Diner’s Sustainable Behavior: Differences between Sustainable Behaviors of Casual and Fine Dining Consumers

ABSTRACT Food waste being an important aspect of sustainability continues to be examined. Sustainability in diner’s behavior is the gap this study addresses. This study scrutinizes behavior related to casual/fine dining with two density themes (built and human) that have yet to be addressed. A survey was conducted to test the hypotheses. Structural Equational Modeling (SEM) was used to test for multi-group differences. Results addressed waste characteristics in developing sustainable diner behavior, further leading to explaining loyalty toward restaurant dining. It exclusively analyzes diner’s behavior in two restaurant types (fine and casual), indicated that diner’s characteristics (guilt feeling and food surplus) significantly affect developing sustainable diner attitude, leading to diner sustainable behavior (waste reduction practices and loyalty). Moderation analysis revealed that ambiance amplifies the existing relationship between the diner’s characteristics and his sustainable attitude. Multi-group analyses revealed that diners produce less waste when dining in casual restaurants with less built and human densities. This study offers practical contributions to diner’s behavior in different restaurant themes and in hospitality settings. Notably, diner’s sustainable behavior is examined, which was previously limited to general consumer behavior. Practical findings of this study have important implications for restaurant designers, owners, managers, and marketers, where they can not only actively design restaurant settings to be eco-friendly but also implement sustainable practices within.