The role of perceived corporate social responsibility on providing healthful foods and nutrition information with health-consciousness as a moderator

As customers become more health conscious and governments create legislation requiring restaurants to provide nutrition information, the restaurant industry can no longer ignore demands for healthful eating environments. This study considers providing healthful food options and nutrition information as strategies for creating healthful eating environments at restaurants, and aims to develop a theoretical explanation of consumer reactions to such actions that incorporates perceived corporate social responsibility. Data were collected using a between-subjects experimental design with scenarios. The results show that customers perceive restaurants to be socially responsible when they are provided with healthful foods and nutrition information; highly health-conscious customers react more strongly to provision of healthful foods than their counterparts. Consequently, customers have favorable attitude toward and high willingness to visit restaurants providing healthful foods and nutrition information. Restaurateurs should consider taking such initiatives to entice more customers and develop a socially responsible image. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.