The effects of environmental consciousness and menu information on the perception of restaurant image

Abstract

PurposeThis research examines the influence of consumer environmental consciousness and perception of menu information in the formation of restaurant image. The concepts of mindfulness and mindful consumption were used as the theoretical background for the study.Design/methodology/approachUsing a quasi-experimental setting, data were collected from restaurant consumers dining at an upscale casual restaurant in the southeastern United States over a four-week time. Structural equation modeling, multi-group analysis and mediation analysis were used to test the hypothesized relationships between research constructs.FindingsResults suggested that consumer environmental consciousness does not have a direct effect on the formation of restaurant image. However, consumer environmental consciousness influenced consumers' perception of menu information, and the perception of menu information consequently influences the restaurant image.Practical implicationsFoodservice industry increasingly interested in sustainability practices. Consumers want to know the connections between food and its impact on their health and the environment. Findings reveal that environmentally conscious consumers actively sought out menu information, and that once the information they were seeking was perceived, it significantly strengthened the perception of restaurant image.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first research that investigated the environmental consciousness construct in a live restaurant context.