Search Results (201)

The grocerant represents an emerging hybrid retail–foodservice format integrating grocery shopping, prepared meals, and in-store dining. Although practically significant, the academic literature remains limited and dispersed. This PRISMA-informed semi-systematic review synthesizes 16 studies—including direct grocerant research and adjacent work on retail innovation, prepared foods, and digital food retail—to clarify the current state of knowledge. The review followed structured database searches, citation tracking, title/abstract screening, and full-text eligibility assessment. Three main perspectives emerged. First, consumer-focused studies emphasize customer experience, food healthiness, multidimensional perceived value (functional, hedonic, social, and financial), brand prestige, in-store dining behavior, and loyalty. Second, strategic research positions grocerants within retail format innovation and competitive convergence between grocery and restaurant sectors. Third, operational perspectives link grocerants to prepared-food systems, retail food environments, and omnichannel transformation. Major gaps include limited operational and comparative research, geographic concentration, and weak digital integration. The review suggests that grocerants function as evolving systems where convenience, experience, branding, and digital transformation converge. Full article

Although corporate social responsibility (CSR) research in hospitality has grown substantially, most evidence comes from large corporations in high-income countries, leaving food-service micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in emerging economies largely unexplored. This study investigated which sociodemographic and organizational factors predict operational CSR practices in 150 formal restaurants in Piura, Peru, using a quantitative, cross-sectional, associative-predictive design. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics v.28 for descriptive, bivariate, and regression analyses, and IBM SPSS AMOS v.27 for confirmatory factor analysis. Grounded in an integrative framework combining human capital theory, institutional theory, and stakeholder theory, the study operationalized CSR through three dimensions validated for the Peruvian context: supplier relations, customer relations, and food safety. Multiple regression analysis revealed that manager academic education, certifications, and monthly sales were significant predictors, jointly explaining 23.9% of CSR variance, while firm size and service mode were not significant. Nearly all establishments scored at an intermediate CSR level, with none reaching the optimal category. Theoretically, these findings demonstrate that managerial cognitive capabilities and institutional routinization mechanisms are more powerful drivers of sustainability adoption than firm size in resource-constrained contexts. Practically, the results suggest that subsidized certification programs and targeted management training represent more efficient sustainability levers than generic business growth loans for food-service MSEs, contributing to SDG targets 8.3, 12.3, and 12.6. Full article

This study analyzes the relationships among spiritual leadership, emotion regulation self-efficacy, and service performance in the hotel industry where emotional labor is emphasized. Data were collected through an online survey of hotel employees at three-star or higher-grade hotels in Korea. A total of 347 valid samples were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Four hypotheses were established. First, spiritual leadership was expected to positively relate to emotion regulation self-efficacy. Second, emotion regulation self-efficacy would be positively related to service performance. Third, spiritual leadership was hypothesized to have a positive relationship with service performance. Fourth, emotion regulation self-efficacy was expected to mediate a positive relationship between spiritual leadership and service performance. The results of the analysis supported all four hypotheses. The findings indicate that spiritual leadership enhances employees’ emotion regulation self-efficacy, improving emotion regulation and, in turn, service performance. Therefore, hotel organizations should consider improving service performance and competitiveness by developing leadership strategies and educational programs that strengthen employees’ emotion regulation capabilities. Full article

Single-use polypropylene (PP) food containers represent a rapidly growing waste stream characterized by compositional heterogeneity and microstructural defects. Conventional reactive compatibilization using isotactic maleic anhydride-grafted PP (iPP-g-MA) provides rigid crystalline anchoring but lacks the interfacial flexibility to accommodate complex micro-defects. Herein, we propose a defect-tolerant compatibilization strategy by developing a binary iPP-g-MA/aPP-g-MA masterbatch for real post-consumer rPP derived from food-service containers. The amorphous aPP-g-MA component is proposed to provide a compliant interfacial environment that accommodates stress concentrations associated with microscale defects, whereas the iPP-g-MA component contributes crystalline anchoring with the recycled PP matrix. This soft/hard interfacial architecture is supported by grafting-degree analysis, GPC, XRD, DSC crystallization behavior, and SEM fracture morphology. The 1:1 mass-ratio binary formulation shows a marked improvement in elongation at break to 200%, representing a 203% increase relative to the single-component iMA system. The notched Charpy impact strength is enhanced to 8.98 kJ m⁻², while tensile strength is retained at 20.9 MPa within the typical strength–ductility trade-off of polymer toughening. TGA shows no premature degradation within the melt-processing window, indicating adequate thermal stability for melt reprocessing. This study provides a compositionally tunable, data-supported route for high-value upcycling of heterogeneous post-consumer polyolefins. From an application viewpoint, the improved ductility-impact balance makes the material relevant to injection-moulded semi-structural products such as storage crates, appliance housings, and automotive interior panels. Full article

This study examines smart technology adoption in foodservice microbusinesses by moving beyond intention-based explanations to examine how adoption and post-adoption unfold in practice. Hospitality technology research has largely emphasised attitudes and behavioural intentions, offering limited insight into how technologies become embedded in everyday operations, particularly in resource-constrained microbusiness contexts. Focusing on foodservice microbusinesses in Malaysia, this study goes beyond pre-adoption intention and examines the nuances of actual technology implementation, guided by adaptive training as the central adoption-enabling mechanism. Using an action research approach, this study implemented a one-month adaptive training intervention that enabled operators to engage in hands-on, experiential learning within their own business environments. The findings uniquely indicate that technology adoption is shaped by capability asymmetry, with differences in technological literacy, prior experience, and resources producing varied adoption pathways. These differences were addressed through adaptive training that aligned the pace and intensity of learning with operators’ capabilities. This study also identifies specialist mediation as a key mechanism supporting adoption, as guidance from a knowledgeable intermediary reduced complexity, facilitated learning, and enabled the transfer of trust. The findings suggest that smart technology adoption in microbusiness settings is not only a matter of intention but also a situated learning process shaped by unequal capabilities, adaptive training, and specialist-guided trust formation. Full article

Assessing the level of circularity in the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering (HoReCa) sector is a significant challenge due to the lack of standardized quantification methods and the absence of structured environmental and material accounting systems, features that are typical of a sector largely composed of micro-enterprises. The technical standard UNI/TS 11820:2024 has developed a set of 71 indicators for the circular economy, structured across six domains (material resources and components; energy and water; waste and emissions; logistics; products and services; and human resources, assets, policies, and sustainability), allowing the assessment of circularity levels in a replicable and comparable manner. The present research measures circularity in a table-service restaurant micro-enterprise, which has voluntarily adopted circular economy practices since its foundation. The purpose is to test the applicability of UNI/TS 11820:2024 in the HoReCa context, improve knowledge about this technical standard, and highlight its strengths and weaknesses from the managerial, methodological and public authorities’ perspective. The overall organization’s circularity score achieved is 31.88%, with performance ranging from 14.40% for “material resources and components” to 56.25% for “human resources, assets and policies”. Although UNI/TS 11820:2024 aims at bridging theoretical and practical gaps towards a harmonized set of measurement tools, sector-specific indicators for the foodservice context remain underrepresented, and public authorities and universities should promote both basic and advanced education in the field of circular economy measurement to support wider adoption. Full article

Mixed-use arena districts are often promoted as catalysts of central-city redevelopment, yet employment change around them may unfold unevenly across nearby urban space. Focusing on the Golden 1 Center–Downtown Commons district in downtown Sacramento, this study examines how private workplace employment was reorganized within a broader arena-centered redevelopment context. Using California Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) Workplace Area Characteristics data, the analysis constructs a fixed census-block panel within an 8 km field for 2002–2023 and traces change across nested distance bands in employment scale, internal redistribution, earnings composition, block activity, and sectoral structure. The findings do not support a simple proximity gradient or a uniform story of local uplift. The adjacent 0.5–1 km ring followed an aggregate contraction path shaped by localized sectoral disruption, whereas the 1–2 km belt became a spatially concentrated professional-service expansion zone. The 0–0.5 km core strengthened through selective functional upgrading, marked by growth in professional, health-related, leisure-oriented, and food-service activities. The case is therefore better understood as differentiated spatial restructuring than as a direct arena effect. This study underscores the need for multi-zone, multidimensional, and causally cautious evaluation of arena-centered redevelopment in debates on sustainable urban futures. Full article

This study empirically examines the effects of humble leadership on service recovery performance, mediated by psychological safety, within the context of food-service operations. This research advances sustainable service management theory by identifying how leader humility and psychological safety function as durable resources that support sustainable frontline operations and organizational resilience over time. Using a structural equation model, data collected through a survey of restaurant employees reveal that humble leadership has a significant positive influence on psychological safety, facilitating a subsequent constructive impact on service recovery performance. Psychological safety, in turn, exerts a significant positive effect on service recovery performance and serves as a vital mediator in the relationship between humble leadership and service recovery performance. These results suggest that humble leadership encourages workers to respond more actively and flexibly to service failures by fostering a psychologically safe organizational environment. From a sustainability perspective, this study demonstrates that leadership-based psychological assets are critical for maintaining consistent service quality and long-term customer trust. Academically, this study expands similar research by integrating the relationship among humble leadership, psychological safety, and service recovery performance into a sustainable service management framework. Practically, the findings suggest that embedding humble leadership within the organizational culture secures long-term performance by strengthening employees’ psychological stability and autonomous problem-solving capabilities. Full article

Purpose: This study provides a critical examination of the literature on applying artificial intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) in restaurant settings and related foodservice operations. It focuses on how AI and XE influence consumer nutrition awareness and decision-making about food choices, and their implications for customer satisfaction, loyalty, and service delivery in foodservice environments. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) approach following the PRISMA method. An initial search identified over 3900 academic papers published between 2016 and 2025. Studies were selected on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 26 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed. The review provides a conceptual synthesis and develops propositions for practical applications and future research directions. Findings: The review reveals a shift from static systems that rely on optimization, toward adaptive and user-centered solutions that are behavior-oriented. AI applications predominate in the case of calorie tracking, personalized recommendations, and menu planning. Though deployment of XR technologies (e.g., AR and VR) is less prevalent, they offer potential for immersive, and real-time interventions. A key distinction emerges between studies demonstrating empirical effectiveness (e.g., improved understanding and healthier choices) and those focused on technical and/or conceptual developments. To date, there has been limited validation of behavioral impacts in foodservice settings. Originality: This study offers a theory-informed conceptualization of AI and XR applications in restaurant and foodservice contexts by integrating three perspectives: hospitality (menus and dining experience), nutrition (dietary awareness and healthier choices), and human–technology interaction (technology acceptance and user engagement). The study reconceptualizes AI- and XR-enabled systems as behavioral intervention tools and outlines a focused research agenda for advancing nutritional communication in foodservice environments. Full article

This study addresses the urgent need for sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics by developing biodegradable composites from peach and apple processing waste employing hot compression molding. Utilizing a definitive screening design, the impact of the process variables, including recipe composition, grinding size, pressure, temperature, and holding time, on the physical (including water resistance) and mechanical properties of the composites was systematically evaluated. Physicochemical and thermal analyses of the dried by-products indicated that processing temperatures below 150 °C prevent the degradation of lignocellulosic constituents. The results demonstrated that increasing both the molding pressure and holding time decreased the composite thickness, while enhancing the stiffness and flexural strength, with modulus of elasticity values exceeding 1000 MPa under optimal conditions. Higher molding temperatures reduced water absorption and diffusivity, particularly in lignin-rich composites, by promoting lignin softening and particle consolidation, resulting in denser structures with limited moisture transport. Biodegradability was assessed through soil burial tests over 200 days, revealing a weight loss ranging from 54.2% to 90.7% among samples, with apple-based composites exhibiting greater degradation compared to peach-based ones. Overall, the study highlights the development of a “green composite” formulation inspired by biomimetic principles, exploiting the natural self-bonding capacity of lignocellulosic biomass, where two different-in-composition biowastes are combined to produce a plastic-free composite material with possible applications in the foodservice industry. Full article

Reducing single-use plastic packaging is an environmental priority and reusable packaging is often promoted as a sustainable solution, yet little is known about the feasibility of reusable packaging systems for meat delivered to food service venues. This study explored stakeholder perspectives prior to planned implementation of a reuse scheme through semi-structured interviews with food service operators and supply chain stakeholders (n = 23). The qualitative data were analysed using framework analysis informed by the COM-B model. Four key themes were identified: (1) Operational readiness in kitchens, reflecting limited understanding of reuse and resource constraints; (2) Appropriate design of reusable packaging for effective practice, relating to compatibility with workflows and food safety, (3) Power dynamics and fragmentation across the supply chain, highlighting coordination challenges and unclear responsibilities, and (4) Making a business case for reuse, with cost neutrality as a minimum condition. Overall, barriers were primarily operational and systemic rather than technical. Findings highlight the need for coordinated infrastructure, regulatory clarity and financially viable reuse models. Full article

Background: Food literacy (FL) comprises the knowledge, skills, and motivation needed for food production, selection, preparation, intake, and waste management. This study examined whether socio-ecological correlates of FL differ across settlement contexts in China. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data from Chinese adults (N = 1145) were analyzed across four settlement tiers: tier-1 metropolitan cities (R1), provincial/secondary cities (R2), smaller prefecture-level cities (R3), and county/rural areas (R4). General linear models estimated associations between socio-ecological predictors and overall FL after adjustment for sociodemographics, health behaviors, chronic disease, and BMI. Significant interactions were probed using HC3-robust simple slopes and pairwise slope contrasts. Robustness checks included domain-specific measurement invariance, variance inflation factor (VIF) diagnostics, and a regional sensitivity analysis. Results: The fully adjusted model explained substantial variance in FL (R² = 0.629). Awareness showed the strongest association with FL, followed by family support, injunctive norms, and social norms. Moderation was modest and predictor-specific: dining preferences and family support were positively associated with FL across all regions, with the strongest effects in county/rural areas. Although the omnibus interaction for injunctive norms was statistically significant, follow-up slope contrasts were not, indicating limited substantive regional heterogeneity. Component analyses indicated that preference-related heterogeneity was concentrated in food intake and food choices/selection, whereas family-support heterogeneity was most pronounced for waste disposal. Domain-level invariance analyses supported broad cross-regional comparability of the FL structure, VIFs were all below 5, and the regional distribution of valid and invalid responses did not differ significantly. Conclusions: Socio-ecological correlates of FL were broadly robust across China, with limited context-specific variation driven mainly by stronger household-support effects in county/rural settings. These findings support region-sensitive FL strategies that strengthen household-based support while leveraging normative influences across regions. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) is a large population-based cohort designed to investigate chronic disease risk using long-term dietary and health data. However, comprehensive amino acid information for estimating long-term intake from food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data remains limited. This study aimed to develop and validate a standardized, rule-based algorithm for food matching and substitution and to construct an amino acid database applicable to the KoGES FFQ. Methods: The algorithm sequentially evaluated food name concordance, preparation forms, substitutability of similar foods, and differences in energy, macronutrients, and moisture (±20%). Amino acid composition data were derived from domestic and international food composition tables and published literature, with protein–nitrogen conversion factors applied by food group. Results: Amino acid information was established for 475 FFQ food items covering 19 amino acids. Of the database values, 31.0% were analytical, 64.2% were calculated, and 4.8% were substituted. Overall database coverage across all amino acid–food item combinations was 98.8%. The constructed database was applied to dietary data from the second follow-up (Phase 3) of the KoGES Ansan and Ansung community-based cohorts, showing that total amino acid intake accounted for 86.7% of total protein intake, reflecting the inclusion of non-protein nitrogen in conventional protein estimates. Based on the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) criteria, the proportions of participants with intakes below the EAR for protein and essential amino acids varied across age and sex groups. Overall and in both men and women, lysine showed the highest proportion of participants below the EAR, whereas tryptophan showed the lowest proportion. Conclusions: This standardized algorithm provides a reproducible framework for constructing amino acid databases and can be applied to large-scale cohort and dietary survey data. Full article

Background: The increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is concerning, given their negative impacts on environmental sustainability and human health. Evidence suggests a substantial presence of UPFs in health-promoting settings. However, the factors driving these procurement and service delivery decisions remain largely unexplored. Aim: To develop a conceptual model of the known and potential system drivers of UPFs in hospital food services. Methods: Dietitians from purposively sampled Australian hospitals participated. Group model-building workshops followed pre-established scripts from the system dynamics literature. A series of causal loop diagrams identifying drivers of UPF supply in hospitals was developed using model-building software. Primary and secondary drivers were derived inductively from participants and cross-checked against transcripts to produce the consolidated model. Results: The model presents six primary drivers (hospital menu and nutrition standards, food procurement and contracts, cost, standardisation for quality control, shelf life, and convenience) and nineteen secondary drivers that together explain the increased supply of UPFs in hospitals. Feedback loops were apparent, with drivers mutually reinforcing one another. Conclusions: Complex and interconnected drivers explain the increasing supply of UPFs in hospitals. Findings should inform future strategies to build sustainable food systems through improving food provision and reducing UPF supply in hospitals. Full article