of a tiny UI change moving annual revenue.

What the Data Says

The 2024 Plant Based Foods Association report is unambiguous: a vegan guest's second visit to a restaurant correlates 62% with the vegan section being visible within the first three scrolls. Position beats content. A "Vegan" category buried three swipes down is, statistically, invisible.

This isn't a soft signal — it's a direct prompt for action. Operators who build menus on a "meat first" assumption quietly leak a customer segment they never see.

The Field Change

Three things shifted in the Türkbükü venue:

• "Vegan Mains" moved to position #1, not below the grill section.
• Every plant-based item got a green leaf badge and a "100% plant-based" tag.
• Vegan drink pairings surfaced on the product detail page.

Risk and Side Effects

There's almost no downside. Meat-eating guests didn't reduce orders — they scroll past and find their dish. Vegan guests now feel the menu was designed for them, which is half of what loyalty really is.

In thMenu, dragging a category to the top takes five seconds. If a decision that small produces an 18-point retention swing, you don't even need an A/B test to greenlight it.

FAQ

Is a vegetarian section enough instead of vegan? No. Vegan and vegetarian are not the same segment. A vegan guest exits the moment they see dairy or eggs in the category.

My vegan category only has 3 items — is it worth its own slot? Yes. Visibility matters more than variety. A clear 3-item category converts better than 12 mixed items.

Should the printed menu match? Eventually, yes — but QR changes are instant. Validate digitally first, then update print.

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