Profit or principles: Why do restaurants serve organic food?

Dining organically has become a popular trend globally, but is still a niche concept in New Zealand. This exploratory study presents a small sample of restaurateurs’ views on the concept of organic dining, and their motivations for entering the organic food service sector. The study employs a qualitative approach, using data from five semi-structured interviews with Auckland restaurateurs offering organic menus.Discussions showed that whereas an up-scale restaurant prioritised profit over principles, others prioritised their environmental beliefs. Poor government support, supply difficulties, price premiums and poor market demand were identified by participants as barriers to the development of organic dining.