Healthy Food at Work? An Examination of a Proposed Catering Service Concept

Abstract

The U. S. catering industry has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. A major trend in the overall foodservices industry involves the healthy eating movement among consumers. Along with restaurants and foodservice contractors, caterers are responding to growing consumer demand for healthier fare. While caterers serve various target markets (e.g., event organizers, charities, civic groups, individuals), there is a need to research the viability of providing healthy food to the business market. A service concept test among decision makers at 36 companies is used here to provide an evaluation of a proposed catering service specializing in healthy food that would serve local businesses. The findings indicate that the healthy eating movement does extend to today's workplace. Overall, respondents are favorably disposed to the proposed service. Indeed, businesses appear to be a promising target market for caterers offering healthy food.

Keywords:

• Catering
• foodservices
• healthy foods
• new product development