What do customers want to hear?

As the UK prepares to fully reopen with the end of all COVID-19 restrictions, we ran a survey of the UK public to understand what information a café or restaurant could provide on their sustainability practices or the nutrition of their menu to make customers more likely to visit. For an industry that has been hit so hard by the various restrictions and lockdowns since March 2020, we know that understanding what information customers are looking for is vital for business longevity and economic recovery.

In spite of the increased reliance on single-use plastic during the pandemic, the majority of people (57%) are more likely to choose to go to a café or restaurant which has a commitment to reducing its reliance on single-use plastic. This sentiment is even greater with the diners of the future, where 59% of 18–24-year-olds and 64% of 25–34-year-olds consider a pledge to addressing plastic waste as an important factor in where they choose to eat and drink. Efforts to prevent coronavirus transmission forced many businesses to change their sustainability practices, for example, no longer incentivising reusable coffee cups. However, customers are still interested in embracing sustainability, including reducing single-use plastics, so it’s important for businesses to consider how to pick back up on the great work they were doing pre-pandemic sooner rather than later.

The hospitality industry has historically led the way in tackling single-use plastic, with many businesses ahead of the curve when it came to actions such as banning plastic straws. However, in 2021, consumers have a greater and more holistic understanding of sustainability. Interestingly, over a third (35%) of Brits are more likely to choose to go to a café or restaurant if the food mileage of different dishes and products is displayed – this increases to 40% of 25–34-year-olds. Providing this information to customers could ensure you not only maintain but increase your customer base, allowing you to share your passion for using and supporting more local suppliers.

Looking beyond environmental sustainability to the Government’s recent confirmation that calorie information will need to be displayed at the point of choice for the customer, we found that only 29% of people are more likely to go to a café or restaurant if it has calorie labelling on the menu. While this increases to 36% of 25–34-year-olds, the majority of people (58%) say calorie labelling will make no difference. This demonstrates that the upcoming legislation might not have quite the impact on public behaviour that the policy is aiming to achieve.

Notably, it’s not just the younger generations that have strong health and eco-conscious expectations of the sector. From single-use plastics and displaying food mileage to calorie labelling on menus, women are significantly more likely to visit restaurants and cafés that tick these boxes. Our survey found that:

Key findings:

Almost two thirds (63%) of women are more likely to choose to go to a café or restaurant if it has a commitment to reducing its reliance on single-use plastic, compared to 51% of men;
39% of women are also more likely to go to a café or restaurant if the food mileage of different dishes and products are displayed versus 30% of men; and
34% of women are more likely to go to a café or restaurant if it has calorie labelling on the menu compared to just 24% of men.

What do customers want to hear?

Key findings:

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