Exploring local food consumption in restaurants through the lens of locavorism

ABSTRACT

Although a consumer movement to local food consumption has been of considerable interest to the foodservice industry, little is known about the factors that affect consumers’ preferences for local food served in restaurants and the mechanism by which those factors affect purchase behaviors. Drawing on the new consumer movement theory, this study examined consumers’ ideology of local food, referred to as ‘locavorism,’ as an intermediate process that explains the effects of three psychosocial factors on consumers’ behavioral intentions. Using data collected from 203 U.S. residents in the same locality, this study found that environmental attitude, community attachment, and health consciousness are related positively to locavorism, which, in turn, predicts consumers’ purchase intentions and willingness to pay more for locally sourced menu items at restaurants. The study discussed the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for hospitality academics and practitioners.

尽管消费者对当地食品消费的运动引起了餐饮业的极大兴趣，但对于影响消费者对餐馆提供的当地食品偏好的因素以及这些因素影响购买行为的机制却知之甚少. 本研究以新消费者运动理论为基础，探讨消费者对当地食物的意识形态，即“地方趋炎附势”，作为解释三种心理社会因素对消费者行为意向影响的中间过程. 本研究以203位美国居民为研究对象，发现环境态度、社区依恋、健康意识与当地偏好正相关，而当地偏好又预测消费者的购买意愿及愿意为当地餐馆的菜单支付更多的费用. 这项研究讨论了这些发现的理论和实践意义，为酒店学者和从业人员.

KEYWORDS:

• Locavorism
• environmental attitude
• community attachment
• health consciousness
• purchase intention
• willingness to pay more