To complement its inaugural Good Food 100 Restaurants list, today the Good Food Media Network released a new study detailing the economic contribution of good food purchases. Conducted by the Business Research Division (BRD) of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, the Good Food Media Network report found that the overall food purchases by the 90 participating Good Food 100 Restaurants totaled $94.8 million in 2016, of which $68.1 million were derived from good food purchases.
“When chefs and restaurants purchase good food, they’re impacting more than just what’s on a diner’s plate; they’re affecting every link in our food supply chain – from the environment and animals to their staff and guests – as well as state, regional and national economies,” said Sara Brito, co-founder and president, Good Food Media Network. “This study demonstrates the power of chefs to fuel environmental and social change, and drive economic growth. We congratulate the 2017 Good Food 100 Restaurants and look forward to their future contributions to changing our food system and economy for good.”
“The study findings show that there are restaurants making intentional efforts to know their supply chain and purchase a higher standard of food,” said Brian Lewandowski, Associate Director, BRD.
Key findings from the report include:
National Good Food Purchases:
- The 90 participating restaurants reported 72% of national food purchases were good food purchases. The percentage was greatest for participating Fast Casual restaurants (93%) and Fine Dining restaurants (83%). Nationally, restaurants reported the greatest percentage of good food purchases in the Fish and Seafood (84%) and the Meat and Poultry (83%) segments.
Regional Good Food Purchases:
- Compared to total national purchases, a greater percentage of regional purchases were good food purchases (89%), with Fast Casual (96%) and Fine Dining (91%) leading. Regionally, restaurants reported the greatest percentage of good food purchases in the Fish and Seafood (99%) and the Meat and Poultry (95%) segments.
- Regions that reported the highest percentage of good food purchases included the Far West region (90%) and the Mideast region (89%). Good food purchases within region were highest for the Mideast region (100%), Great Lakes region (99%), and the combined Southwest and Plains region (99%).
Sustainable Practices:
- Nearly every restaurant reported efforts to reduce food prep waste in the kitchen (99%), using eco-friendly paper products and carryout containers (97%), and recycling (94%).
- Two-thirds to three-quarters of restaurants reported composting, eco-friendly cleaning supplies, workforce benefits, and reducing post-kitchen food waste.
To read the full study, please visit GoodFood100Restaurants.org.
