Tuesday, 15 November 2011 11:55 Dine & Cook Staff Report

Green seems to be a buzz word that's being tossed around in the food industry these days.

When Chef Emeril Lagasse announced last week that he was opening his latest restaurant in Charlotte, NC, he made a point to say that the restaurant would seek LEED certification from the US Green Building Council-- adding that the space would both include "energy-efficient and sustainable features."

Several James Beard award winning chefs are big proponents of the green movement, including this year's southeast awardee, Chef Andrea Reusing who was named one of the "top 15 green chefs" by Grist's International.

Despite this drive for all things green, it doesn't seem to be paying off with diners.

"Green and sustainable attributes pale in comparison to the leading restaurant decision drivers of menu selection, prices and convenient location," says Eric Giandelone, a food industry analyst at the research firm Mintel.

Research released by Mintel this week shows green certification isn't on the minds of consumers when they chose to dine out. Despite this, nearly 60 percent of restaurant goers are willing to pay more if they knew the place they were dining at was benefiting the environment. However, they're not willing to dig too deep into their pockets-- the majority of those polled were only willing to pay additional pennies on the dollar.

According to Mintel, the West coast is leading the restaurant green revolution. This is because "the West has traditionally been a hotbed for healthier lifestyles and related culinary trends," Mintel wrote in its report.