The health conscious restaurant consumer

Abstract

Purpose As consumers have begun to incorporate health-related values into their purchase decisions, it has become increasingly important for marketers to understand how these belief systems affect the consumption experience. Accordingly, the purpose of this research is to better understand the effects of health concern on consumption behavior in full-service restaurants. Methodology Data were collected from 512 restaurant consumers in the USA. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Findings The results suggest that for health-conscious consumers, the availability of healthy food significantly affects the evaluation of the consumption experience in terms of both cognitive and affective response mechanisms. Research implications This paper identifies the mediating effects of emotion, perceived value and restaurant quality in the relationship between health concern and behavioral intention. By establishing the respective roles of quality and value, the results contribute a more complete account of the existing model of personal values and behavior, as it pertains to restaurant patronage. Practical implications This paper identifies the salience of health concern as a determinant of consumer behavior. Because health concern affects so many different aspects of the healthy dining experience, the results suggest that restaurant marketers need to consider their position in the market for healthy food. Originality/value This paper contributes an account of the effects of health concern on the value and quality perceptions that determine, at least in part, the health-conscious consumer’s evaluation of a full-service restaurant experience.