Do Restaurants Promote Their Sustainable Practices Online?

Abstract

The growth of the restaurant sector has meant problems of waste disposal, emissions, and business costs. However, in addition to traditional back-of-house (production, preparation, provision) and front-of-house (dining room, serving) categories, restaurants have a virtual front-of-house, given the extent that online presence is now a part of marketing and menu promotion, ordering, and feedback. Nevertheless, little is known of what sustainable restaurant practices, e.g. waste reduction, are promoted online. Following a discussion of restaurant sustainability practices and virtual front-of-house, this chapter presents the results of content analyses of the online presence of restaurants to identify which characteristics of restaurant sustainability, e.g., waste reduction practices, are promoted to customers. The results suggest that local food and seasonality are prominent, but other practices, such as waste management, receive limited attention even from restaurants that promote themselves as green. The implications for restaurant and food service sector sustainability are discussed.