RESTAURANT CUISINE, FAST-FOOD AND ETHNIC EDIBLES - AN EMPIRICAL NOTE ON HOUSEHOLD MEAL PRODUCTION

BECKER'S model of time inputs in household production is tested in this paper utilizing home versus restaurant food production and consumption. Tests of the model show that both the ratio of restaurant to total meal consumption and the ratio of fast food to restaurant meals are positively related to the opportunity costs of the household. Further, we argue that the relative time intensity of producing ethnic foods in the home is high relative to generic meals. In this regard a positive empirical relation between the proportion of ethnic to total fast food sales and rising household opportunity cost is shown.