The Challenges of Full-Service Restaurant Brand Internationalization: A United States/Canada Perspective

The purpose of this research is to identify the challenges faced by full-service restaurant brands internationalizing across the border between the United States and Canada. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 54 senior executives across the US and Canada. The results show differences in the challenges faced by U.S. versus Canadian full-service restaurant brands when they are expanding across the border based upon the context of the full-service restaurant and how they are internationalizing. This is the first empirical study about cross border expansion challenges for U.S. and Canadian full-service restaurant brands.     

Consumer Opinion on Smoking Bans and Predicted Impact on Restaurant Frequency

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the opinion of Kentucky consumers regarding smoking policies in restaurants. It examined differences in opinion between smokers, nonsmokers, and former smokers, and predicted restaurant behavior if a smoking ban was enacted. Data was collected through a telephone survey in winter 2003, yielding 825 interviews. There were no significant differences in frequency of eating out between the three smoking status groups. Significantly, different reactions to smoking bans were found with regard to certain demographics: smoking status, place of residence, and education. Smokers believed smoking in restaurants is less of a problem than nonsmokers and former smokers, whereas nonsmokers and former smokers were more likely to choose a restaurant based on it being smoke-free and to believe smoking makes dining out less enjoyable. Nonsmokers and former smokers are significantly more likely than smokers to predict that they will dine out more or about the same if a smoking ban is implemented, whereas smokers are significantly more likely to eat out less. Implications for the hospitality industry are discussed.     

SERVQUAL and PAT

Abstract

Two approaches to measuring the quality of restaurant services are compared, both of which employ the expectancy-discon-firmation paradigm. A SERVQUAL style of questionnaire provided quality measures, which were used to differentiate foodservice establishments, but the data showed several statistical weaknesses, and respondents had trouble contextualizing the questions. Profile Accumulation Technique (PAT) was similarly able to distinguish between different restaurants, and the data had greater internal validity. However this methodology is based upon different assumptions from those underlying SERVQUAL, and there are also implications of cost and expertise. The paper concludes that instruments derived from SERVQUAL cannot claim to apply the theoretical basis of the expectancy- disconfirmation paradigm, whereas PAT is capable of assessing quality according to the paradigm. However, at present it cannot always be assumed that restaurant customers use the expectancy disconfirmation mechanism for evaluating all meal experiences. The advantages and disadvantages of both methods are discussed and implications for further research are identified.     

Applying mixed methods to identify what drives quick service restaurant's customer satisfaction at the unit-level

The current study addresses issues related to developing a set of critical quality attributes. The primary research objective was to address drawbacks of importance–performance method and develop a novel approach that identifies satisfaction drivers for unit-level quick service restaurant (QSR). The new approach is based on synthesis of qualitative, PRCA, and importance grid methods. Basic (taste, temperature, and accuracy), performance (friendliness) and excitement (cleanliness, speed, and ease of understanding) factors were identified for a QSR context. The current findings help to resolve the problem of performance optimization and identify an optimal set of QSR attributes to allocate resources. Taste, temperature, and accuracy must be ensured as top priority. Then, friendliness should also be ensured and only after that the resources should be allocated to cleanliness, speed, and ease of understanding. Generalizability of the findings is bounded by the fact that only one QSR chain was examined. Additionally, only a limited number of QSR attributes was examined.     

Food safety inspections results: A comparison of ethnic-operated restaurants to non-ethnic-operated restaurants

This study examined the proposition that cultural differences between ethnic-operated restaurants in high tourism areas of the United States (US) compared to non-ethnic operated restaurants explains the differences in food safety and sanitation inspection scores in five US cities considered popular tourism destinations. It was hypothesized that ethnic-operated restaurants, composed of people from different cultural norms than that of the indigenous US population, would result in significantly higher rates of critical regulatory violations than non-ethnic-operated restaurants. Food safety inspection data was obtained from five cities in the west, mid-west, east and two from the south for the years 2009 and 2010. Results confirmed the hypotheses that ethnic-operated restaurants have significantly higher rates of inspection and critical violations. Implications for regulators, trainers, ethnic restaurants and organizations seeking to manage diversity are discussed.     

Contingent effects of close relationships with suppliers upon independent restaurant product development: A social capital perspective

Despite recommendations that the restaurant industry more readily engage suppliers within their operations in order to expand capabilities, associations with restaurant business performance and supplier relationships remain unexplored in today’s current restaurant literature. This study assessed restaurant-supplier relationships from the social capital perspective and evaluated roles social capital played in product enhancement and new product development within the independent restaurant context. Results demonstrated that independent restaurant product enhancement was positively and linearly associated with social capital derived from restaurant-supplier relationships. Results also found that building social capital within restaurant-supplier relationships positively influenced new product development, but when taken to an extreme, it exhibited a negative association through an inverted curvilinear effect. Results provide new insights for future research and practice regarding independent restaurant supply management practices.     

Theme restaurants’ servicescape in developing quality of life: The moderating effect of perceived authenticity

This study was designed to investigate the role of servicescape, customer emotion, satisfaction, and perceived authenticity (PA) in the generation process of theme restaurant customers’ quality of life. We employed a survey methodology that used the data collected from theme restaurant customers, conducted structural analysis, and tested for metric invariance. Results showed that our theoretical model explained a sufficient amount of variance in overall quality of life; the hypothesized relationships in our research framework were generally supported; and customer emotion, satisfaction, and subjective well-being were significant mediators. Moreover, the proposed moderating impact of PA was partially supported. Overall, our empirical findings provide a significant contribution toward advancing the knowledge of how servicescape dimensions, customer emotion, satisfaction, subjective well-being, and quality of life are related. Finally, we share insight into how these relationships are affected by PA in the formation of theme restaurant customers’ quality of life.     

The mediating role of consumption emotions

Although the importance of affective reactions has been emphasized in the service industry, there are still relatively few empirical studies which conclusively explain how consumption emotions induce in a consumption situation and how such emotions play a role in customers’ satisfaction judgments in the context of ethnic restaurants. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine how differently positive and negative emotions mediate the influence of two fundamental values of ethnic restaurant consumption on levels of customer satisfaction. Data obtained through an online survey was analyzed by means of structural equation modeling analysis. Results demonstrate that utilitarian value directly and indirectly affects consumption emotions and customer satisfaction, whereas hedonic value only indirectly affects customer satisfaction through positive emotions. The findings suggest that not every perceived hedonic value leads to customer satisfaction unless customer experience positive emotions from such a value. In that regard, this study holds significant implications to ethnic restaurant marketers.     

Integral decision analysis in mutually exclusive capital investment projects. Case study: Hard Rock Cafe at Riviera Maya

Brands that have worldwide recognition are perceived as profitable businesses. One of the reasons for this perception might lie in the belief that these companies usually employ some degree of financial evaluation to make the right choice in terms of investment; Hard Rock Cafe is no exception. The brand opened one restaurant in the Riviera Maya in 2011 which closed within nine months. Could a better investment decision have been made if the Hard Rock Cafe Mexico management had followed the Integral Decision Analysis (IDA) method? This method gives decision-makers a chance to analyze mutually exclusive capital budgeting projects. The case study illustrates the type of elements that the model can yield, it provides a brief explanation on how this process could have been used by the Hard Rock Cafe management and it offers an explanation on how this knowledge might have helped in supporting a final investment decision. In conclusion, the IDA method used to analyze this project might reduce the risks in capital investments.