Background As COVID-19 restrictions have begun to relax in many parts of the world, the global demand for restaurant food has been on a rise. Following this trend, there was an appropriate time to collect new feedback from customers.

Objectives The purpose of this survey was to examine and report associations between the nutrition attitudes, food choices and preferences, and consumer demands.

Methods The survey was conducted in October of 2021 and took until March 2022. Online questionnaires were distributed to 252 customers. The questions were divided in four main categories: general questions, customer service, food and beverage quality, food choices and preferences. The questionnaires were disseminated through social media channels and by e-mail. The respondents were also enabled to interact directly with the restaurant culinary chef.

Results 81% of guests usually consumed a three-course menu, including a starter, main and dessert. Personal preferences and wishes to change menu items/sides were detected by 86%. Generally, 92% of the asked were interested in cooking restaurant food menus at home. An interest in hiring a personal chef to learn new recipes and techniques was shown in 83% of the participants and 95% were interested in exploring new ingredients and food pairing combinations. There was an increased number of customers with dietary restrictions and health conditions by 56% of respondents. 68% reported to have developed a newfound passion for cooking. Different understanding and interpretation of plant-based diets was perceived among 73%. Finally, there was a significant improvement of cooking skills after online interaction and communication with a chef, reported by 93% of survey participants.

Conclusion In the last few months, part of the resilience stage for many hospitality facilities, restaurants have been changing their culinary philosophy and business strategy. This survey shows a significant improvement of cooking skills among guests/consumers after having communicated with a restaurant chef online, primarily achieving better outcomes in preparation of sauces, creating textures, baking healthier desserts, breads and improving presentation skills and plating techniques.

Acknowledgments Other contributors include the management team of Hotel Hirschen in Sursee, the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. Swiss Society for Nutrition, Swiss Association for Cooperation on Nutrition Education, Hotellerie Suisse.