Of all the areas of hospitality (and consumer behaviour more broadly) expressed preferences, expectations and satisfaction toward food must surely be among the more individual, and often unpredictable, areas to pay attention to. After all, to quote the author Jonathan Safran Foer, “food is not rational. Food is culture, habit, craving and identity.” So how to approach understanding food preferences, actual consumption behaviours, and more? Hospitality surveys serve as instrumental tools for gathering insights.

But whether you're delving into the consumer's palate or investigating their experience of your food establishment, knowing what to ask is pivotal. This guide delineates 45 questions, distributed across consumer-centric and business-centric areas, designed to afford you a nuanced understanding of your audience. Ask the right questions and you can garner invaluable data that enriches your understanding of your food business and its clientele. Lets tuck in.

Example consumer-centric questions

Food preferences and taste profiles

1. What is your favourite cuisine?

2. How do you rate spicy food on a scale of 1 to 10?

3. Do you have any favourite comfort foods?

Dietary restrictions and allergies

4. Do you have any food allergies?

5. Are you vegetarian, vegan, or do you follow any other specific diet?

6. How important is gluten-free food to you?

Eating habits and meal timings

7. How often do you eat out in a week?

8. Do you usually skip breakfast?

9. What time do you generally have dinner?

Local vs. global food choices

10. Do you prefer local or imported produce?

11. How important is the origin of your food?

12. Do you usually eat seasonal fruits and vegetables?

Health and nutritional awareness

13. Do you read nutritional labels when grocery shopping?

14. How often do you consume sugary drinks?

15. Are you conscious of your calorie intake?

Sustainability and environmental impact

16. Do you compost your food waste?

17. How important is sustainable packaging to you?

18. Do you limit your consumption of meat for environmental reasons?

Example business-centric questions

Customer service and staff interactions

19. Was the staff knowledgeable about dietary restrictions?

20. Did you find the service to be prompt?

21. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the friendliness of the staff?

Ambiance and setting

22. Was the restaurant too noisy?

23. Did you find the décor aesthetically pleasing?

24. Was the dining area clean?

Price and value perception

25. Did you find the meal to be good value for the price?

26. Are you likely to return based on the pricing?

27. Would you say the prices are too high, too low, or just right?

Menu variety and options

28. Was the menu easy to read and understand?

29. Did you find enough vegetarian/vegan options?

30. Were you satisfied with the beverage options?

Marketing and brand perception

31. How did you first hear about our establishment?

32. Did our social media presence influence your decision to visit?

33. What did you think of our brand logo?

Bonus questions for deeper insights

34. How likely is it that you would recommend our establishment to a family member, friend or colleague? (scale of 1 to 10, 1 being 'Not at all likely', 10 being 'Extremely likely') - about Net Promoter Score.

35. What was the highlight of your visit?

36. What could be improved upon during your next visit?

37. Were the restroom facilities well-maintained?

38. Did you feel safe given the current health guidelines?

39. Were you offered any loyalty programmes or discounts?

40. Were the portion sizes adequate?

41. Was the food presented attractively?

42. Did the food meet your expectations in terms of taste and quality?

43. Was there enough parking space available?

44. Did you experience any issues with your online reservation?

45. Would you consider ordering takeout from us in the future?

Use our food survey templates

To help you get started, we a have a number of food survey templates to use or adapt, such as the catering survey example and sample restaurant satisfaction survey. Each example survey comes ready-to-use or they can be customised to your unique needs.

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