While restaurants have started to cater to the pallets of the nutritionally aware — they have also started to offer a solid portion of sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Diners crave sustainable efforts
According to recent consumer report, The Discerning Diner: How consumers’ attitudes to eating out have become more sophisticated, we’ve found out that more than half of the participants are willing to settle a higher bill for a dining experience in a restaurant that’s run sustainably.
This report reveals that restaurant goers are taking environmental initiatives into consideration when it comes to dining out. Another survey has shown that the perceptions from restaurant owners and diners may be a little different.
“A complementary survey of 17 restaurants revealed a substantial perception gap between what restaurants think matters most to their customers and their actual concerns, with restaurants drastically underestimating the importance consumers attach to food waste and health and nutrition in particular,” reports edieEnergy.
There are fast food chains hopping on the bandwagon
Last month sustainable fast food restaurant Lyfe Kitchen opened its doors. It’s a lifestyle restaurant that has been launched by former McDonald’s president Mike Roberts.
With menu options that cater to folks who are gluten-free and/or vegan, Lyfe Kitchen offers dishes made with local ingredients. The first location has opened in Palo Alto — with plans to open up stores in California and Chicago in the near future.
Lyfe is an acronym for ‘Love Your Food Everyday’ and supports local farms, promotes sustainability and aims to give back to the community.
Food service is heading in a sustainable direction
The University of Guelph Sustainable Restaurant Project hopes to act as an example for other schools focusing on hospitality — a project started two years ago and still going strong today.
Earlier this year, sustainable seafood restaurants were all the rage. With hot lists for sustainable restaurants going up in various cities, it’s clear that the market is getting bigger.
Restaurants are gaining recognition for their sustainable efforts and this sustainability trend benefits the industry, the consumers and the environment. The best part is diners are beginning to step up and make their socially responsible decisions when it comes to where to purchase their meal.
With the food service industry promoting and following through with their sustainability initiatives, it looks like we’re heading into a bright, green future in this business.
Image credit: Naz Hamid
