Understanding Generation Y' Perceptions and Purchase Intentions Related to Green Practice in Foodservice Operations

Purpose - The use of green practices in the foodservice industry has become an interest area in in the world of travel, tourism, and hospitality. Many foodservice operators have accepted the importance of promoting environmental awareness to create competitive advantages. The foodservice industry is one of the biggest consumers of energy. The paper aims to examine generation Y' perceptions, sustainability and purchase intentions on green practice in order to help determine strategies regarding the future management of green initiatives. Design/methodology/approach - The study used a convenience sample of consumers of the restaurant. The survey asked respondents to indicate their level of agreement to a variety of statements about the use of green practices, sustainability and purchase intentions in the foodservice industry. The survey also asked respondents to indicate their demographic profile. Respondents are generation Y who were born 1981-2000. The data were analyzed by using SPSS. Findings - The results revealed that generation Y believed that they have the knowledges about green practices and sustainability but they would still like to know more about it. They also expressed preferences related to restaurants that are environmentally friendly and use environmentally safe products. Originality/value - This study found that gender influenced generation Y' perceptions about purchase intentions to the green restaurants.