Restaurant Customers’ Attitude toward Sustainability and Nutritional Menu Labels

Abstract

This study investigates the dining behaviors of Hong Kong hotel restaurant customers, their health and environmental consciousness and lifestyles, and their attitudes toward nutritional and sustainability menu labeling. Previous diners of an independent hotel are surveyed online resulting in 1,255 usable responses. Results suggested that respondents eat frequently outside their homes, particularly during weekends. They exhibited heightened health consciousness and environmental awareness than the ratings for healthy and environment friendly lifestyles. In support of the signaling theory, restaurant menu labels are cues that allow customers to understand the nature of the products that they will order and consume. When evaluating menu labeling, customers consider multiple attributes of the menu in dining in a restaurant, and they prioritize nutritional aspects over sustainability. Significant differences were observed between the attitudes of male and female customers toward 14 nutritional and sustainability menu label descriptions, whereas age indicated no significant influence.