CHICAGO—Technomic, a leading fact-based research firm, recently released findings that outline an overwhelming response from consumers in regard to their green dining expectations. The survey reported consumers displaying strong feelings about how they value the verification of green claims. In addition, those consumers chose which type of certifier or recognizer is most trustworthy in providing green distinctions to restaurants. In the survey findings, 82 percent said they will decrease or stop going to a restaurant that is falsely claiming to be green. Ninety-four percent trust a restaurant’s green claims when they are verified by an organization as being true. Only 6 percent trust self-reported claims that are not verified.
Seventy-nine percent said they are more likely to dine at a Certified Green Restaurant over one that is not. The same percentage said they would deem an organization to be untrustworthy if they found that the organization was awarding green restaurant decals without requiring the restaurant to meet certain environmental standards. Ninety-one percent of consumers polled said that they expect a certifier or recognizer of green restaurants to perform annual audits of the restaurant’s green claims.
The statistics show that consumers have strong opinions about two things,” says Michael Oshman, founder and CEO of the Green Restaurant Association. “They want to dine green…and they want it to be legitimate. We’ve known that for 20 years, but this is the first time that we’ve had in-depth data to demonstrate that consumers expect real and verified environmental changes in their favorite restaurants.”
Another statistic restaurant owners should keep in mind is one regarding employee morale. When asked how they’d feel if the business they work for became a Certified Green Restaurant, 78 percent of people polled said they’d be more excited to work for a Certified Green Restaurant than a restaurant that does not have the certification.
“In the era of greenwashing, it’s imperative to provide consumers with information they can trust,” says Oshman. “When it comes to certifying a restaurant as green, transparency is key. The consumer needs to be able to see the exact steps the restaurant has taken, and they need to know those steps were verified by a nonprofit environmental organization with science-based standards.”
Go to www.dinegreen.com for more information.
