Portion perception and waste awareness: investigating the effects of Augmented Reality menus on over-ordering intentions in various dining settings

The escalating food waste issue, mainly due to over-ordering in the hospitality sector, needs innovative solutions. This study explores the potential of Augmented Reality (AR) in menu design to influence customer behaviour, an area where existing literature is lacking, especially concerning the impact of different ordering environments. Two experiments were conducted involving 858 participants in Fiji, examining the influence of AR versus picture-based menus on over-ordering. Results revealed that AR menus effectively mediated over-ordering intent through portion size perception and awareness of food waste. AR menus also negatively influenced over-ordering, a relationship stronger in-home than at-restaurant. The study contributes to understanding customer behaviour and food waste in hospitality, comparing AR and picture-based menus’ impacts on portion size perception, food waste awareness, and their variable influence in different environments. The insights are valuable to restaurants, menu designers, AR developers, and food delivery platforms striving to reduce food waste, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: ‘Responsible Consumption and Production.’