There have been a few news stories this week about food sustainability - it captured the headline on this month's M&C Report following a presentation at the Restaurant Conference. And we have been hearing about top restaurants supporting a new law on greener and more humane farming. But what do customers think of it all? From surveys we completed earlier this year, we know that consumers support the shift towards a more sustainable approach and this could well fit the strategy of certain restaurants. But it still seems to rank very low in the list of priorities that influence a customer's perception and likelihood to return. Creativity and warm service have a much greater influence - but we predict that this will slowly start to shift over the next few years as restaurants develop 'personalities' that extend the customer experience, and degree of engagement, wider than just the time spent in the restaurant.
