The determinants of more responsible restaurant food choice in Poland.

Abstract

In the context of emerging markets, restaurant food choice needs to be better architected in order to minimise the negative societal and environmental implications. For effective consumer choice architecture, the determinants of restaurant food choice need to be first established. This study explores the determinants of restaurant food choice in Poland, a transitional economy in East-Central Europe with a rapidly growing pattern of out-of-home food consumption. It finds that the low level of public environmental awareness in Poland translates into low consumer recognition of the environmental implications of restaurant food choice. Although customer preference for locally produced and organic food is recorded, this preference is not associated with public environmental awareness, but attributed to possible media effect. In contrast, the level of public awareness of the health repercussions of restaurant food choice is higher in Poland, especially among younger consumers, which is reflected in the desire to see the nutritional and calorific values of food to be displayed on restaurant menus. Implications for policy-making and hospitality management are discussed.