Turizmde Yeni Nesil Menü Standartları
“Special dietary preferences are no longer exceptions—they represent a rapidly growing guest profile. But how ready are hotel kitchens for this shift?”
For years, plant-based cuisine was considered an “alternative” approach. Today, however, with the rise of global sustainability trends, increasing food sensitivities, and personalized health-focused lifestyles, this culinary philosophy is ushering in a new era in the hospitality industry. Antalya-based culinary consultant, recipe developer, and official ambassador of Bali – Indonesia’s Sayuri Healing Food Restourant Özlem Dönmez, is one of the pioneers of this transformation in Türkiye.
“Today’s hotel guests expect more than just a rich buffet. They seek menus that are responsive to their unique needs and crafted with intention.”
What began as a personal journey has evolved into a strong area of expertise and institutional collaborations. Today, Özlem Dönmez works as a consultant for vegan and vegetarian menus across several Rixos Hotels in Antalya. The custom menus she has developed cater not only to vegan guests, but also to those who follow a gluten-free diet, avoid refined sugar, prioritize their health, or are parents seeking more conscious options for their children.
Menu consulting here doesn’t simply mean changing a few dishes. From ingredient sourcing to service style, from staff training to presentation aesthetics, every stage undergoes a systematic transformation. This is exactly where Dönmez makes a difference: each plate she designs becomes not just a healthy flavor, but a story of grace, compassion, and healing.
Beyond taste, intention is now part of the plate.
We spoke directly with Özlem Dönmez to understand how plant-based cuisine is not only a healthy, but also a sustainable, creative, and forward-thinking movement in the tourism sector—and how she aligns this with corporate structures.
Tourism Explorer – Plant-based cuisine seems to be more than just a dietary style for you. What led you to turn this into a professional consulting service? What kind of awareness does it take to combine gastronomy with healing?
Özlem Dönmez – My interest in healthy eating actually started out of necessity. After my daughter was born, I began researching how to feed her in the healthiest way possible, and I kept coming across the concept of holistic plant-based cuisine—especially in foreign sources. As I discovered sugar-free desserts, salads with different sauces, and main courses made from vegetables and legumes combined in new ways—quite different from what we normally ate—I became deeply intrigued by this culinary world that was just beginning to emerge globally.
I first started consuming the recipes I tried myself, and I experienced highly positive changes in my own health. I lost weight and felt re-energized. At that time, my daughter hadn’t even started solids, and I realized I was the one who needed this shift. That’s when I thought everyone should have access to these recipes and began sharing them on Instagram in 2013.
In 2016, we opened our first café in Antalya under the name Ch’i Fine Food. Two years later, we moved into a bigger space and launched a full restaurant. During the pandemic, our brand was incorporated into Nirvana Hotels (under the Kilit Group) as a vegan restaurant concept. For four years, we served special-diet guests at three hotels through Ch’i For Life, an à la carte restaurant offering gluten-free, sugar-free, and fully plant-based food and beverages.
In addition, we hosted many wellness activities in our detox center and on the terrace: yoga, breathwork, qi gong, sound healing, chocolate ceremonies, and more. That period also gave me the chance to experience the tourism and hospitality field, which is what I studied at university. By the end of the 2024 season, I founded my own company and began offering consulting services to hotels. I’ve also finally had the chance to launch workshops and retreats, both public and private, that I’d been planning for years.
Tourism Explorer – Developing vegan or special-diet menus in a hotel kitchen means building an entirely new system, not just changing a few plates. How do you design this transformation?
Özlem Dönmez – Every hotel has its own dynamics. In all-inclusive resorts, I create menu and concept designs based on the hotel’s structure and needs—from separate buffet corners in the main restaurant to exclusive vegan à la carte setups. Guests with special dietary needs want to enjoy food and drinks during their vacation just as much as anyone else—and they want to feel pampered. When they encounter dishes that go beyond the usual hummus and falafel, and that appeal to both the eye and the palate, they truly feel special.
These guests are usually very conscious and can immediately recognize the level of professionalism and care behind a dish. That’s why I place great importance on staff training. You could say I’m giving them a second skill set. Healthy cuisine is a completely different world, and I don’t just provide consulting at the beginning—I also share my knowledge through regular monthly visits.
Tourism Explorer – With the rise of plant-based cuisine, gluten-free, sugar-free, or allergen-sensitive diets have become impossible to ignore in hospitality. How well is the industry meeting these increasingly individualized needs?
Özlem Dönmez – I’d say this is still a developing area in Türkiye’s tourism sector. In luxury hotels, guests with dietary restrictions often get personalized menus—but this can disrupt kitchen workflows and become exhausting for the staff. Or, in the main restaurant, we may only see basic steamed vegetables and buckwheat, which doesn’t go very far. Even though many of our traditional dishes are accidentally vegan or gluten-free, there’s always the risk of cross-contamination or an ingredient added by staff that’s not listed on the label—this prevents guests from feeling safe eating those dishes. In reality, just two staff members trained in healthy cuisine would be enough for any hotel to solve this problem entirely. This is where I step in—helping source more affordable, high-quality, and local ingredients, while also creating a more effective special-diet system that allows the hotel to offer a professional service.
Tourism Explorer – You’re not only catering to vegans, but also to health-conscious guests, people on special diets, and even those seeking healing. How do you balance such a wide range of needs in your menus?
Özlem Dönmez – Yes, I actually try not to use the word “vegan” too much, because not everything vegan is necessarily healthy. French fries are vegan, but they’re not healthy. Likewise, many gluten-free products on the market are loaded with starch and additives to mimic baked goods. Most sugar-free desserts are made with sweeteners that are even more harmful than white sugar. My food philosophy is based on the Whole Foods Plant-Based method, which is now known around the world. This term was first coined by Dr. Michael Greger, whose scientific work I closely follow. By staying within that framework, we can meet the needs of many different groups—whether they’re living with diabetes, heart conditions, gluten intolerance, want to lose weight, or have specific food allergies. We always clearly label allergens on our dishes and drinks—it’s something we pay close attention to.
Tourism Explorer – How would you assess the awareness level of Turkish hotels regarding special diets? Are we meeting international guest expectations, or still skimming the surface?
Özlem Dönmez – Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re there yet. As someone who follows a special diet myself, I’ve spent most of my vacations eating only from the mezze section—because as a Turk, I know what’s in those dishes. But a foreign guest, unfamiliar with Turkish cuisine, doesn’t know the ingredients, and that makes it even more difficult for them.
Just like Italian, Mexican, or Japanese cuisine has dedicated chefs and specialists, healthy cuisine should also have its own chef and kitchen space. Right now, there are very few visionary hotels making that a reality.
Tourism Explorer – Your collaboration with Rixos Hotels in Antalya is an important example of integrating plant-based cuisine into major hotel chains. How did this partnership begin, and how do you think it’s transforming the sector?
Özlem Dönmez – The key to bringing such projects to life is the visionary leadership of Mr. Efgan Duran, General Manager of Rixos Hotels. He places a strong emphasis on R&D not just in plant-based cuisine, which is my field of expertise, but across many departments of the hotels he manages. This directly enhances service quality. He immediately recognized the value of my consulting work, and our concept development process—together with him and his team—was very productive. Right now, at Rixos Park Belek and Rixos Downtown Antalya, we have healthy buffets in the main restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These include sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan desserts, soups, main courses, and mezes.
In addition, the hotels’ vitamin bars serve healthy smoothies, cold herbal teas, and plant-based protein milkshakes—with calories and allergen information clearly listed. The Turunç Restaurant at Rixos Downtown was initially designed as vegetarian/vegan, but together with Executive Chef Mr. Çağrı Esmer, we’ve taken it fully vegan. With handcrafted plant-based milks, fermented cashew cheese, sauerkraut, kombucha cocktails, and an organic wine menu, I believe we’ve created something truly distinctive in the sector.
Özlem Dönmez isn’t just transforming menus—she’s also proposing a transformation in mindset. Her efforts to make plant-based nutrition a new standard in the tourism sector reflect a deeply layered vision that spans sustainability, health, and mindful living. We thank her for this enriching interview and wish that her journey continues to inspire even more voices in the industry.
