How do hotels manage food waste? evidence from hotels in Orlando, Florida

• Published in: Journal of hospitality marketing & management Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 291 - 309
• Main Author: Okumus, Bendegul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 02.04.2020
• Subjects: competitive strategies; Food waste; green practices; hotels; Orlando; social issues; solutions for food waste hotels; stakeholders; sustainability
• ISSN: 1936-8623; 1936-8631
• DOI: 10.1080/19368623.2019.1618775

Food waste is a vital concern for many hotel firms with significant implications for developing competitive strategies, implementing environmental practices, and highlighting corporate social responsibility efforts. Drawing on these three approaches, this study investigates how hotels manage food waste. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 hotel employees and managers in Orlando, Florida. After ensuring reliability and validity of preparation of interview questions, data collection, and analysis, the research findings suggest that food waste occurs mostly during the preparation and consumption stages. The main factors accounting for food waste include excessive food ordering by guests, errors in inventory management, staff errors in food preparation, and food safety practices. Possible strategies for reducing food waste include training employees, using proper equipment, better menu planning practices, accurate forecasting of demand, and implementing efficient storage practices. Educating customers with attractive, informative, and innovative portion guides can also help reduce food waste from excess ordering and consumption. This is one of the first studies in the hospitality field offering empirical findings on, and discussions of, food waste reduction in hotels. Specific theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.