‘This study shows guests are more likely to choose the vegetarian option when it’s the default. They choose what they are offered first.’ Photo Shutterstock Machiel Reinders (Wageningen Economic Research) and his colleagues did an experiment for five weeks in a Utrecht restaurant to see whether guests go vegetarian when that is the default option.
The Wageningen researchers were able to persuade De Pomp restaurant to take part in their experiment. ‘Over a period of five weeks, we kept tweaking what was on offer in their Chef’s Menu, a surprise menu designed by the chefs,’ explains Machiel Reinders. ‘There were always vegetarian, meat and fish options available, but sometimes restaurant guests had to make more of an effort to select the meat or fish, or pay extra for those options.’
More of an effort
The experiment Reinders and his colleagues carried out was divided into five phases of one week each. The first week was the control week, when the menu was the same as before the experiment started. In week 2, meat and/or fish was the default. The menu said: ‘A vegetarian option is also available if you would prefer that.’ In week 3, this was reversed and the vegetarian option became the default. ‘Meat and fish options are also available if you would prefer that.’ The next week, guests had to make even more of an effort to get meat or fish. ‘Meat and/or fish options may also be available. Ask our staff what is on offer.’ In the fifth and final week, guests were offered the meat or fish option for an additional charge of five euros.
Each week, the researchers noted how many Chef’s Menus were ordered, how many were vegetarian and how many vegetarian dishes were ordered from the other menu sections.
Priming
They found more vegetarian Chef’s Menus were ordered in weeks 3, 4 and 5 than in the first two weeks. At the same time, there was no significant drop in the number of vegetarian dishes ordered off the rest of the menu. ‘This study shows guests are more likely to choose the vegetarian option when it’s the default. This is a psychological effect we call priming. Guests choose what they are offered first, including in the case of surprise menus like the Chef’s Menu.’
Attractive
Reinders and his colleagues had expected more vegetarian menus would be ordered in weeks 4 and 5 than in week 3. ‘Because guests had to make even more of an effort to get meat or fish,’ says the researcher. ‘But we didn’t see an extra effect: the number of veggie meals stayed the same. That is probably because the extra effort wasn’t enough of a burden — people didn’t have to make a physical effort like going up to the bar to order.’ He noticed another striking result. ‘In week 5 — with the additional charge for meat or fish — fewer Chef’s Menus were ordered, including the vegetarian option. We think that’s because the price put people off and made the Chef’s Menus less attractive.’
Will their new knowledge now be applied in other restaurants? Reinders: ‘Most restaurants are not yet aware of these results and possibilities.’ At any rate, the restaurant where the researchers carried out their experiment has implemented the study recommendations. ‘They are now experimenting further with vegetarian as the default option.’
