Parking and restaurant business: Differences in business perceptions and customer travel behaviour in Brisbane,Queensland, Australia

Restauranteurs in Australian cities often resist local government car parking management regimes and advocate for increased parking provision in local planning. But are restauranteurs’ views of the importance of car parking to their trade in line with reality? To explore this question this study surveyed restaurant businesses and customers in parallel at three restaurant precincts in inner-city Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The survey results indicate that restauranteurs and restaurant patrons have asymmetric views about the role of parking and the way it affects restaurant spend. This paper identifies two very different market segments when exploring the customer’s travel mode preferences to access restaurants. These two segments are influenced by the built environment in their choice of restaurant location which in turn, gives implications for planning practice. The results show the way in which customers access a restaurant is influenced by the built environment of the location of restaurant. The analysis has also highlighted that an investigation of trip chaining behaviour as part of the access decision for dining would be a future avenue for research. This paper provides evidentiary support for planning policy in relation to parking. On the one hand, this paper shows how planning authorities can make better decisions about transport infrastructure supply and parking control in conjunction with the restaurant sector. On the other hand planners can use the outcome of this paper as a way to help businesses to understand that sustainable transport options may, contrary to their view, be beneficial to their bottom line.