This research examined how foodservice managers’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward sustainability have been impacted by taking the Sustainable Foodservice Professional certification course.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 foodservice managers, three months after they took the Sustainable Foodservice Professional course. The Kirkpatrick model of evaluation was used as a framework to assess the effectiveness of the course. The theory of planned behavior was used to understand why course participants were unable to implement sustainability practices in their restaurants.
The Sustainable Foodservice Professional program provides knowledge and resources to participants, but it has limited impact on sustainable behaviors. Most participants were unable to implement meaningful sustainable practices after taking the course due to barriers which include limited time, high equipment costs, no support from ownership and the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is suggested that more resources and ownership support are provided to foodservice managers to enable them to implement sustainable restaurant initiatives in the future.
This is the first North American study to examine a sustainability course designed for foodservice professionals that explores the impact it has on increasing sustainability practices. This paper is original in its integration of the Kirkpatrick Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior to evaluate both the effectiveness of a sustainability training program and the psychological and organizational barriers to behavioral change. It contributes new insights by exploring why increased knowledge and positive attitudes do not necessarily lead to sustainable action in foodservice settings.
