Matching visitation-motives and restaurant attributes in casual dining restaurants

This study empirically examines the relationship between the visitation motives and attributes evaluation in the casual dining restaurant context. Based on the focus group discussions, the visitation motives and the restaurant attributes that are considered relevant by the patrons in evaluation of restaurant experience were identified. Data on restaurant visitation motives and attributes importance was collected from 316 patrons of casual dining restaurants in India. A nonlinear canonical correlation was performed to examine the relationship between visitation motives and attributes importance. The results reveal that the attribute importance varied across the visitation motives. Managerial implications, limitations and future research directions are also suggested.     

Solo dining in Chinese restaurants: A mixed-method study in Macao

Given the emergence of solo dining resulting from the changing family structure and increasingly individualised lifestyle in contemporary Chinese society, this study investigates solo dining in the setting of Chinese restaurants in Macao, including the solo dining motivations, behavioural characteristics, and experiences, taking into considerations the underlying social and cultural factors. Adopting a sequential exploratory mixed-method design, 18 interviews were conducted, followed by a survey with 493 local diners. Findings show that freedom of choice and satisfying hunger are the main motivations for solo dining, and some solo-friendly attributes, food-related attributes, and restaurant characteristics are considered as important elements. Solo dining is perceived positively, partly because its perceptions and experiences are shaped by the diners’ socio-cultural backgrounds and unique regional characteristics, in which solo dining is considered relatively common in Macao as opposed to extant literature that has suggested an essentialised assumption about Chinese group-oriented dining preference. Sociocultural insights and managerial implications are provided in catering to the growing solo diner market.     

The dining experience of Beijing Roast Duck: A comparative study of the Chinese and English online consumer reviews

Currently research investigating travel dining experience from a cross-cultural perspective was limited. This study aimed to compare the domestic Chinese and foreign English-speaking customers’ dining experience of Beijing Roast Duck, a specialty food representing the gastronomic identity of the local cuisine. By employing semantic network analysis of the online consumer reviews, the results identified three common dimensions perceived by both groups, including the food, the restaurant and the occasion for dining out, and the service encounter. However, the domestic and foreign customers differed in their orientation about the aspects of the service encounter that they cared about. They also showed substantial differences in their perception about value for money as well as the cultural and experiential nature of the meal. The study also attested to the utility of the semantic network analysis method to uncover the rich information contained in the vast user generated content online.     

Individual and group level antecedents and consequence of emotional labor of restaurant employees

The purposes of this study is two-fold: it examines antecedents and consequence of choosing an emotional labor strategy from the basis of the conservation of resource theory and it sub-divides preceding factors of emotional labor into an individual level (emotional intelligence [EI] and psychological contract) and a restaurant level (service under pressure). The research supported all the hypotheses proposed. Employees with high EI tend to select deep acting (DA), which is a driver of higher service performance. Service under pressure is a significant driver of employee surface acting (SA), which leads to poor service performance. In addition, DA enhances service performance, while SA impedes the effective delivery of services.     

Luxury marketing: The influences of psychological and demographic characteristics on attitudes toward luxury restaurants

This study examined the influences of psychological characteristics (materialism, uniqueness, hedonism, and perfectionism), and demographic characteristics (gender, age, and income) on attitudes toward luxury restaurants. The results showed that consumers who desire materialism and hedonism had favorable attitudes toward luxury restaurants, whereas consumers who desire uniqueness had unfavorable attitudes toward luxury restaurants. Low income populations exhibited more unfavorable attitudes toward luxury restaurants than did middle and high income populations. Consumers who desire uniqueness weakly associate luxury restaurants with overall good service quality, whereas consumers who desire hedonism strongly associate luxury restaurants with overall good service quality.     

Consumer perceptions of the Michelin Guide and attitudes toward Michelin-starred restaurants

The Michelin Guide (MG) review is considered the most authoritative indicator in the global gastronomy industry. However, academic studies on restaurant reviews are mostly qualitative and interview based. This quantitative study attempted to fill the research gap in understanding consumers’ attitudes toward the MG and Michelin-starred restaurants (MSRs). We used the source credibility model as a theoretical foundation. The results showed that consumers’ perceptions of MG had a positive impact on their attitudes toward MG and a negative impact on their perceived risk of MSRs. Perceived risk did not significantly affect their attitudes toward MSRs. Furthermore, their attitudes toward MSRs had a stronger impact on purchase intentions than did their attitudes toward MG. This study has significant implications for the restaurant industry and seeks to inspire further academic research on restaurant reviews.     

American theme restaurants: A study of consumer's perceptions of the important attributes in restaurant selection

In recent years, a number of American theme restaurants have established in Hong Kong. Keen competition exists for this type of restaurants. Customers who visit this type of restaurant seem not only to enjoy their food but also to enjoy their environment. However, little is known about what customers expect and how they select this type of restaurant. In order to have an understanding of customers’ behaviour in relation to the customers’ perceptions of important restaurant attributes in selecting an American theme restaurant in Hong Kong, a study was conducted. The results indicated that ‘Food quality’, ‘Servers’ attitude’, ‘Value for money’, ‘Atmosphere’ and ‘Word‐of‐mouth’ were the five important restaurant dimensions as considered by consumers in selecting an American theme restaurant. Customers for this type of restaurant are likely to be professionals, highly educated and belong to the middle‐income group in the society. Customers usually go to the American theme restaurants for meetings, fun and enjoyment. Marketing implications and directions for future studies are discussed.     

The indirect impact of casual dining on low-end gaming in destination and local casinos

The role of casino amenities is an important issue for casino operators and developers seeking to maximize gaming revenues, space utilization, and return-on-investment. The indirect impact of casual restaurant covers on low-denomination slot volume and cash table drop was investigated using daily data from two casinos. One casino primarily served local repeat customers while the other catered to a drive-in tourist business. Using estimates from time-series regression analysis, restaurant covers were significantly related to gaming volumes. The impact of dining volume on low-end slot play was especially strong in the local market casino, resulting in a substantial financial contribution.     

The antecedents and outcomes of food safety motivators for restaurant workers: An expectancy framework

Individual food handlers’ motivations to comply with established guidelines in restaurant organizations were explored in this national study of 755 restaurant managers and employees in the United States. Using expectancy theory, workers’ motivations to comply with stated food safety regulations were measured. Overall, the results indicated support for expectancy theory and the proposed extension of this framework to restaurant employees’ perceptions of food safety and sanitation. However, there was no support in the model for restaurant workers to follow food sanitation regulations in the relationship between extrinsic valence and motivation. It was determined that this relationship is moderated by the length of time the employee has worked in the restaurant industry.     

A preliminary study of chefs’ attitudes and knowledge of healthy eating in Edinburgh's restaurants

This article details the findings of a preliminary study carried out in Edinburgh restaurants producing representations of chefs’ attitudes to healthy eating. Despite a lack of awareness of government targets and promotions aimed at the Hospitality industry, chefs were positive towards healthy eating and believe that they were already practising it. They perceive their role as being multi-faceted from deferential service provider to educator and artist relying mainly upon their own inspiration when creating menus. Tension between commercial goals and moral principles was evident by the fact that customers were perceived as the main barrier and equally the main reason to offer healthy options on the menu.     

Eye movements on restaurant menus: A revisitation on gaze motion and consumer scanpaths

Menu designers have based design tactics on roughly applied psychological foundations. In particular, attention and memory-based design placement strategies are founded upon assumptions which necessitate a clear idea of consumer eye movement sequences across restaurant menus. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, a review of academic and practitioner literature is presented to frame the current discussion on gaze motion patterns as applied to restaurant menus. Second, the results of an eye-tracker study are presented as an empirical and more quantitatively analyzed replication of past restaurant gaze-motion studies. Results offer an average menu scanpath, show that observed consumer scanpaths differ from those anecdotally espoused by industry, and suggest traditional menu “sweet spots” may not exist.     

The impact of e-word-of-mouth on the online popularity of restaurants: A comparison of consumer reviews and editor reviews

With the growing availability and popularity of web-based opinion platforms, online product reviews are now an emerging market phenomenon that is playing an increasingly important role in consumer purchase decisions. Generally speaking, there are two types of online reviews: consumer-generated reviews that are based on personal experiences, and reviews that are written by professional editors. However, little prior research efforts have been devoted to evaluate whether these two types of reviews have different influences on the behavior of online users. This study shows that consumer-generated ratings about the quality of food, environment and service of restaurants, and the volume of online consumer reviews are positively associated with the online popularity of restaurants; whereas editor reviews have a negative relationship with consumers’ intention to visit a restaurant's webpage. The findings will help hospitality researchers and practitioners better understand the impact of electronic word-of-mouth on purchase decisions.     

Turnaround strategy: A study of restaurant firms

This paper uses a case study approach to analyze the turnaround actions of two restaurant firms and compares them to the model of Robbins and Pearce [1992. Strategic Management Journal 9, 287–309]. The objective of this study is to scrutinize why these firms were unsuccessful in turning around and identify gaps between the firms’ actions and the empirical model of turnaround proposed by Robbins and Pearce. Two key turnaround measures, i.e., retrenchment and recovery are explored in detail and discussed in the context of the firms. The need for studying turnaround strategies is warranted as the number of hospitality firms that perish because of unsuccessful turnaround strategies is on the increase. Since turnaround strategies have not been pursued vigorously as a stream of research within the hospitality industry context, this approach would provide a framework for hospitality researchers to initiate similar future research efforts, which in turn would help the industry cope with turnaround.     

The effects of restaurant green demarketing on green skepticism and dining intentions: Investigating the roles of benefit associations and green reputation

Food overconsumption is increasingly a concern even as consumers are growing skeptical of companies’ green marketing techniques. Accordingly, green demarketing strategies, which aim to lower consumer demand, have become more prevalent in recent years. Using an online experiment, the current research investigates how green demarketing strategies (vs. green marketing strategy) affect consumers’ level of skepticism toward restaurants’ green practices and influence their dining intentions toward restaurants. Moreover, this study examines how different benefits (health vs. environment) associated with green practices and restaurants’ green reputations (high vs. low) influence the effect of green demarketing (vs. marketing) strategies. The results reveal that although green demarketing may not independently outperform green marketing, when green demarketing was practiced by restaurants with low green reputations to promote environment-associated benefits, consumers exhibited a similar or even lower levels of skepticism and higher dining intentions. This study also provides implications for effective marketing communication in the context of green demarketing.     

The interaction effect of emoji and social media content on consumer engagement: A mixed approach on peer-to-peer accommodation brands

This study examines how the interaction between emoji (emotional vs semantic) and social media content (aesthetic experience vs promotion) influences consumer engagement in tourism brands' digital communication. Based on real Twitter data and an online experiment, our results show that, for aesthetic experience content, emotional emoji elicits more consumer engagement than semantic emoji does. Moreover, emotional emoji increases consumer engagement by eliciting a higher level of emotional responses for aesthetic experience content, whereas semantic emoji enhances consumer engagement by generating greater credibility for promotion content. This study contributes to the textual paralanguage literature in tourism by offering theoretical explanations on how and why the matching effects of emoji and content type on consumer engagement occur in tourism brands’ digital communication. This study also provides practical implications for tourism social media marketers on how to increase consumer engagement via the appropriate use of emoji.     

The roles of brand equity and branding strategy: A study of restaurant food crises

Food crises, such as food borne illnesses, are a major threat to the restaurant industry. However, consumer responses to a food crisis are expected to differ depending on the brand equity and branding strategy of the restaurant involved. In order to test the roles of brand equity and branding strategy in a food crisis situation, this study used a scenario-based experimental survey with a 2 (brand equity: Low/High) × 2 (branding strategy: Corporate branding/House-of-brands) × 2 (presence of crisis: No/Yes) design. The results of the study supported the “amplifying” perspective by providing evidence of the negative role of brand equity during a crisis. Moreover, the three-way interaction between brand equity, branding strategy, and presence of crisis revealed the effectiveness of the corporate branding strategy, which varies depending on the level of brand equity, under crises. The findings of this study will enable marketers to develop appropriate post-crisis strategies based on predicted consumer responses depending on the level of brand equity and branding strategy. Further discussion and implications are provided in the text.     

The influence of values and attitudes on green consumer behavior: A conceptual model of green hotel patronage

This study develops a comprehensive conceptual framework of consumer behavioral intentions in green hotels. Based on Schwartz’s values theory, using Stern’s nomenclature, in conjugation with value-attitude-hierarchy, ecocentric and anthropocentric ethic, and green signaling theory, this study identifies values (biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic) and attitudes (ecocentric and anthropocentric) that influence consumers’ green hotel visit intention, willingness to pay more, and willingness to sacrifice. This study adds to the extant literature by incorporating the consumers’ environmental concern perspective, the social-altruistic perspective, and the personal benefits and status perspectives in embracing green products. Understanding the interplay of biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic values and ecocentric and anthropocentric attitudes on green hotel behavioral intentions will provide insights to better understand the green consumer and to better manage the green hotel.     

Nine-ending prices and consumer's behavior: A field study in a restaurant

The effect of nine-ending prices on customer's behavior was tested in a little restaurant (pizzeria-grill) where 1271 customers who ordered a pizza were observed. A list of nine main dishes was proposed in this restaurant and included five different pizzas. The effect of the price-ending of one pizza was tested. During 2 weeks, all the pizzas were proposed with a round 00-ending price (i.e. 8.00 €) whereas for the other 2 weeks a target-pizza was proposed with a nine-ending price (i.e. 7.99 €) whereas the four other were proposed with a round 00-ending price. A last, a third 2 weeks period was tested where all the pizzas were proposed with a nine-ending price. Results showed that an increase in the choice of the target-pizza by the customers was observed when the price of this item was a nine-ending price and the prices of the other items ended with zero. No difference in the choice of the target-pizza was observed when all the items were presented with the same type of ending (9 or 0).     

The effects of consumer experience and disconfirmation on the timing of online review: Field evidence from the restaurant business

This study investigated the effects of consumer experience and disconfirmation on the timing of online reviews. Based on a unique dataset of restaurant reservations and online reviews, the empirical results indicate that (1) there is a reverse U-shaped relationship between consumer experience and online review posting timing, i.e., consumers who have strongly dissatisfying or satisfying experiences tend to post online reviews earlier than consumers who have moderate experience; (2) the disconfirmation between a customer’s experience and the average rating of prior reviews has a negative effect on his or her online review posting speed; and (3) the effect of disconfirmation on review posting speed is substantial for consumers who have strongly dissatisfying or satisfying experiences, while it is weaker for consumers who have moderate experience.