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By Jenn LaVardera, MS RD
Dining out has become the norm in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average family spent $3,154 on meals away from home in 2016. With the dramatic and steady increase in demand for organically grown foods, could adding organic produce to menus help set restaurants apart from the competition?
According to food and beverage consultancy The Hartman Group, organic options are important to today’s restaurant customers. Technomic Inc., a provider of market information and advisory services for the food industry, annually publishes a “Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.” Technomic stated more than 20% of these restaurants offer menu items described as “natural” or “organic,” with 80% of them claiming the options drive traffic and sales.
A 2016 study, “Consumer response to organic food in restaurants,” published in the Journal of Foodservice Business Research, found that offering organic menu items resulted in a higher perception of corporate responsibility, and an associated increased trust in the restaurant. The predictable result: increased patronage and sales.
To meet the preferences of the communities it serves, the menu items of Organic Krush, a Long Island-based casual eatery with three locations, are certified organic—with some exceptions, such as fish and seafood. “We created an organic menu because we saw a real need in the marketplace,” says cofounder Michelle Walrath. “It started as a concept where we could feed our families and friends and quickly became a place to feed the local communities. People have made the connection between organic food and their health.”
Michelle Walrath, Owner, Organic Krush
Along with organic, local and sustainable foods have become common requests among restaurant goers. A National Restaurant Association report in 2015 stated that almost two-thirds of diners consider an eatery’s eco-friendly practices when deciding where to eat. Their 2018 report on “The State of Restaurant Sustainability” reflects this trend as well: “one in ten restaurant operators report that they currently hold a ‘green certification,’ a business certification for their eco-friendly practices from a local or national third-party organization.”
Andrea Canada, vice president of Culinary Nutrition & Sustainability at NYC-based SPE Certified, says “The restaurants we work with are putting a lot of work into knowing more about where their ingredients are coming from and how they’re grown.” SPE Certified is a third-party food certification company that offers three levels of restaurant certification nationwide, none of which yet requires certified organic ingredients. SPE Certified currently recognizes restaurants in five states and the District of Columbia that meet their criteria focused on nutrition and sustainability, including such things as “hormone free milk and sustainable eggs.” Canada reasons, “A food service operator may understand customers prefer more organic ingredients; however, if it’s more important for them that ingredients come from local farms or are very seasonal, they will still identify sources for the lowest-intervention ingredients they can.”
Andrea Canada, vice president of Culinary Nutrition & Sustainability, NYC-based SPE Certified
Though consumer demand is important, cost might be the ultimate factor when deciding between organic or conventional produce for a menu. “While customer demand may drive motivation for ordering organic, I think it’s ultimately the price point and quality of the ingredient that determines how feasible it is for an operation,” explains Canada. “With the growth of organics at a price point that works for restaurants, I think more restaurants are able to utilize organic produce, or be willing to write it into their specifications for products that are known to carry many synthetic pesticides.”
Organic Krush is deeply committed not only to certified organic produce but to other certified organic foods as well, like unique burger offerings.
Organic Krush, which just began its fourth year, is deeply committed not only to certified organic produce but to other certified organic foods as well: “All of our dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables, grains, and oils are certified organic.” Nevertheless, going organic—or sustainable or local—comes with challenges. We occasionally have difficulties sourcing organic; seasonally, the availability changes,” explains Walrath. “Sometimes the price of avocados and lemons more than doubles. We have to absorb that cost as a restaurant, because we cannot keep changing the prices. It’s a complicated dynamic between food costs, commitment to organics, and pleasing the customer.”
