Post on 26-Apr-2018
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HEALTHY
MEALS
HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT
DINERS’ CHANGING BEHAVIORS
Sustainability, Wellness & Where to Eat
A new report to help you better engage with shoppers and diners and better navigate a new array of business challenges.
This is a time of great opportunity for restaurants and food service companies Diners’ Changing Behaviors: Sustainability, Wellness & Where to
Eat is a thorough examination of how health and sustainability
are integrated and separate in the minds of diners, which sustainability
areas in food service are most noticed and valued, related business
and operational considerations, the profile of the sustainable diner,
their willingness to pay and the roles that different retail food service
and restaurant formats and eating occasions play in relation to those
spheres.
We live in an era when consumer-driven demand for higher-quality
food and beverage experiences has upended the outdated offerings of
diverse industry segments ranging from packaged foods and food
retailers to restaurants and food service. The rise of fresh and less
processed, so apparent in the blockbuster success of brands like
Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill,
has created a halo that to consumers signifies high quality as well as
health and sustainability. The pursuit of that halo is now diffusing from
supermarket aisles into a host of restaurant formats and food service
settings.
Through the Diners’ Changing Behaviors: Sustainability, Wellness &
Where to Eat, The Hartman Group and Changing Tastes provide
insights into the intersection of sustainability, health, nutrition and
eating-out behaviors and how restaurant and food service operators
can capitalize on such trends to maximize and accelerate revenue
growth, profitability and customer loyalty.
The report also provides data and insights about format selection,
menu and recipe directions, taste and nutrition preferences, and
changes in attitudes surrounding dining as a celebratory occasion
versus part of everyday eating.
Contact: Blaine Becker by email at: blaine@hartman-group.com or by phone: 425.452.0818, ext. 124
Copyright © 2015 The Hartman Group. All Rights Reserved.
ABOUT THE REPORT The Hartman Group Research Methodology Integrated qualitative and quantitative online survey. Quantitative online survey: Nationally representative sample of 1,554 U.S. adults (aged 18-69) who purchased food or takeout at least once in the past month. All respondents were also sole or shared decision makers of the dining process. The survey fielded November 2014. Qualitative: Ethnographic research techniques including mini-groups, “dine and talk” sessions and national telephone interviews in which respondents were asked to document the dining experience through their own supplied imagery. Report Length: 110 pages (PowerPoint and PDF format) and includes a set of standard demographic data tables in Excel format. Changing Tastes Analysis Changing Tastes provides additional analyses of the sustainability and operational implications of the research including climate and water, nutrition and dietary patterns, and productions. Changing Tastes provides analyses on how consumer preferences align with risks from food cost volatility. Pricing information can be found on the order form, which is the last page of this overview.
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DINERS’ CHANGING BEHAVIORS SUSTAINABILITY, WELLNESS & WHERE TO EAT
A NATIONALLY SYNDICATED REPORT BY THE HARTMAN GROUP AND CHANGING TASTES
Executive Summary Excerpt
Introduction Food culture and eating norms are changing as dramatically and rapidly as the environmental
and public health imperatives that are reshaping the nature of the food service industry.
Just as people now shop at an array of food retailers, seeking new experiences and flavors
such as local, organic, natural and fresh distinctions, so too do they look for those experiences
while eating out. Although traditional dining habits persist (e.g., eating out remains tied to
celebration), consumers have outsourced food preparation and now eat out as a daily habit.
When that new behavior is paired with our ongoing cultural fascination with global flavors, diet
and health, we see greater demand for menus with fresh, healthy and sustainable options.
These changes in food culture occur at the same time that operators face new challenges and
unprecedented risks as food and beverage supply chains become more brittle due to
numerous environmental, social and economic influences, increasing the volatility of food
prices and challenging traditional business and supply models.
Today’s diners prefer meals that are healthier and better for the environment, with more plants
and whole grains and less added sugar, salt, solid fats and refined grains. Their preferences
match current scientific findings and are reflected in the newly released recommendations of
the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee.
A large share also want to eat smaller portions or smaller amounts of meat at their meals,
offering an opportunity for restaurants and foodservice companies to also better manage food
costs; many are also willing to pay a little more for such a meal, further enhancing business
benefits.
Today’s diners also are looking to restaurant and food service operators to provide these
choices. And it is most important to those who dine out more often and to Millennials, who are
becoming a more significant share of the dining public.
But most diners do not use the term “sustainable” to describe food choices that are just that:
better for public health and the health of the planet. When restaurants and food service
companies use the term sustainability to refer to efforts to make their kitchen and dining
operations more energy efficient or to reduce water use or waste, neither the term nor their
efforts are particularly meaningful.
Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Methodology
3. Dining Preferences and Motivations
4. Sustainability
Familiarity and Purchase Intent
The Idea and Practice in Food Service
The Sustainable-Receptive Diner
5. Food Service Channels
Diners’ Perceptions
Channel Profiles
6. Recommendations
Contact: Blaine Becker by email at: blaine@hartman-group.com or by phone: 425.452.0818, ext. 124
Copyright © 2015 The Hartman Group. All Rights Reserved.
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Rather, sustainability efforts are more meaningful when they focus on the meals they offer and the
quality of the food ingredients they serve. Many consumers will need to be better informed to readily
term this “sustainability.” But they are already aware of the connections between diet, health and
the environment.
Through the Diners’ Changing Behaviors: Sustainability, Wellness and Where to Eat report, The
Hartman Group and Changing Tastes examine the intersections of sustainability, health, nutrition
and eating-out behaviors and the roles they now play in consumers’ decisions about where and
what to eat. Specifically, this study explores how health and sustainability are integrated and
separate in the minds of diners, which sustainability areas in food service are most noticed and
valued, the profile of the sustainable diner, their willingness to pay and the roles that different
restaurant formats and eating occasions play in relation to those spheres. The report also examines
how consumers’ choices match up with environmental, health and business necessities. The
report’s findings, insights and recommendations help restaurant and food service operators find
ways to capitalize on such trends to maximize and accelerate revenue growth, profitability and
customer loyalty while also finding opportunities to deliver on the “triple bottom line” of people,
planet and profitable business.
Key Observations
Dining Preferences and Motivations
As consumers are becoming more aware of the link between diet and health, many are actively
managing their diet and dining habits.
Many are looking for more options and transparency from restaurant operators and are trying
to order healthier, higher-quality foods when eating out.
Consumers seek to increase their intake of foods where current consumption falls short of
recommendations for a healthy diet, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and
nuts. And they are seeking to avoid ingredients that are now eaten in excess, such as added
sugars, salts, solid fats and refined grains.
Most consumers are willing to accept smaller portions and less meat, offering opportunities to better
manage food costs while delivering health and environmental benefits.
‘Fresh’ continues to be a most valued quality distinction marker, whereas descriptors such as
‘locally grown’ and ‘seasonal’ are now almost as salient as calorie and fat information.
General terms like ‘sustainable’ or ‘ethically sourced’ and ‘green’ certification are less
meaningful to diners, likely because most are unsure of their meanings.
Restaurant practices such as treating employees fairly, supporting the community and sourcing the
freshest ingredients are all indicators of high restaurant quality and valued by diners, while practices
that make kitchen and dining operations more efficient, reducing energy, water and waste, are not
as meaningful.
Sustainability
For today’s diner, sustainability is a broad, abstract term, and they do not use it when considering
the food they are eating or how food choices affect them personally.
While the majority of Americans claim some familiarity with the term ‘sustainability,’ most
understand it to mean environment protection. Rather, today’s diners are strongly concerned about
Copyright © 2015 The Hartman Group. All Rights Reserved.
DINERS’ CHANGING BEHAVIORS SUSTAINABILITY, WELLNESS & WHERE TO EAT
A NATIONALLY SYNDICATED REPORT BY THE HARTMAN GROUP AND CHANGING TASTES
Executive Summary Excerpt (continued)
Contact: Blaine Becker by email at: blaine@hartman-group.com or by phone: 425.452.0818, ext. 124
Average Dining Out Frequency
Eating out is no longer reserved for just special occasions: Consumers are buying everyday meals from a variety of places.
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their food choices as they related to their health, the environment, and treatment of workers but they
do not use the label ‘sustainability’ to describe their preferences.
Once consumers understand the meaning and relevance of sustainability in food service, they
associate sustainable foods with nutritious, higher-quality food. Similarly, sustainable practices are
seen as cues to responsible sourcing and transparency, indicating higher restaurant quality.
Sustainable kitchen and dining operations that conserve energy and water or reduce waste in food
service are less important to diners.
The majority of consumers, especially women and Millennials, react positively to restaurants that
offer sustainable foods or adopt sustainable practices and are open to sustainable meal
substitutions, especially if offered relevant choices that meet their taste preferences.
Most consumers are willing to eat sustainable meals that include less meat and more plant-based
foods, which creates an opportunity for food service operators to better manage food costs.
Many are also ready to pay a little more for these sustainable meals
Satisfying today’s sustainability-minded diner presents strategies for better managing food costs
volatility as well as delivering health and environmental benefits.
Consumers Respond to Sustainability as an Idea and a Practice
It is important to understand how consumers respond to sustainability as an idea and practice.
When they leave the house to eat, their practices are much more pragmatic and less idealistic.
Sustainability Is Composed of Four Domains
Sustainability in food service consists of four domains composed of the personal, social,
environmental and economic.
The personal domain is the most important and is about satisfying consumer needs. Corresponding
dimensions of importance include food safety, food quality, healthy, local, authentic and seasonal.
The social domain reflects the notion that dining out is an inherent social activity. Key dimensions of
importance include community, fair trade, local participation and animal welfare.
The environmental domain includes many conventional sustainability concerns. Key dimensions of
importance include energy consumption, waste disposal, resource preservation and farming
practices.
The economic domain relates to money, jobs and profits. Key dimensions of importance include
local ownership, jobs creation, scale and profits in community.
Sustainability as it relates to the personal dimension of food service primarily links to dimensions of
quality (communicated through local, seasonal, fresh, less processed, real foods), fresh
(communicated by fresh ingredients, open production, natural decor, scratch cooking) and local
(communicated through place and purveyor names, authentic product narratives and staff who
know their guests).
The consumer’s interest in higher-quality food and dining experiences drives many of the most
important behaviors in the area of sustainability and food service.
Copyright © 2015 The Hartman Group. All Rights Reserved.
DINERS’ CHANGING BEHAVIORS SUSTAINABILITY, WELLNESS & WHERE TO EAT
A NATIONALLY SYNDICATED REPORT BY THE HARTMAN GROUP AND CHANGING TASTES
Executive Summary Excerpt (continued)
Contact: Blaine Becker by email at: blaine@hartman-group.com or by phone: 425.452.0818, ext. 124
When Deciding Where to
Eat
Diners often check to make sure both the restaurant and menu are appealing before dining there to ensure an overall positive experience.
To order Diners’ Changing
Behaviors, fill out the form
on the last page of this over-
view.
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A LOOK INSIDE: SAMPLE PAGES
Copyright © 2015 The Hartman Group. All Rights Reserved.
DINERS’ CHANGING BEHAVIORS SUSTAINABILITY, WELLNESS & WHERE TO EAT
A NATIONALLY SYNDICATED REPORT BY THE HARTMAN GROUP AND CHANGING TASTES
Contact: Blaine Becker by email at: blaine@hartman-group.com or by phone: 425.452.0818, ext. 124