It was an exceptional move in an exceptional year.<\/p>\n
Last year amid the coronavirus pandemic was a difficult stretch for hotels and restaurants, but in October, on World Vegetarian Day, which is celebrated annually on the first day of that month, Hong Kong-based Ovolo Group switched all of its hotels and restaurants across Australia and Hong Kong to go vegetarian for the next 365 days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The only restaurants among its portfolio exempt are any that were already vegan and eschewing all meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.<\/p>\n
Casually dubbed the “Year of the Veg,” the idea came straight from the top: from Ovolo Group founder and CEO Girish Jhunjhnuwala.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a bold move,\u201d says Jhunjhnuwala, speaking via phone from Hong Kong. \u201cBut the initial feedback was positive and, immediately, the reaction was very encouraging. So even though it was a bold move, we knew it was the right move.\u201d<\/p>\n