Sustainable Food Consumption in Commercial Places

A compilation of senses; the dining experience.

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Flyer

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Business card, organic produce which can be eaten in store

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Menu combinations, loyalty card, inventives for sustainable practices

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Objectif Climat pamphlet placed on all tables

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Business card with no mention of vegetarian only options

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Business card

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La Pause Quinoa

La Pause Quinoa is clearly labelled as a "Gluten-free" restaurant, followed by "healthy, fresh & natural" outside its doors. Situated in the city-centre, off the main road, this small restaurant offers a complete meal with a range of entrees, desserts and drinks that are either gluten-free, vegan, or both. Bread, a small range of patisseries and commercial gluten-free products are also available, creating a complete gluten-free experience in order to capture more of this niche market. Upon choosing the eat in, customers find themselves in a pedagogical space, surrounded by images of social activism of Voix Libres, eco lifestyle workshops and nutritional benefits of eating quinoa. 

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Une Fleur des Champs

Situated at Place de Broglie, a wealthy and touristic area, the restaurant menu is only available for viewing during opening hours and therefore obscuring their presence. It's values, however, are permanently displayed on a sign inviting passers-by to taste "real house-made" organic food with graphics of a microwave and tin can crossed out. Upon entry, customers are faced with a selection of pamphlets cocerning spirituality, other 'sustainable' businesses, a framed photo of nelson mandela, and invitations to screenings of ecological themed movies. Lunch service is dominated by the menu du jour of either fish or legumes with a focus on health, whilst dinner is an a la carte selection of fish dishes and veganised mainstream dishes such as pastas, burgers and fries, with a focus on eating for pleasure. All desserts are vegan without being marked so. A corner of the dining room is reserved for regular customers nicknamed the "stammtisch", an indication of the number of loyal customers. Students are offered a 5 euro discount for the menu du jour at lunchtime, however this is not explicitly stated anywhere which could explain the lack of any student diners. 

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Jus frais d'orange-carotte-gingembre 5,90eu

Burger de Seitan et ses frites de patate douce 16,90eu

Lasagnes végétariennes 16,90eu

Tarte des questches 7,90eu

Tarte des poires 7,90eu

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PURetc.

The principles of PURetc. are clearly communicated to the customer in a fun and engaging manner. With clear consistency in brand image in its menu presentation and bricolage décor, emphasis is placed on fresh, local, organic, high quality fast food. The customer is faced with a range of pre-prepared sweet and savoury purees in glass jars which are customizable with different toppings, dressings and choice of protein. Each platter comes with a pamphlet explaining the company values, charity information and a farmer showcase. The customer may have entered the shop for its novelty factor but leave with a better understanding and appreciation of their purchased meal, thus potentially creating customer loyalty.

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Bistrot et Chocolat

This location has a high novelty factor and is popular as a dessert-based café. Although they serve a completely vegetarian savoury menu with 1-2 vegan options, the main focus is on desserts, different types of chocolate drinks and tea as deduced from the number of menu pages dedicated to each section. As a location open throughout the day, a range of people were observed to frequent the bistro – professionals during lunch, young working adults during the evening, older people during the afternoon, young friends meeting for a treat  and tourists given its position next to the cathedral. The name Bistrot & Chocolat is certainly a strategic decision to draw in customers without turning any away by a completely vegetarian menu.

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La Boutique Gourmande de l'Arc en Miel

A fast-paced café during lunch hours, where students and other professionals are popping in during their busy schedules to eat or takeaway a “home-cooked” ‘formule’ composed of an entrée, main and dessert or drink. Most students are making a conscious decision not to eat at the uni cafeteria and to instead eat a healthier, flavourful meal that is also organic. The price for an entree+plat+dessert is approximately double of the uni cafeteria and is a smaller portion. However taste and perceived quality are valued more highly by these customers. There is a wide range of vegetarian quiches, tarts, entrees and soup, however two out of three of the 'plat du jour' are meat based. The selling point is the Iranian flavours that are not common in Strasbourg and the organic aspect. 

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Au Potiron

The menu at au potiron is completely vegetarian, however there is a lack of vegan options and cheese plays a dominant role in each dish. Being the only restaurant in Strasbourg to focus solely on savoury vegetarian dishes, this could be an indicator of the level of reliance on dairy products by vegetarian inhabitants. The presence of clearly marked organic dishes indicates shows the awareness of their customers of the link between quality of produce, personal health and environmental impact of food production.

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L'Essentiel chez Raphael

L’essentiel chez Raphael is a 100% certified organic restaurant with a focus on seasonal and regional produce. The menu is an equal mixture of vegetairan and meat dishes in which different dietary needs are accomodated for. Green hues dominated decor and menus, carrying the notion of nature into the dining room. Upon my two visits to this location, an older clientele was observed during lunch service, which could be due to the appeal of a traditionally formatted dining area, menu and experience. Raising awareness for sustainable food consumption was enacted through pamphlets available on all tables.