Influence of restaurant atmospherics on patron satisfaction and behavioral intentions

The purpose of this research was to investigate empirically the influence of restaurant atmospherics on the dining satisfaction and behavioral intentions of restaurant patrons. An extensive literature review first identified five dimensions of restaurant atmospherics, namely: facility aesthetics, ambience, spatial layout, employee factors, and the view from the window. Data were collected from 10 middle and upscale full-service restaurants in Hong Kong, and factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were then performed to unveil the relationship between restaurant atmospherics and dining satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The results reveal restaurant atmospherics to have a significant influence on patrons’ dining satisfaction and their behavioral intentions, particularly their intentions to return and spread positive word-of-mouth and their willingness to pay more. Dining satisfaction itself was also found to have a significant influence on behavioral intentions, particularly the intentions to return and to recommend the restaurant. The paper concludes with the practical implications of the research.     

标准化与原真性悖论：饭店集团的扩展方式

旅游者既希望获得个性化的旅游产品和创新的服务过程,又需要这些旅游产品和服务具有较高的性价比特征。但对供应者而言,保持原真性和追求标准化从来都是一对矛盾,旅游企业的成功经营有赖于对二者关系的有效把握。本文构建原真性—标准化的理论分析框架,并将饭店集团的扩展方式分为4类：原真标准化、原真性联盟、标准化连锁和追随市场扩张。采用不同扩展方式获得成功的饭店集团具有不同的核心能力。本文的研究结论将为饭店集团获取可持续竞争优势、进行规模化扩展提供理论参考。     

Revisiting the financing behavior of restaurant firms: The firm-size perspective

In International Journal of Hospitality Management, Jang and Ryu [Jang, S., Ryu, K., 2006. Cross-balance sheet interdependencies of restaurant firms: a canonical correlation analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management 25 (1), 159–166] published a research article about the financing behavior of restaurant firms, using a canonical correlation analysis. Even though the study presents a general picture of financing in restaurant firms, the financing behaviors of firms of different sizes may differ because they often face different financing environments. Thus, this study re-examines restaurant firms and compares the results with Jang and Ryu [Jang, S., Ryu, K., 2006. Cross-balance sheet interdependencies of restaurant firms: a canonical correlation analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management 25 (1), 159–166] to further enhance the understanding of the financing behaviors. The results show that, despite the differences in firm sizes, overall financing behaviors are similar to those reported by Jang and Ryu [Jang, S., Ryu, K., 2006. Cross-balance sheet interdependencies of restaurant firms: a canonical correlation analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management 25 (1), 159–166], although they also suggest that restaurant firms of different sizes do indeed exhibit some different cross-balance sheet interdependencies including relatively more reliance on accounts payable among small and medium firms and more use of long-term debts among large firms. Moreover, long-term assets related to stockholder equity more among large firms but related to supplier credit more among small and medium firms.     

Exploring the multi-dimensionality of authenticity in dining experiences using online reviews

The quest for authenticity in dining experiences has become increasingly important. This paper explores authenticity dimensions that are of value to customers in dining experiences, and by that gains a multi-dimensional understanding of authenticity in this context. Following an integrated learning approach using text mining and classification techniques, this paper explores and confirms different dimensions of authenticity by identifying and classifying authenticity judgements in online restaurant reviews. The results suggest that authenticity is a multi-dimensional concept encompassing Authenticity of the Other, Authenticity of the Producer, and Authenticity of the Self as first-level dimensions. Additionally, besides historical and categorical authenticity which have been previously explored in the literature, a new type of authenticity - Deviated Authenticity - emerged as a second-level dimension falling under Authenticity of the Other. This paper enhances existing conceptualisations of authenticity and establishes avenues for exploring the multi-dimensionality of other consumer research concepts using user-generated content.     

Restaurant Authenticity: Factors That Influence Perception,Satisfaction and Return Intentions at Regional American-Style Restaurants

This study assessed perceptions of authenticity and its relationship with satisfaction and return intentions for regional American-style restaurants using randomly selected customers at a Southern-style country-cooking restaurant. Results showed that personal and restaurant attributes influenced perceived restaurant authenticity, with a restaurant’s food and beverage and local community marketing having the strongest influences. Results also showed that perceived authenticity influences restaurant satisfaction and return intentions. Findings suggest restaurants should ensure their food and beverage meets customers’ authenticity standards and that they should promote their community connections in order to enhance diner loyalty and return patronage. Implications are discussed in detail.     

Critical food safety violations in Florida: Relationship to location and chain vs. non-chain restaurants

This study explores the relationship between the number of critical food safety violations and the restaurant's status as either a chain or independent foodservice provider and location. The State of Florida categorized the restaurant operations according to the type of license obtained, chain or independent. Chain restaurants are defined as multi-unit restaurants owned or operated by the same company or individual that total seven locations or more. Data for the current study was retrieved from the public records for the fiscal years 2009–2010 and 2010–2011. The study found that both the aggregate number of critical violations and risk factors and the number of individual critical violations and risk factors were significantly different among chain and non-chain restaurants in the state of Florida. Results indicate that the number of critical violations received is impacted by both the location of the restaurant and whether the restaurant is independently operated or a chain. The current study assists in explaining underlying reasons for repeated food safety violations despite Florida's required food safety training certification of restaurant managers and training of their staff; providing implications for academics and foodservice practitioners alike.     

Does offering an organic food menu help restaurants excel in competition? An examination of diners’ decision-making

This study aims to examine whether the presence of an organic food menu can positively influence diners’ decision-making. A 3 (restaurant segment: quick service vs. casual dining vs. fine dining) by 2 (price discrepancy between competing restaurants: small vs. large) scenario-based experiment was conducted with 405 U.S. consumers. MANCOVA results indicate that using organic ingredients offers a greater advantage for the quick-service segment regarding perceived food quality, attitudes towards the restaurant, and willingness to select, compared to casual and fine dining segments. The magnitude of a premium price of organic ingredients negatively influences such advantage in the process of consumers’ decision-making. When a large (vs. small) premium price is charged for using organic ingredients, customers’ preferences for the restaurant (over its rival) significantly drops to such an extent that customers are more willing to choose the competitor (i.e., rival restaurant with a conventional menu). Discussions and implications are further elaborated.     

Perceptions of Chinese restaurants in the U.S.: What affects customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions?

This study investigates American customers’ perceptions of Chinese restaurants in the U.S., using the Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) approach. This study also examines which attributes of Chinese restaurants influence American customers’ satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The IPA shows that environmental cleanliness and attentive service are two important areas where Chinese restaurateurs can make improvements. In addition, food taste and service reliability appear to be key attributes for Chinese restaurants’ success. Overall, this study indicates that food quality, service reliability and environmental cleanliness are three pivotal attributes to create satisfied customers and positive post-dining behavioral intentions. Chinese restaurant managers should reasonably allocate their limited resources to restaurant attributes based on their contributions to customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions.     

Restaurant purchasing skills and the impacts upon strategic purchasing and performance: The roles of supplier integration

This study was designed to 1) identify essential purchasing skills for restaurant management; 2) investigate how specific purchasing skills impact a more strategic approach to purchasing affecting restaurant performance; 3) examine if supplier integration directly affects restaurant strategic purchasing; 4) investigate if supplier integration moderates the effects of purchasing skills upon restaurant purchasing. Results demonstrated that interpersonal skills and managerial skills had significant and positive effects upon strategic purchasing, but not technical knowledge. In particular, managerial skills were a more significant contributor to the development of strategic purchasing than were interpersonal skills. Results also supported the significant and positive effect of strategic purchasing upon restaurant performance. The relationship between purchasing skills and strategic purchasing were found to be significantly different between those having higher supplier integration, technical skills and process skills when compared to those having lower scores in these areas. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided.     

Working capital,cash holding,and profitability of restaurant firms

Efficient working capital management is becoming important for restaurant firms coping with weak financial conditions and increased economic uncertainty. This study investigates the impact of restaurant firms’ working capital on their profitability. We further examine the effects of firms’ cash levels on the relationship between working capital and profitability. The findings ascertain a strong inverted U-shape relationship between working capital and a firm's profitability, which indicates the existence of an optimal working capital level for restaurant firms. This study also reveals that a firm's cash level is an important factor for efficient working capital management. The results suggest that interactive effects exist among working capital, cash levels, and profitability. Thus, restaurant managers should consider these different roles and impacts when developing an efficient working capital management strategy. Detailed results and implications are presented in the main body of this paper.     

A netnographic examination of constructive authenticity in Victoria Falls tourist (restaurant) experiences

The concept of constructive authenticity is seen as encapsulating the subjective nature of authenticity evaluations in tourism experiences. However, very few studies discuss the notion in the context of cultural eatertainment. This paper presents a netnographic analysis of tourists’ restaurant reviews and examines how authenticity is projected onto cultural objects. Online tourist reviews of two popular Victoria Falls restaurants, namely Mama Africa Eating House and The Boma - Place of Eating, were downloaded and analysed. Findings demonstrate that tourists are concerned about authenticity of cultural representations in restaurant experiences, although their constructions of what constitutes “real” African culture are extremely fluid. The study also discusses the implications of findings for theory and practice, and offers suggestions for further enquiry.     

Effect of diversification on firm performance: Application of the entropy measure

This study investigated the effects of diversification on firm performance in the restaurant industry. In prior studies, the theoretical rationales and empirical results appeared to contradict each other. These contradictory results may be due to factors such as industry-specific characteristics or a linear understanding of the relationship between diversification strategies and firm performance. Thus, this study suggested a non-linear hypothesis based on the costs and benefits of diversification strategies with businesses categorized based on their level of diversification. The results of this study showed that restaurant firms do not benefit from a low level of related diversification. This study also found that when restaurant firms are involved in both related and unrelated businesses, the optimal mixed ratio of diversification is approximately half and half. More detailed results, as well as academic and practical implications, are discussed in this paper.     

Do upscale restaurant owners use wine lists as a differentiation strategy?

The present paper studies various criteria used by upscale restaurant owners to differentiate their restaurants and to define their positioning. In particular, we studied several wine list attributes. Through a cluster analysis and a correspondence factor analysis based on different objective wine list characteristics, we obtain two main differentiated profiles of restaurants according to the relative importance of their wine list in comparison with food menu: wine selection and complementarity. Upscale restaurants need to define their positioning strategy and elaborate their wine lists according to their strategy.     

Turnover's relationships with sales, tips and service across restaurants in a chain

This study used restaurant level data from a casual-dining restaurant chain in the Midwestern United States to examine turnover's relationships with sales, tips and service. Turnover was negatively correlated with sales and service among high-volume restaurants but not among low-volume restaurants. Interestingly, the opposite pattern was observed for turnovers’ relationship with tip percentages—turnover was negatively correlated with tip percentages among low-volume restaurants but not among high-volume restaurants. Plausible explanations for these findings are discussed along with their practical implications.     

Impact of Restaurant Experience on Brand Image and Customer Loyalty: Moderating Role of Dining Motivation

This study seeks to determine which restaurant experiences influence the image of a restaurant's brand and formation of customers' loyalty. The research examines the connections among restaurant experiences, brand image, satisfaction, and loyalty in the context of full-service restaurants. This study also investigates the moderating effect of customers' dining motivations on the formation of brand image. The results of this study suggest that: (a) A restaurant's environment and food quality positively influences brand image and customers' satisfaction, (b) customers' perceptions of price fairness do not influence brand image but does affect customers' satisfaction, (c) development of customers' positive brand image does not drive satisfaction but does influence loyalty in full-service restaurants, and (d) customers' dining motivations moderate the relationship between restaurant experiences and perceptions of brand image. These results provide a basis for investigating which restaurant experiences are critical in eliciting development of a positive brand image and which have behavioral consequences. This study also offers mangers a perspective for developing marketing strategies to strengthen brand image in full-service restaurants.     

Explicit expression of anti-black biases in the full-service restaurant industry: Legal responsibilities and risks

Anecdotes detailing racial prejudices and discriminatory treatment of Black Americans while dining in full-service restaurants surface routinely in the popular press. These anecdotes are buttressed by a small number of studies documenting evidence of racist language and observed mistreatment of Black restaurant customers. In an effort to further explore the pervasiveness and correlates of such explicit expression of anti-Black biases in restaurant workplaces, this study presents findings from an online survey that was administered in two independent, large, and demographically diverse samples of current restaurant employees. We find that on average between 15 % (Qualtrics sample) and 24 % (Facebook sample) of participants agreed with statements indicating that racist language and discrimination against Black customers is common in the restaurants where they work. We explore the individual and organizational correlates of such explicit expression of anti-Black biases in restaurant workplaces and highlight the associated legal ramifications. We conclude by encouraging restaurateurs to take action against manifestations of racial prejudice in their establishments in order to fulfill their legal responsibilities to both their customers and their employees and thereby to minimize the threat of litigation.     

The influence of perceived credibility on purchase intention via competence and authenticity

Due to the significant role of authenticity in the restaurant business, restaurateurs proactively make authenticity claims. However, the literature has rarely examined whether customers view these claims as credible and how the credibility of these claims influences dining intention. Thus, this study examines customers’ perceived credibility of authenticity claims based on the authenticator claiming authenticity, restaurant ownership type, and restaurant history. Furthermore, utilizing trust-transfer theory, this study proposes and tests a model that links customers’ perceived credibility of a restaurant’s authenticity claims, perceived restaurant competence, perceived restaurant authenticity, and purchase intention. The results show that the authenticator of authenticity claims and restaurant ownership type influence the perceived credibility of authenticity claims. Additionally, the perceived credibility of authenticity claims influences customers’ dining intention indirectly through restaurant competence and constructed authenticity.     

Diners’ responses to talent vs. effort of restaurant employees

When presenting employees’ laudable performance, shall restaurant managers emphasize effort or talent of their employees as the source of such performance? This study is proposed to answer this question. We suggest that diners’ responses to employees’ effort vs. talent hinge on diners’ need to belong and restaurant type. Study 1 shows that diners’ need to belong moderates their responses to effort- vs. talent-focused messages. Study 2 finds that restaurant type (casual vs. fine dining) moderates diners’ responses to effort- vs. talent-focused messages. Diners’ perceptions of fit with employees (Study 1) and persuasiveness of a message (Study 2) are mechanisms underlying the proposed moderating effects. Restaurant managers may benefit from tailoring their messages conveying employee performance on the basis of diners’ need to belong and restaurant type.     

A model of historical development and future trends of Italian cuisine in America

This study investigated both the historical development and future trends of restaurant cuisine in America. Italian cuisine is used as the basis of a prediction model. The study identifies the historical factors in menu trends in Italian–American cuisine; the factors that will influence culinary trends in the future, and whether the results can be applied to the development of a prediction model that will predict how restaurant cuisine in America may develop. This study used both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (online survey) methods. The growing popularity of Italian cuisine in the United States will continue to shape the evolution of America's restaurant cuisine.