Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- The reasons for going green
- A few small steps can get just about anyone heading in the right direction
- A broad range of operators serve as examples of how it can be done
- Menu trends lead toward sustainability
- Creative, non-traditional marketing the norm
- The lure of green has a ways to go
- Recycling programs and reusable/compostable packaging define green and sustainable
- Local=fruits and vegetables
- Respondents willing to pay more, but not much more
- Treatment of employees top CSRs, along with local and organic
- Room on menus for more local and organic ingredients
- Environmental concerns are not top-of-mind, but food supply is a concern
- Westerners most captivated by green and sustainable efforts
Insights and Opportunities
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- Success through collaboration
- Use whatever means possible to spread the word
- Get assistance, get recognized
- Connect diners to the farms and the farmers
- The ultimate in local sourcing: your own backyard
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Patriot Games
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- Figure 1: Ranking of corporate social responsibility initiatives, May 2011
- Trend: Carnivore, Herbivore…Locavore
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Why the need for green?
- Buildings
- Water
- Energy use
- Waste disposal: recycling and composting
- Local sourcing
- Organics
- Sustainable animal proteins
- Vegetable-based diet
- Integrity of the food supply
- The impact of the economy on the restaurant industry
- A challenging environment for industry optimism
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- Figure 2: NRA performance indices, January 2009–July 2011
- Steadily increasing sales level out
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- Figure 3: Adjusted foodservice and drinking places sales, January 2008–July 2011
- Unemployment and underemployment continue to hamper sales growth
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- Figure 4: Unemployment and underemployment rates, January 2007–August 2011
- Limited available disposable personal income
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- Figure 5: Real personal disposable income, January 2007–June 2011
- Consumer confidence tumbles in the face of a double-dip recession
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- Figure 6: Consumer Sentiment Index, March 2007–August 2011
- Young adults and affluents the greenest patrons
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- Figure 7: Green attitudes and behaviors, by household income, Dec. 2010
Restaurant Analysis
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- Overview
- The Grey Plume: The Greenest Restaurant in America
- Border Grill: A fine dining mini-chain consistently green
- Ted’s Montana Grill: A mid-size chain leveraging a name and a passion
- Red Feather Lounge and Bittercreek Alehouse: Worms in the basement, beers from close to home
- Pizza Fusion: “Delivering” sustainability
- McDonald’s: Strength in numbers
- Green foodservice goes beyond restaurants
Menu Insights Analysis: Spotlight on Ingredients
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- The “fresh” claim: Something for everyone
- Local: a true buzzword for sustainability
- Hand-crafted sees the largest increase
- Grass-fed, antibiotic-free, and vegetarian-fed all trending up
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- Figure 8: Green ingredient marketing claims on restaurant menus, Q2 2008–Q2 2011
- Gluten-free and natural are leading nutritional claims
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- Figure 9: Top 10 ingredient nutritional claims on restaurant menus, Q2 2008–Q2 2011
Green and Sustainable Menu Trends: “Green” Meat No Longer Means a Bad Thing
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- Overview
- Local meat and seafood moves under the sustainable umbrella
- “Flexitarianism”
- Nose-to-tail: The ultimate in waste-free feeding
Marketing Strategies
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- The double edged sword of “greenwashing”
- Non-traditional advertising the norm
- Getting the attention of the “list-makers”
- Television ads connect companies to farms
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- Figure 10: Domino’s, television ad, 2010
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- Figure 11: Olive Garden, television ad, 2011
- Figure 12: Subway, television ad, 2011
- Brand analysis: McDonald’s
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- Figure 13: Brand analysis of McDonald’s brand, 2011
- Online initiatives
- TV presence
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- Figure 14: McDonald’s, television ad, 2011
- Print and other
- Brand analysis: Chipotle
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- Figure 15: Brand analysis of Chipotle brand, 2011
- Online initiatives
- Other
Key Dining Attributes
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- Key points
- Green and sustainable efforts not the biggest draw
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- Figure 16: Key dining attributes, by gender, May 2011
- Figure 17: Key dining attributes, by age, May 2011
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- Figure 18: Key dining attributes, by household income, May 2011
Green and Sustainable Defined
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- Key points
- Recycling and reusable/compostable packaging are key efforts
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- Figure 19: Definition of green and sustainable at restaurants, by gender, May 2011
- Figure 20: Definition of green and sustainable at restaurants, by age, May 2011
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- Figure 21: Definition of green and sustainable at restaurants, by household income, May 2011
Importance of Local for Ingredients
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- Key points
- Locavores want fruits and veggies
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- Figure 22: Importance of local ingredients, by gender, May 2011
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- Figure 23: Importance of local ingredients, by age, May 2011
- Figure 24: Importance of local ingredients, by household income, May 2011
Willingness to Pay for Local and Sustainable
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- Key points
- The majority willing to pay more, but not much more
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- Figure 25: Willingness to pay extra for local and sustainable ingredients, by gender, May 2011
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- Figure 26: Willingness to pay extra for local and sustainable ingredients, by age, May 2011
- Figure 27: Willingness to pay extra for local and sustainable ingredients, by household income, May 2011
Key Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives
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- Key points
- Employee treatment, local and organic most important
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- Figure 28: Ranking of corporate social responsibility initiatives, by gender, may 2011
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- Figure 29: Ranking of corporate social responsibility initiatives, by age, may 2011
- Figure 30: Ranking of corporate social responsibility initiatives, by household income, may 2011
Attitudes Toward Ingredients
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- Key points
- Local ingredients and organics rise to the top
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- Figure 31: Attitudes toward ingredients, by gender, May 2011
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- Figure 32: Attitudes toward ingredients, by age, May 2011
- Figure 33: Attitudes toward ingredients, by household income, May 2011
Attitudes Toward Environmental Issues
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- Key points
- Environmental concerns don’t dominate, but food supply is a concern
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- Figure 34: Attitudes toward environmental issues, by gender, May 2011
- Figure 35: Attitudes toward environmental issues, by age, May 2011
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- Figure 36: Attitudes toward environmental issues, by household income, May 2011
Regional Analysis—Western States the Greenest
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- Key points
- Westerners most captivated by green and sustainable efforts
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- Figure 37: Key dining attributes, by region, May 2011
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- Figure 38: Importance of local ingredients, by region, May 2011
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- Figure 39: Ranking of corporate social responsibility initiatives, by region, may 2011
Cluster Analysis
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- Organically Generous
- Characteristics
- Demographics
- Opportunity
- Reusable Veggies
- Characteristics
- Demographics
- Opportunity
- Local Misers
- Characteristics
- Demographics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristic tables
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- Figure 40: Green foodservice clusters, June 2011
- Figure 41: Important restaurant attributes, by green foodservice clusters, June 2011
- Figure 42: Definition of “green” and sustainable practices, by green foodservice clusters, June 2011
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- Figure 43: Importance of “local” ingredients by type of food, by green foodservice clusters, June 2011
- Figure 44: Amount willing to pay for local and sustainable ingredients, by green foodservice clusters, June 2011
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- Figure 45: Attitudes toward local and organic ingredients and sustainability, by green foodservice clusters, June 2011
- Cluster demographic tables
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- Figure 46: Green foodservice clusters, by gender, June 2011
- Figure 47: Green foodservice clusters, by age, June 2011
- Figure 48: Green foodservice clusters, by household income, June 2011
- Figure 49: Green foodservice clusters, by race, June 2011
- Figure 50: Green foodservice clusters, by Hispanic origin, June 2011
- Cluster methodology
Appendix—Trade Associations
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