The restaurant — a place for quality control and product maintenance?

The development of an awareness of quality control and product maintenance within the restaurant business should be regarded as an important facet of, not only the product-mix, but also of the marketing-mix strategy. From the management's point of view the development of a standard quality product that is precisely costed and documented has financial, organisational and marketing implications; from the employees' point of view, it has participatory and productivity implications; but, most importantly, from the customer's point of view, the sustained attainment of his perception of quality expectations should result in greater customer satisfaction, fewer complaints and a higher level of repeat and recommended business.     

Assessing the appropriateness of movies as vehicles for promoting tourist destinations

The risky decision about which movies to use as promotional vehicles must be made without assistance from either readily available data held by the industry or systematic criteria published by academia. To deal with such limitations, this study identifies which movie genres are most interesting (uninteresting) for the visitors of different types of holiday destinations—namely, beaches, cities, theme/amusement parks, spa/health resorts, mountains/lakes, cruise liners, and rural areas. Based on the results, specific guidelines are proposed to evaluate movie projects more systematically, so that destination promoters can choose (reject) those films with appropriate (inappropriate) genres for the target tourists.     

Authentic dining experiences in ethnic theme restaurants

The literature on ethnic theme restaurants has already shown that patrons of such restaurants often wish to experience authentic ethnic culture, and customer satisfaction correlates with authenticity. This study examines the relationship between importance and performance of perceptions of authentic dining experiences in ethnic theme restaurants, and attempts to verify the influence of authentic dining experiences on repurchase intention in ethnic theme restaurants. After designing questionnaire content and sampling, this study obtained 538 samples. The analytical results show that authentic dining experiences effectively indicate customer repurchase intention. This study thus concludes that to attract more customers, ethnic theme restaurants should improve their service, settings, and food to provide customers a more authentic dining experience.     

The relationships among overall quick-casual restaurant image,perceived value,customer satisfaction,and behavioral intentions

The purpose of this research is to explain the relationships among overall quick-casual restaurant image, perceived value, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in the quick-casual restaurant industry. The findings indicate that overall quick-casual restaurant image significantly influences perceived value, and overall quick-casual restaurant image and perceived value had a significant role in influencing customer satisfaction. Additionally, overall quick-casual restaurant image, perceived value, and customer satisfaction are significant predictors of customers’ behavioral intentions. Finally, customer satisfaction can act as a partial mediator in the relationship between overall quick-casual restaurant image/perceived value and behavioral intentions. Furthermore, we discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings and future research ideas.     

Restaurant Management and Operations

Abstract

Virtual enterprise (VE) is an inter-disciplinary business simulation, where students use technology to trade products and services through a global e-commerce network of more than 3,000 firms. VE CAANESA International Restaurant utilizes the Internet as a major part of the daily enterprise operations. This inner city community of students worked in an on-campus office environment as managers of different departments, using a web-based instructional platform. The paper is an empirical study, demonstrating the course design, development and dissemination of information using regular classroom instruction in business and marketing techniques, as well as the Internet accessed instructional program. The course information could be accessed at any time day or night. The usage information is detailed within. The shift in the comfort level of the students in various skills was measured at the beginning and end of the semester when the students took a self-evaluative skills inventory assessment survey. The survey measured their competency; their ratings are included.     

Sexual Harassment in the Hospitality Industry: Perceptions of Restaurant Employees

Abstract

With the cost of litigation and the dollar amount of settlements both increasing substantially, it is with a pro-active view to look at the perspective of sexual harassment by restaurant employees. The purpose of this study is to measure female restaurant employees' and male restaurant employees' perceptions and attitudes on sexual harassment in the restaurant industry. By analyzing the responses of the female restaurant employees and male restaurant employees, a better understanding of the similarities and differences among these two distinct employee segments could be obtained. This research paper will try to provide some useful information when it comes to sexual harassment in the restaurant industry and what policies should be implemented.     

Hong Kong and New Orleans

Abstract

The headline reads, “$3.25 million verdict against restaurant for employee who worked in fear of sexual harassment.” Settlements and verdicts such as this are becoming increasingly common and the restaurant industry worldwide will have to address this issue of sexual harassment. A major problem facing all the restaurant industry is sexual harassment and the explosion of the number of sexual harassment lawsuits being filed (Agrusa, Tanner, & Coats 2000).

Today's Hong Kong is a world-class city where the east meets the west. To be successful in today's competitive restaurant market, it is important for managers to realize the significance of a sexual harassment-free work environment. It is also important to understand how employees feel about the issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the perceptions of restaurant employees in Hong Kong and New Orleans on sexual harassment. As the cost of litigation and the dol-     

Higher energy cost and the demand for restaurant services — a time-series analysis

Energy cost impact on demand for the restaurant services is examined using a broad base multi-variable regression model with special attention given to the lag structure and timing of the effects. The results reveal no negative impact of higher energy costs on demand. On the contrary, a slight positive delayed impact is evident over the short-run suggesting that, on margin, eating out may have been used as a compensatory recreational activity as a temporary substitute to other, more energy intensive, recreational activities.     

Efficiency comparison of multiple brands within the same franchise: Data envelopment analysis approach

As the restaurant franchising industry increasingly diversifies its brands, it is pivotal for a firm to accurately assess the efficiency of brands within its franchise system. This research compares and contrasts the efficiency of different brands belonging to the same franchisor using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The sample was drawn from three brands that are in operation under the same restaurant franchisor. The results of the study showed that the efficiency of each establishment, as well as the brands, differed significantly from each other.