January 1, 2011/Prepared FoodsMagazine -- A recent article at PreparedFoods.com examined whether or not restaurant customers will pay more for locally produced menu items. Not only are restaurant patrons willing to pay more for meals prepared with produce and meat from local providers, the proportion of customers preferring local meals actually increases, when the price increases, according to a team of international researchers. A recent study of how customers perceive and value local food shows restaurant patrons prefer meals made with local ingredients, when they are priced slightly higher than meals made with non-local ingredients. The research will appear in the fall/winter issue of the International Journal of Revenue Management. Value cues--signals that attract increased attention from consumers--may influence the customers' preference for the higher-priced local option. The results indicate that the main value cue of local food for customers is its freshness. To see the complete version of this article, go to:http://bit.ly/aESQRl