Consumer Response to Nutrition Information Menu Labeling in Full-Service Restaurants: Making the Healthy Choice

Abstract

Previous research has concluded that there is consumer desire for nutrition information to be provided on restaurant menu items and restaurant customers presented with this information will make healthier menu choices (Mills & Thomas, 2008). Limited research has been performed in a restaurant setting measuring real rather than intended behavior. The purpose of this research experiment is to measure consumer response, in a full-service restaurant setting, to nutrition information on menu items and subsequently determine if consumers will use this information in their menu item choice. An experiment was conducted with 264 restaurant customers at a full-service a la carte restaurant. Customers chose from menu items labeled with or without a Healthy Choice® label. A logistic regression model was used to predict whether people would choose Healthy Choice menu items. Fifty-four percent of restaurant customers chose the healthy choice menu item. The logistic regression confirms that those people who desire nutrition information also use this information in their menu choice. The study concludes with recommendations for the industry on directing consumer menu choice toward healthier items.

Citation

Gallicano, R., Blomme, R.J. and van Rheede, A. (2012), "Consumer Response to Nutrition Information Menu Labeling in Full-Service Restaurants: Making the Healthy Choice", Chen, J.S. (Ed.) Advances in Hospitality and Leisure (Advances in Hospitality and Leisure, Vol. 8), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 109-125. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1745-3542(2012)0000008010