Notes on Placemaking: People Remember What They Eat!

As consultants working throughout the U.S., Leland’s planners travel frequently. We drive and fly to big cities and small rural towns to meet with our clients, conduct stakeholder interviews, walk study areas, and get to know the characters of the communities where we work. And while we are there, we eat!

No matter why you visit a place, food always factors into your experience. If you’re going to a concert with friends in a nearby city, you will probably look for a place to eat or get drinks beforehand. If you’re staying somewhere for a few days, you will likely search for some beloved local spots to try out. For planners, the availability and variety of food in a city provides a window into the character of a community. While some communities have local restaurant scenes that reflect the diversity of residents, others have a handful of chain restaurants with few unique local options for sit-down dining. The number and quality of coffee shops is also a frequent topic of discussion when we travel to new places.

But what happens when you have dietary restrictions – either by choice or for medical reasons? How is your experience of a place informed by whether you can find delicious food that meets your dietary needs?

Leland’s staff includes vegetarians as well as folks with health-related dietary restrictions. We have found that in most places you can find something – after all, even Burger King offers an Impossible Whopper these days, and chains like Chipotle give you significant control over what goes on your plate or into your burrito. While many places have one or more vegetarian or vegan restaurants, the real test is whether non-specialty restaurants have options that suit a variety of diets and how transparent their offerings are. “Surprise cheese” – when a restaurant does not state that an item on its menu has cheese but it arrives with a mountain of cheese on top – is a startlingly common phenomenon. Encountering issues like this repeatedly on a trip can have a significant negative impact on visitor experience.

Portland is well known as a top-tier food city, but it does not always get the accolades it deserves for food inclusivity. Yes, Portland was named the Best US City for Vegans by WalletHub in 2025. But the accessibility of Portland’s food scene goes beyond just vegan restaurants. Where else is it normal to have the option to substitute non-dairy cheese or a gluten free crust at non-specialty pizza places? Many Portland restaurants also start out by asking about dietary restrictions, rather than leaving you to fend for yourself – a proactive step that signals to diners that their needs are not an inconvenience. The city’s food cart pods are also great places for people with different dietary needs to eat together – if one cart doesn’t have what you need, the one next to it probably does!

Around 10 percent of adults in the US have a food allergy, nearly 25 percent have a food intolerance, four percent are vegetarians, and around one percent are vegan. We all know that food is a great way to make a first impression. But when people feel included, when needs are met without meticulous planning and the stress of not knowing whether they will be accommodated, they are much more likely to make a return trip, and to recommend that others consider visiting as well.