Fifth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies

Abstract

There is an increasing concern about ethical problems in the restaurant industry, such as food contamination, animal cruelty, labor malpractices, and asymmetric relationships in the supply chain. The demands of increasingly informed customers, and the changes promoted by conscious restaurateurs have converged into the discourse and practice of ethical eating, which emphasizes the topics of healthy food, animal welfare, ethical labor policies, and fair trade. However, in many restaurants, this approach has become a rhetorical resource to appease their clients’ demands instead of an actual transformation of their core business model. The current boom of the Peruvian gastronomy reflects such a discourse. The most prominent restaurateurs of the country have manifested their commitment to sustainable agriculture and to responsible relationships with their stakeholders. In spite of this, many practices in their restaurants seem to be at odds with this rhetoric. As these chefs and entrepreneurs have a prominent role in the configuration and progress of the Peruvian gastronomy, it is important to assess the consistency between discourse and practice in their restaurants. The purpose of this research is to determine the discourse/practice gap regarding ethical eating in leading restaurants in the country. The study focuses on the top forty-four restaurants, according to international and national rankings. The multi-method approach includes discourse analysis of restaurants’ websites and chefs’ statements, observational techniques in restaurants, and in-depth interviews with restaurateurs and key actors in the industry.