Exploring consumer perceptions of green restaurants in the US

Anna Kralj, et al. "Exploring consumer perceptions of green restaurants in the US." Tourism & Hospitality Research 10, no. 4 (October 2010): 286-300.

There is a growing and fully substantiated public acceptance that unregulated economic development is both environmentally harmful and detrimental for society. This has created a new buzz phrase called CSR. Some companies recognize the marketing potential of green initiatives and are working to establish themselves in this new niche for consumers with environmental concerns. The case for restaurants engaging in sustainable practices is a strong one, given the sheer number of restaurants that exist in the U.S., roughly 800,000. A restaurant can benefit through introduction of environmentally friendly practices, mainly through direct savings in operating costs. This can be done through purchasing energy saving equipment, reducing and recycling waste, purchasing locally produced materials, engaging in environmental protection programs, and paying to offset a business’ carbon emissions. However, restaurants face difficulties in implement ting these types of practices because of low awareness of effective food service practices and fear of increased cost. Furthermore, the customers’ lack of knowledge in green restaurants combined with a possible lack of interest in paying more for something they don’t know all about will further hinder this shift. As a rule, restaurants and commercial kitchens are extremely energy-intensive. As much as 80% of the annual $10 billion energy used by commercial food-service businesses is wasted in the form of excess heat and noise generated by inefficient appliances, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, lighting and refrigeration. These numbers give a scary insight into the impact restaurants have on the environment. This study did find that people would be willing to spend more for less environmentally harmful restaurants were the restaurant industry able to find a good way to communicate this information to the public.