To increase patronage and prices, restaurateurs need to make consumers aware of their sustainable practices, according to a study featured in the August 2010 issue of the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.
- Findings were based on the responses of 393 Taiwan residents but the results are similar to those of another study done in the U.S
- Well over 90 percent of respondents said they would pay more for a green restaurant. One third said they would pay up to 12 percent more, and only 8 percent said they would not pay anything extra
- But sustainable menus did not automatically mean higher prices as customers had to have specific knowledge of the restaurant’s green practices
- Older respondents, over age 40, were significantly more likely than younger ones to patronize green restaurants. Those with higher incomes were also more likely than the less well off to eat at sustainable establishments
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