What motives U.S. restaurant customers to choose plant-based meat alternative dishes?

The purpose of this study is to examine how different consumption values influence consumer intentions to choose a dish featuring plant-based meat alternatives at a restaurant by applying the theory of consumption values. The present study also investigates the mediating role of attitude in the relationships between values and consumer intentions. Responses were collected through the Qualtrics panel service and structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data. The results, based on a total of 682 usable panel responses, indicate that emotional and epistemic values acted as significant driving forces, directly promoting consumers’ intention. Attitude was aroused by distinctive, functional, emotional, and conditional values and in turn, significantly impacted intention. Furthermore, it was found that attitude fully mediated the relationship between conditional value and intention. The results offer useful implications for restaurants that offer menus with plant-based meat alternatives.