In a recent survey from the National Restaurant Association (NRA), diners said that they were more likely to dine at places that offered sustainable or local foods on their menus as opposed to those that don’t.
The local food movement continues to grow, and this new data supports that. It is something that many consumers strongly value and they— especially millennials — want companies to show they share those values.
"That's a big factor in driving the decision on where they’ll dine out," says Jeff Clark, manager of the NRA’s Conserve sustainability program “Our data shows more consumers are aligning their restaurant choices with their beliefs and they’re going to hold your restaurant to that commitment. If you don’t keep your end of the bargain, they probably won’t think twice about taking their loyalty and discretionary dollars elsewhere.”
Here’s how the National Restaurant Association’s findings break down by age group:
- 66% of all adults say availability of locally sourced food makes them choose one restaurant over another.
- 70% of adults ages 18-34
- 76% of adults ages 35-44
- 63% of adults ages 45-54
- 65% of adults ages 55-64
- 58% of adults ages 65+
A number of bakeries and bakery cafes are jumping on this trend, sourcing foods and ingredients from local sources.
