Attitudes and Consumer Behavior toward Foods Offered in Staff Canteens

Abstract

The aim of our study was to analyze the attitudes of employees toward food offered in staff canteens, to analyze their eating behavior and the factors determining the choice of meals in staff canteens. The survey was conducted on a sample of 600 adult respondents, who patronize staff canteens in Warsaw, Poland. The research enabled a detailed and comprehensive assessment of consumer behavior toward the use of staff canteens, as well as their opinions on the functioning of the canteens and meals offered. Factors determining the frequency of use of canteens, type of meals, and factors influencing the use of such establishments were identified. Respondents assessed the quality and variety of meals, with the size of portion being the most valued. They were satisfied with the functioning of the canteens and had very few comments. However, they pointed out the need for an increase in the variety of meals, including the availability of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Our research enabled us to establish consumer profiles based on the reasons for not using staff canteens and comments about staff canteens. Patrons of staff canteens were referred to as “canteen enthusiasts” or “canteen medium-enthusiasts”, who are “snack lovers”, as well as “food choice-oriented” or “quality-oriented”. The results provide the basis for practical implications for owners or managers of staff canteens, part of whose work it is to analyze the needs and expectations of their potential customers.

Food Waste Perception of Workplace Canteen Users—A Case Study

“…This contradicts the results found in a study carried out in a Brazilian university canteen, where menus influenced plate waste, pointing to the low variety of menus served as a contributor to food waste [34]. A study on the attitudes of employees toward food offered in staff canteens indicated a desire for variety, including vegetarian dishes, as well as health-promoting dishes [16]. The possibility of choosing between fish and meat and other options, as is the case of the workplace canteen where the study was conducted, allows higher satisfaction of consumer expectations and consequently lower waste values.…”

“…Food waste control in food service is a difficult task since it involves the consumers and their relationship with meals, both factors that may vary on a daily basis [10,[16][17][18]. Both service-related aspects, service quality and personal factors, are relevant to explain food waste [19].…”

“…Food waste by consumers results from an interaction between individual and social factors, requiring motivation and means to avoid waste, which implies the need to raise consumer awareness of the impact of behavioral changes [16][17][18]. A study conducted within 253 urban households found that a higher perception of food waste was associated with a smaller amount of food waste [9].…”

Do Chefs Value Health in Their Olive Oil Purchasing Decisions?

“…In short, this consumer preoccupation with health in general, having transcended the “healthy lifestyle” trend [ 31 ], has now grown to become the main motivator for buyers or as the most highly valued attribute in the purchase of foods for consumption at home [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ] and also when eating out [ 36 , 37 , 38 ].…”

Eat Healthy to Live Healthy: Habits and Trends

“…A recent paper by Czarniecka-Skubina et al [ 6 ] underlined the importance of workplace nutrition as a potential key intervention to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases in adult populations and improve public health via direct and indirect measures. The authors noted the importance of taking breaks, which plays a role in emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and organizational behavior.…”