How Much More Are Consumers Willing to Pay for Sustainable Cuisine?
Consumers want and need to eat out, and the foodservice industry has a
huge carbon footprint. Getting industry operators and consumers on the
'green' bandwagon is necessary to minimize the impact that restaurants
have on the environment in the future, but how willing are patrons to
embrace this change?
According to a recent Mintel report, just more than half (57%) of
respondents are willing to pay more for local and sustainable fare;
however, the majority of those are only willing to pay a mere 1-5% more.
"Green and sustainable attributes pale in comparison to the leading
restaurant decision drivers of menu selection, prices and convenient
location," notes Eric Giandelone, foodservice director at
Mintel. "However, these initiatives support the leading attributes to
help a restaurant stand apart and will become more important as the
green movement continues to progress."
When deciding where to eat, 74% of patrons based their decision on menu
selection followed by pricing and convenient location at 69% and 67%,
respectively. Local/organic ingredients and sustainable ingredients
lagged severely behind with only 7% of people saying that drove them to a
restaurant.
Going green and using local ingredients aren't the only issues
restaurants are facing today. For corporate social responsibility (CSR)
initiatives, patrons place the greatest importance on living wages. When
Mintel respondents were asked to rate their top three CSR initiatives
they named living wages, local ingredients and company-provided medical
insurance.
"Employee treatment is considered a leading CSR initiative in the restaurant industry," adds Eric Giandelone.
"Despite the fact that those aged 18-24 are generally more in tune with
green and sustainable initiatives, living wages rank as more important
for older consumers."
So, which part of the US is the greenest? According to Mintel, the West
is best. The West has traditionally been a hotbed for healthier
lifestyles and related culinary trends. Although still a small
percentage of patrons are impacted, local or organic ingredients are
particularly of interest to those living in Western states (11% versus
7% of the Northwest and only 4% of the Midwest).
Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media
intelligence. For nearly 40 years, Mintel has provided insight into key
worldwide trends, offering exclusive data and analysis that directly
impacts client success. With offices in Chicago, New York, London, Sydney, Shanghai and Tokyo, Mintel has forged a unique reputation as a world-renowned business brand.
