The Role of Gastronomic Services in Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Rural Households: The Case of the Masovian Voivodeship in Poland

Purpose: The purpose of the article was to assess consumer behavior related to the use of gastronomic services by rural residents. Design/Methodology/Approach: The conducted analysis was based on own research with the use of a questionnaire among 302 rural households in Poland. The analysis of the study results was performed in the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 program. The Kruskal–Wallis test by ranks and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used. Findings: The own research shows that the intensity of using out-of-home nutrition in various types of gastronomic establishments differs for individual types of households. The variables describing the socio-economic characteristics of households include the number of people in the household, the number of children, the average income per person in the household, the area of the farm, and the type of rural household. Research has shown that the more people in the household, including children, the less frequent use of eateries. Households characterized by higher incomes use the services of gastronomic establishments more often. Practical Implications: The assessment of consumer behavior of rural residents should be extended by research on consumer awareness of the quality of food consumed in gastronomic establishments. Originality/value: In the case of Poland, there is a lack of research and knowledge about the preferences of rural residents regarding the use of gastronomic establishments and information on whether, as rural residents, undertake food production as part of their household, and then prepare meals for the household members using their own resources.