Abstract:

Producers who want to sell local foods to restaurant businesses with reasonable price, quantity and quality should know restaurant operators’ perceptions and attitudes towards local foods. The aim of this study is to identify the importance attached to local foods, the criteria that influence local food purchase decision, the benefits of purchasing local foods, and the barriers encountered while purchasing local foods in the restaurant businesses. The data obtained via interviewing with senior employees in the restaurant businesses in Kusadasi were analysed using descriptive analysis method by considering themes generated inductively. The findings of the study indicate that senior employees do not attach adequate importance to local foods. On the other hand, more than half of the senior employees take into account the freshness of the local foods in their purchasing decisions and the majority of them perceive the benefits of local foods in terms of economic-based utility including customer and business oriented. Supply/production based barriers such as seasonality, weather conditions and product availability are the major barriers faced by the senior employees in purchasing local foods. Recommendations are made for local food producers, restaurant operators and academics based on the results of this study.

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