Restaurant Characteristics Research Articles

Profitability in rural restaurants and owners' motivation to agritourism: A case from Nepal

AbstractRural Restaurants (RR) are located in rural areas primarily to serve the owner's business interests. However, they also play a crucial role in providing economic opportunities for rural communities and are regarded as a center for rural economy. Rural areas often face challenges such as depopulation due to limited access to public services, inadequate infrastructure, geographical remoteness, economic hardships, educational barriers, and other factors. Thus, this study aims to investigate the profitability of RRs and owners' motivations for agritourism development, as profitability and business expansion are typically positively correlated. Data from 105 samples collected in rural Nepal in 2022 and 2023 were analyzed using Tobit and Ordered Logit regression models, respectively. The study conceptualizes and confirms various contributors to RR profitability, including factors related to the supply side, demand appeal, and those influenced by pandemic‐related factors. Additionally, we explored how owners' motivations for agritourism are influenced by the restaurant's characteristics, quality‐related factors, and other attributes. Policymakers need to support RR owners in developing agritourism initiatives and contribute to quality control through effective enforcement of consumer laws by a responsible and robust quality control team.

Mobile Food Ordering Apps, Restaurant Performance, and Customer Satisfaction

Mobile food ordering apps (MFOAs) have become increasingly prevalent in the food service industry. This study investigated the links between intensity of MFOA use, restaurant performance, and customer satisfaction in dine-in restaurants using real transaction data and crowdsourced reviews. Our distinctive datasets stem from a renowned chain of restaurants in China as well as from Da Zhong Dian Ping (referred to as the Chinese equivalent of Yelp), spanning the years 2018 to 2021. Using a high-dimensional fixed effects model, we found that the intensive use of MFOA is positively correlated with an increase in restaurant dine-in revenue through higher table turnovers. However, MFOA is negatively correlated with dine-in restaurant consumer satisfaction, which was associated with lack of adequate, favorable, and high-quality comments. We also conducted several heterogeneity analyses to investigate how selected restaurant characteristics may moderate these effects. Thus, our study provides valuable theoretical insights and practical implications for academia and food service practitioners.

Restaurant and Staff Characteristics Related to Practices that Could Contribute to Cross-Contamination

Foodborne illness is a persistent public health concern in the U.S.; over 800 foodborne illness outbreaks are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually. Most of these outbreaks (60%) are linked with restaurants. Contamination of food with foodborne pathogens during preparation and storage is a significant contributing factor to many of these outbreaks. The CDC’s Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) collected data to identify restaurant characteristics, policies, and practices associated with contamination prevention practices. Data collectors interviewed managers and conducted kitchen observations in 312 restaurants across six EHS-Net sites in five states. Data collectors observed at least one food worker action that could lead to contamination in 63.1% of restaurants. The most frequently observed action that could lead to contamination was bare-hand or dirty glove contact with ready-to-eat food (35.9%). The estimated mean number of observed potential contamination actions was greater in restaurants that were independently owned (does not share a name and operations with other restaurants), did not require managers to be certified in food safety, did not have workers trained in food safety, did not have a handwashing policy, did not have a policy minimizing bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, and had a manager with more than two years of experience at their current restaurant. These results suggest that to improve contamination prevention, the foodservice industry and food safety officials can consider supporting and encouraging strong food safety training and policies, particularly concerning hand hygiene, and targeting interventions to independent restaurants.

Analysis of factors influencing USA households' choice of ethnic restaurants

PurposeThis study empirically identifies household demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as restaurant characteristics that affect the probability of households choosing an ethnic restaurant (American, Asian, European, Mexican and other) in the USA.Design/methodology/approachA multinomial logistic regression model is applied using the data derived from the information from the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey conducted between April 2012 and January 2013.FindingsThe empirical findings suggest that such factors as the unit cost on away-from-home food items (i.e. price), region of residence, primary respondent's ethnicity, race, education level, marital status and employment status as well as such restaurant characteristics as availability of loyalty program and presence of coupons significantly affect the probability of households choosing a particular ethnic restaurant in the USA.Research limitations/implicationsThe original dataset employed in this study does not permit the quantification of information associated with size, location, and number of years in operation for the ethnic restaurants considered. Also, the dataset does not permit the classification of the ethnic restaurants included in the “other” category.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, there has been no empirical micro-level analysis associated with determining factors impacting households' choice of ethnic restaurants using a polytomous logistic regression model allowing for a wide range of ethnic restaurants and covering the entire USA, based on an extensive set of household demographic and socioeconomic factors and restaurants characteristics. As such, the current study plugs this research gap, with the empirical findings furnished by this study being of importance to ethnic restaurant operators (owners) in the operators' effort to develop effective marketing strategies.

ELEMEN LOKAL PADA PAPAN NAMA RESTOAN WARALABA JEPANG DI DENPASAR: KAJIAN LINGUISTIK LANSKAP

The emergence of Japanese restaurants in Indonesia, including franchise networks, companies with foreign and domestic capital, demonstrates that Japanese food is being globalized. Globalization makes it easier for outside culture to infiltrate local life. Events in other worlds can easily be imitated by other parts, resulting in homogeneity in every community's life. Local elements must emerge as markers or characteristics of a specific area as homogeneity is strengthened. Glocalization is the concept of combining global and local cultures. Cultures from outside are then adapted to local culture, resulting in hybridity or unification of the local and the global. Two levels of analysis will be used in researching the glocalization of Japanese franchise restaurant sign boards in Denpasar: the language code type stage and the psychological stage. A descriptive qualitative research method was employed. According to the findings of the analysis, the process of glocalization on the nameplates of Japanese franchise restaurants in Indonesia is carried out by 'transliterating,' or changing the writing from Japanese to Latin letters. Some restaurants include words or sentences that help locals identify the restaurant's characteristics. Regardless, glocalization is done to attract Indonesian consumers.

Crisis Management in Restaurants: The Case of Polish Restaurants during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The article aims to identify effective actions taken by the catering industry as part of crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic. The time scope of the research concerns the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the period from 13 March to 18 May 2020. The research method used in the study was a questionnaire survey (CAWI). The survey results showed that the most frequent action taken by restaurants was applying for government assistance. On the other hand, most marketing activities were related to the assessment of the situation and the prospects for restaurants. Relationships were also found between restaurant management activities and restaurant characteristics (number of employees, number of years of operation and location). The developed research tool can help in assessing effective actions taken by restaurant managers during a crisis.

Food Environments in Times of Crises: Examining Menu Changes in Response to COVID-19 Among Hispanic Caribbean Restaurants in New York City

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has affected independently owned restaurants with implications for food access and health equity. Changes in healthy food availability (HFA) were examined in a randomly selected sample of Hispanic Caribbean restaurants in New York City, before and after the COVID-19 onset (n = 76), using an adapted Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Restaurants. An overall decrease in HFA scores was found and changes HFA components (fried foods and vegetarian options increased, 100% fruit juice decreased, p < 0.10). Changes were examined against restaurant characteristics. This work augments our understanding of ethnic restaurants and the nutrition implications of business adaptations when responding to emergencies.

Unhealthy eating and health awareness: evidence from restaurant visitors using consumers’ cell phone geo-location data

ABSTRACT Unhealthy eating is a serious public health issue that continues to burden the U.S. health system. But, due to data limitations, most extant research lacks a direct explanation of unhealthy eating behaviour. Using data compiled from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Census’ American Community Survey, SafeGraph mobile device ping data, and web-scraped restaurant characteristics, we examine the relationships between restaurant characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, health awareness, and the number of patrons at unhealthy eating establishments in the United States. Results obtained through various alternative empirical models confirm the effect of health awareness on unhealthy eating habits. This study adds to a growing literature which study people’s eating behaviour related to weight gain along with other chronic diseases. The results point to important policy implications for mitigating obesity and reducing unhealthy eating.

Hygiene dan sanitasi pada beberapa rumah makan. Studi kasus di Kecamatan Darul Kamal, Aceh Besar

Background: The cleanliness of food utensils in restaurants is the most important part of assessing the quality of food and beverages. Poor hygiene and sanitation of cutlery used in serving food impact organisms so that they can multiply and contaminate food. In addition, food can be contaminated with bacteria through unclean eating utensils.Objective: This study aims to describe hygiene and sanitation in several restaurant businesses in the Darul Kamal sub-District, Aceh Besar.Method: This descriptive study used a cross-sectional design in the Darul Kamal sub-District in 2021. The sample consisted of 30 restaurant managers. Data were collected through interviews, and observations were made using a checklist. The data collected include the restaurant's characteristics, hygiene, and sanitation (equipment and place). Processing is carried out in stages, from editing, coding, entry, and cleaning—analysis using frequency distribution and descriptive.Results: The results showed that the food processors at several restaurants in the Darul Kamal sub-District, Aceh Besar, were aged 30-40 years and generally had junior high school education. The condition of hygiene, sanitation of food, and eating utensils in most restaurants has met the requirements (86.7% &amp; 80.0%). Meanwhile, the sanitation of food processing places that have met the requirements is only 73.3%.Conclusion: The hygiene and sanitation of restaurants in the Darul Kamal sub-district have met health requirements and standards, so it is feasible to develop a better business.

Can Consumer-Posted Photos Serve as a Leading Indicator of Restaurant Survival? Evidence from Yelp

Despite the substantial economic impact of the restaurant industry, large-scale empirical research on restaurant survival has been sparse. We investigate whether consumer-posted photos can serve as a leading indicator of restaurant survival above and beyond reviews, firm characteristics, competitive landscape, and macroconditions. We employ machine learning techniques to extract features from 755,758 photos and 1,121,069 reviews posted on Yelp between 2004 and 2015 for 17,719 U.S. restaurants. We also collect data on restaurant characteristics (e.g., cuisine type, price level) and competitive landscape as well as entry and exit (if applicable) time from each restaurant’s Yelp/Facebook page, own website, or Google search engine. Using a predictive XGBoost algorithm, we find that consumer-posted photos are strong predictors of restaurant survival. Interestingly, the informativeness of photos (e.g., the proportion of food photos) relates more to restaurant survival than do photographic attributes (e.g., composition, brightness). Additionally, photos carry more predictive power for independent, young or mid-aged, and medium-priced restaurants. Assuming that restaurant owners possess no knowledge about future photos and reviews, photos can predict restaurant survival for up to three years, whereas reviews are only predictive for one year. We further employ causal forests to facilitate the interpretation of our predictive results. Among photo content variables, the proportion of food photos has the largest positive association with restaurant survival, followed by proportions of outside and interior photos. Among others, the proportion of photos with helpful votes also positively relates to restaurant survival. This paper was accepted by Juanjuan Zhang, marketing. Funding: The authors thankNvidia and Clarifai for supporting this research. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4359 .

I’ll take the check!: a longitudinal replication analysis of gender biases in bill placement from restaurant servers

ABSTRACT Traditional gender scripts in restaurants assume that men wield money, while women are framed as ‘accessories’ who do not pay restaurant checks in mixed-gender settings. While some research has addressed how servers replicate this script at U.S. restaurants, no previous research has looked at this practice longitudinally over time. This study explores how bill placement practices are connected to gendered power dynamics via observations of server and customer interactions about the restaurant check placement. Drawing from audit studies from the 1970s and 2010s, this study examined historical trends in gendered check placements. Comparing data from the 1970s in Phoenix, Arizona, we examined data from an audit of 176 visits to restaurants in Phoenix in the 2010s. This study sent out two-person teams of one cisgender man and one cisgender woman, with the woman always requesting the bill. Results found little change between the 1970s and 2010s, as the majority of servers placed the bill in the middle of the table. That said, the percentage of men receiving the bill surprisingly increased over time, while the number of times women received the bill decreased to almost never. This data contradicts accounts of a decrease in sexism and sexist behaviour over time. Further, the type of restaurant and server characteristics (such as age and gender of server, average check price, type of food served) did not influence bill placement tendencies. Implications for understanding the behavioural practices of sexism, the patriarchal coding of restaurant check placement and the importance of tracking and studying mundane expressions of sexism are explored.

Facilitating Healthy Eating in Latin American Restaurants: Examining Acceptability and Barriers Among Restaurant Owners and Staff

ObjectivesExamine the acceptability and potential barriers for the implementation of healthy eating promoting (HEP) strategies in independently-owned Latin American restaurants (LAR), including the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsLAR owners and staff were recruited via social media and community networks across the US. Potential participants completed an online survey (n = 20) on demographic and restaurant characteristics and current HEP strategies. Subsequently, we conducted semi-structured, online interviews with LAR owners and staff (n = 13) to examine attitudes of and barriers to the implementation of HEP strategies. Each verbatim transcript was analyzed by two coders using Dedoose, following an iterative process. Excerpts were rated according to how open respondents were to implement potential strategies (1 = opposed, 2 = neutral, 3 = open).ResultsThe survey revealed that the most common HEP strategies already in place were offering vegetarian options (80%) and seafood (75%). The interviews asked about additional, potential HEP strategies, showing that the highest rated was the provision of nutrition information, with all excerpts rated as “open” (rate = 3). This was followed by increasing healthy options, notably vegetarian dishes (Mean excerpt rate = 2.9 ± 0.3); menu highlights (2.6 ± 0.9); and promotion of healthier options (2.5 ± 0.7). Portion size changes were rated the lowest (1.1 ± 0.3). The results included barriers identified for each strategy, the influence of COVID-19, and alternative strategies identified.ConclusionsLatin communities present higher dietary risk factors for chronic disease, compared to non-Hispanic Whites. LARs are a significant source of dietary intake and have the potential to positively influence eating behaviors but are seldom engaged by public health. This research aimed to bridge this gap, finding common grounds for potential collaborations benefiting both community health and the wellbeing of these important community institutions.Funding SourcesNational Institutes of Health/NHLBI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ethnic Restaurant Nutrition Environments and Cardiovascular Health: Examining Hispanic Caribbean Restaurants in New York City.

To adapt and apply the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Restaurants (NEMS-R) to Hispanic Caribbean (HC) restaurants and examine associations between restaurant characteristics and nutrition environment measures. We adapted the NEMS-R for HC cuisines (Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican) and cardiovascular health-promoting factors, and applied the instrument (NEMS-HCR) to a random sample of HC restaurants in New York City (NYC) (N=89). Multivariable linear regression was used to assess independent associations between NEMS-HCR score and restaurant characteristics (cuisine, size, type [counter-style vs sit-down] and price). None of the menus in the restaurants studied listed any main dishes as "healthy" or "light." More than half (52%) offered mostly (>75%) nonfried main dishes, and 76% offered at least one vegetarian option. The most common facilitator to healthy eating was offering reduced portion sizes (21%) and the most common barrier was having salt shakers on tables (40%). NEMS-HCR scores (100-point scale) ranged from 24.1-55.2 (mean=39.7). In multivariable analyses, scores were significantly related to cuisine (with Puerto Rican cuisine scoring lower than Cuban and Dominican cuisines), and size (with small [<22 seats] restaurants scoring lower than larger restaurants). We found a significant quadratic association with midpoint price, suggesting that scores increased with increasing price in the lowest price range, did not vary in the middle range, and decreased with increasing price in the highest range. Our application of the NEMS-R to HC restaurants in NYC revealed areas for potential future interventions to improve food offerings and environmental cues to encourage healthful choices.

Restaurant Policies and Practices Related to Norovirus Outbreak Size and Duration

Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, and restaurants are the most common setting of foodborne norovirus outbreaks. Therefore, prevention and control of restaurant-related foodborne norovirus outbreaks is critical to lowering the burden of foodborne illness in the United States. Data for 124 norovirus outbreaks and outbreak restaurants were obtained from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance systems and analyzed to identify relationships between restaurant characteristics and outbreak size and duration. Findings showed that restaurant characteristics, policies, and practices were linked with both outbreak size and outbreak duration. Compared with their counterparts, restaurants that had smaller outbreaks had the following characteristics: managers received food safety certification, managers and workers received food safety training, food workers wore gloves, and restaurants had cleaning policies. In addition, restaurants that provided food safety training to managers, served food items requiring less complex food preparation, and had fewer managers had shorter outbreaks compared with their counterparts. These findings suggest that restaurant characteristics play a role in norovirus outbreak prevention and intervention; therefore, implementing food safety training, policies, and practices likely reduces norovirus transmission, leading to smaller or shorter outbreaks.

Reaching for the Stars: Spatial Competition and Consumer Reviews

Competition is a key feature of the market process assumed to improve market outcomes. But how strong is the relationship between competition and positive consumer experiences, and how does the relationship vary across space and type of competitor? Phoenix is a suitable setting in which to explore these questions because it is a major metropolitan area with thousands of unique restaurants rated on Yelp. The consumer experience is measured based upon Yelp user-generated reviews through July 2016, with higher ratings reflecting better customer experiences. Competition is defined in different ways depending upon the number of overall, same-price and same-type restaurants nearby. Given differences between chain and independent restaurants, competition is further segmented across these two types of establishments. After controlling for restaurant characteristics, census-tract-level demographics, census-tract fixed effects and sub-industry fixed effects the results suggest that spatial competition is only associated with better customer experiences for same-category independent restaurants within driving distance (1-5 miles). The association is not present for overall and same-price independent restaurant competition nor for chain restaurants. Consistent with the sprawling layout of the Phoenix area, the effect of competition is only for restaurants within driving distance. These findings are relevant for cities designing policies to attract residents by offering high-quality consumer amenities.

Solo dining in Chinese restaurants: A mixed-method study in Macao.

Given the emergence of solo dining resulting from the changing family structure and increasingly individualised lifestyle in contemporary Chinese society, this study investigates solo dining in the setting of Chinese restaurants in Macao, including the solo dining motivations, behavioural characteristics, and experiences, taking into considerations the underlying social and cultural factors. Adopting a sequential exploratory mixed-method design, 18 interviews were conducted, followed by a survey with 493 local diners. Findings show that freedom of choice and satisfying hunger are the main motivations for solo dining, and some solo-friendly attributes, food-related attributes, and restaurant characteristics are considered as important elements. Solo dining is perceived positively, partly because its perceptions and experiences are shaped by the diners' socio-cultural backgrounds and unique regional characteristics, in which solo dining is considered relatively common in Macao as opposed to extant literature that has suggested an essentialised assumption about Chinese group-oriented dining preference. Sociocultural insights and managerial implications are provided in catering to the growing solo diner market.

Examining the Association Between Hispanic Caribbean Restaurant Characteristics and Healthy Menu Images in New York City

Abstract Objectives Hispanics experience diet-related health disparities in comparison to non-Hispanic whites. Community nutrition environments can influence health outcomes, but restaurants are a largely untapped research area. This study examined how Hispanic Caribbean Restaurants (HCR) promote healthy eating through menu design, and which HCR characteristics are associated with healthy menu images (HMI). We hypothesize that HMI will be associated with more affluent neighborhoods. Methods We examined the nutrition environment in a random sample of 89 HCR in NYC. This analysis included a subsample of HCR that had menus with images (n = 51). HCR were classified as having “Healthy Menu Images” (HMI) if at least half of all images showed a potentially healthy option (i.e., non-fried entrée, a non-fried, non-starchy vegetable side, or both). Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were used to examine the association between HMI and restaurant characteristics, including Hispanic Caribbean cuisine served, type (fast-casual vs sit-down), and neighborhood characteristics (gentrification status, supermarket to bodega ratio, Hispanic-Caribbean population density). Significance was established at P &amp;lt; 0.10 accounting for the exploratory nature of the analysis. Results HMI were found in 39.2% of the sample and associated with neighborhood gentrification. Compared to HRC in non-gentrifying neighborhoods (poor), those located in gentrifying areas had higher odds for HMI (AOR:10.360, P = 0.052). No significant associations were found between HMI and supermarket to bodega ratio, restaurant type, Hispanic Caribbean population density, and cuisine type. Conclusions The design of a menu and its inclusion of images can direct a customer's attention to specific items, increasing the likelihood that those items will be ordered. Our research indicates potential disparities in HMI in HCR by neighborhood gentrification, underscoring inequities in these areas’ food environments. More research is needed to examine menu design in ethnic restaurants, to inform future health promotion interventions in low-income, non-gentrifying neighborhoods. Funding Sources CUNY PSC Award.

Examining Community Restaurant Nutrition Environments for Cardiovascular Health: An Assessment of Hispanic Caribbean Restaurants in New York City

Abstract Objectives Examine the nutrition environment in Hispanic Caribbean (HC) restaurants, and identify restaurant-level factors associated with healthier nutrition restaurant environments. Methods We adapted the Nutrition Environment Measure Survey for Restaurants (NEMS-R) to HC cuisines and applied the instrument (NEMS-HCR) to a random sample of Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican restaurants in New York City (n = 89). Descriptive and regression analysis examined the associations between the NEMS-HCR score and restaurant characteristics (HC cuisine, restaurant type, and midpoint price). Results No restaurant offered dishes labeled as healthy and almost none (2%) offered whole grains or fruit. Half of the restaurants (52%) had menus with a large proportion (&amp;gt;75%) of nonfried (NF) main dishes and three-quarters (76%) offered at least one vegetarian option. The most common environmental facilitator to healthy eating was offering reduced portion sizes (21%) and the most common barrier was having salt shakers on tables (40%). NEMS-HCR scores (100-point scale) ranged from 24.1–55.2 (mean = 39.7). Scores varied by cuisine and size category, but not by restaurant type (sit-down vs fast casual). Puerto Rican restaurants had the lowest mean score, compared with Dominican and Cuban restaurants (33.7 ± 6.8, 39.6 ± 6.4, 43.3 ± 6.9, respectively, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Small restaurants (&amp;lt;22 seats) had significantly lowest scores, compared with large and medium sized (36.7 ± 7.1, 41.3 ± 7.2, 41.6 ± 6.1, respectively, P &amp;lt; 0.05). Multivariate regression indicated that HC cuisine, restaurant size, and price were significantly associated with the score (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Price was found to have a significant quadratic association, where lower scores were found among lower and higher priced restaurants. Conclusions HC communities present more dietary risk factors than other Hispanic groups. Our study is the first to adapt and apply the NEMS-R to HC restaurants. Restaurants are increasingly important daily sources of food. As interventions targeting individual behavior change have shown limited impact, restaurants represent an important environmental target for health promotion. The assessment showed areas for potential improvements in food offerings and environmental cues to encourage healthful choices in HC restaurants. Funding Sources CUNY PSC Award and NIH/NHLBI Career Development Award (K01).

Improvement in Compliance With Smoke-Free Environment Regulations at Hotels and Restaurants in Vietnam After an Administrative Intervention.

Introduction:Vietnam is among the countries with the highest smoking prevalence among male adults, as well as high prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure at indoor places. In many countries, including Vietnam, exposure to tobacco smoking is greatest in restaurants/bars and hotels. This study aims to analyze the compliance of hotels and restaurants to smoke-free environment regulations before and after an intervention.Methods:Direct observations were done at the receptions, conference rooms, designated smoking areas, restaurants, and lobbies of 140 hotels and the dining rooms, kitchens, and toilets of 160 restaurants before and after an intervention. The intervention was a training course conducted by police officers followed by 3 monthly supervision visits by police officers. Compliance with smoke-free enviornment regulations was observed and assessed to generate a compliance score for each location and overall. Tobit regression was used to examine the relationship between compliance scores and the intervention and other variables such as hotel and restaurant characteristics.Results:Before the intervention, the highest compliance rates were found for “no tobacco advertisement” and “no cigarette selling” regulations (95%-100%) in almost all sites in hotels and restaurants. The lowest compliance rates were found for “having nonsmoking signs.” The rate of compliance with all regulations was only 5% for hotels and 0.06% of restaurants. Improvement after intervention was clearly observed, in the rate of compliance with all regulations by more hotels (15.7%) and overall compliance scores of hotels and restaurants.Conclusions:The intervention with participation of the police officers proved to be effective in improving compliance with smoke-free regulations. It is recommended to continue this intervention in the same areas as well as to expand the intervention to other areas.

Assessment of the environmental sustainability of restaurants in the U.S.: The effects of restaurant characteristics on environmental sustainability performance

ABSTRACTThis paper investigated the current levels of environmental sustainability in restaurants across the U.S. to determine whether a restaurant’s proclivity for environmental sustainability depended on its characteristics such as chain affiliation or restaurant type.A web-based survey was administered to 2,500 top-level restaurant managers, from which a total of 218 responses were judged as usable. The data were analyzed using independentsample t-tests and ANOVA. This study presents an in-depth account of the environmental sustainability in restaurants across the U.S. based on an evaluation of top-level managers. This study also highlights the differences in restaurant environmental sustainability across different restaurant segments.