‘Nudging’ as an architect of more responsible consumer choice in food service provision: The role of restaurant menu design

Abstract

The sector of food service provision generates substantial environmental and societal impacts. Environmental impacts are particularly pronounced in terms of carbon footprint build-up while societal impacts are reflected in often unhealthy food choice. These impacts should be minimised to facilitate progress of the sector towards sustainability. A significant share of the negative impacts from food service provision is attributed to irresponsible consumer choice which needs to be architected and made more society-and climatebenign. Customer 'nudging' is an effective tool of consumer choice architecture and yet little research has examined its application within the context of private food service provision.This study set to better understand the determinants of consumer choice when dining out and how consumer choice could be reinforced to make it more benefitial from the sustainability viewpoint. To this end, the study reported on the outcome of a consumer survey conducted among visitors to a UK casual dining restaurant where menu design was employed as a customer 'nudging' tool. The survey demonstrated that, next to price, food provenance and nutritional value determined consumer choice when dining out. This information should therefore be displayed on restaurant menus to enable educated, and more environment-and society-benign, food choice. While presenting the food carbon values on a menu was well perceived, some skepticism attached to their prospective use as a determinant of consumer choice was recorded. Recommendations were made on the design of the industry and policy-making interventions required to enhance the public appeal of this menu item.

Carbon labels on restaurant menus: do people pay attention to them?

“…Therefore, providing information about menu items has the potential to educate consumers (Roberto, Larsen, Agnew, Baik, & Brownell, 2010), and increase sales of desirable items. Restaurant menus can display environmental labels to inform consumers to choose more environmentally friendly food (Filimonau et al, 2017), yet it is not common practice for restaurants to display such labels. Only one restaurant actually displays carbon labels by default: the fast-food restaurant Max-Burgers (G€ ossling & Buckley, 2016).…”

“…Consumers are interested in the menu item with carbon emissions labels (Lassen et al, 2016;Pulkkinen, Roininen, Katajajuuri, & J€ arvinen, 2016), but self-reported use of carbon labels is higher than actual purchase behaviour (Spaargaren et al, 2013). Diners appreciate the novelty of carbon labelling, but they remain undecided on whether or not carbon labelling drives their future decision making (Filimonau et al, 2017). The future value of carbon labelling on restaurant menus requires more research on the effects of the feasibility of carbon labels on food ordering behaviour (Filimonau et al, 2017).…”

“…Diners appreciate the novelty of carbon labelling, but they remain undecided on whether or not carbon labelling drives their future decision making (Filimonau et al, 2017). The future value of carbon labelling on restaurant menus requires more research on the effects of the feasibility of carbon labels on food ordering behaviour (Filimonau et al, 2017).…”

“…Local labels make consumers think about farmers communities, the local economy, and their health (Campbell, DiPietro, & Remar, 2014;Darby, Batte, Ernst, & Roe, 2008;Feldmann & Hamm, 2015;Frash, DiPietro, & Smith, 2015;Onozaka & McFadden, 2011). Consequently, consumers attach higher importance to local food claims than to carbon labels (Onozaka & McFadden, 2011), express a higher willingness to pay for such food than they do for low-CO 2 labelled foods (Feucht & Zander, 2017), and report food provenance as a determining factor of menu choice, while undecided about the impact of carbon labels (Filimonau et al, 2017). Consumers feel that local food reduces negative environmental impacts .…”

“…Little is known about consumer attention to carbon labels. Existing studies investigate self-reported use of carbon labels on menus (Filimonau, Lemmer, Marshall, & Bejjani, 2017) or actual sales of menu items with carbon labels (Spaargaren, van Koppen, Janssen, Hendriksen, & Kolfschoten, 2013). In both cases, however, attention is taken for granted.…”