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The purpose of this paper was to investigate the relationships between restaurant quality attributes and customer behavioral intentions.

An experimental design was chosen to provide a high level of internal validity. Three separate 3 × 2 factorial design experiments were conducted through 18 separate vignette scenarios for three levels of quality (below average, average and above average) of three common restaurant attributes (food, service and ambience) in two types of restaurants (quick service and upscale).

The results indicated that the type of restaurant moderated the relationship between restaurant service and ambience quality and customer behavioral intentions.

The results of this study suggest that management of quick-service and upscale restaurants should focus on food quality, but establish different resource allocation priorities with respect to service and ambience quality.

This study examined the linearity of the relationships between three common restaurant attributes (food, service and ambience) for three levels of quality (below average, average and above average) in two types of restaurants (quick service and upscale).

The aim of this paper is to understand the price‐ending strategies in European restaurants and make practical suggestions to the managers.

Data were collected from restaurant menus in three European countries. Results were compared with those of USA and Taiwan.

The price‐ending strategies of European restaurants are distinctly different from those of the USA and, interestingly, have more in common with those of Taiwan.

The small sample size is a concern. Data were limited to three countries. Inclusion of more European restaurants is highly desired, especially with the Euro as a common currency.

Restaurant companies could have better understanding of the impact of cultural differences, while implementing price‐ending strategies.

This paper presents a case where cultural differences are of significant economic value in setting restaurant menu prices. In Europe, dining out is considered more a cultural activity than a utilitarian participation. The historical roots of the usage of digit zero in a European context are presented here.

With the trend of adopting and studying artificial intelligence (AI) service robots at restaurants, the authors’ understanding of how customers perceive robots differently across restaurant segments remains limited. Therefore, building upon expectancy theory, this study aims to propose a trust-based mechanism to explain customers’ support for AI-based service robots.

For cross-segment validation, data were collected from online survey participants under the scenarios of experiencing AI service robots in luxury (n = 428), fine-dining (n = 420), casual (n = 409) and quick-service (n = 410) restaurant scenarios.

In all four segments, trust in technology increased willingness to accept AI service robots, which was then positively related to customers’ support for AI-based service robots. Meanwhile, customers’ AI performance expectancy mediated the relationship between trust in technology and willingness to accept AI service robots. On the other hand, at luxury, fine-dining and casual restaurants, males perceived a stronger positive relationship between trust in technology and AI performance expectancy. No generational differences were found in the four restaurant segments between trust in technology and AI performance expectancy.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts in hospitality research to examine cross-segment validation of customers’ responses to AI-based service robots in the luxury, fine-dining, casual and quick-service restaurant segments.

The purpose of this research is to understand the effects of self‐monitoring, dining companions and industry segments on the usage of alternate currencies while dining out.

An experimental design using frequent consumers of restaurant services is being used with a scenario approach with a sample size of 471.

Results indicate that self‐monitoring has significant impact on consumers' choice for alternate currencies. In addition, the type of dining companion (boss vs friend vs alone) has significant affect on usage of alternate currencies. Industry segments were not found be a significant factor in making usage of alternate currencies. For high self‐monitoring individuals, the preferences for currency usages are more likely influenced by the image delivered by the currency than for low self‐monitors. Consumers who dine with a friend or alone are more likely to prefer to pay with frequent usage points‐only (as opposed to dollars‐only) than consumers who dine with the boss. This result indicates that the dining companion is an important determinant in preferring the alternative currency, frequent usage points. Since frequent usage points are a signal of price discount, consumers do not want to make an impression of “being cheap” on the higher‐status dining companion (e.g. boss) by using frequent usage points for their dining experiences. On the other hand, if consumers dine with a friend or alone, they are more likely to reap the financial rewards of paying with frequent usage points without regard to the impression it creates.

These findings have significant implications for the restaurants marketers and managers. Implementation of frequent diners program may be affected significantly by self‐monitoring characteristics and nature of dining companions.

This study extends the understanding of individual differences associated with currency preference by examining the effects of self‐monitoring and impression management on consumer preferences for currency usage. Identifying the characteristics of consumers using the different currency options is critical for the foodservice industry.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of internal brand management (IBM) practices on tourism and hospitality employees' ability to demonstrate brand supportive behaviours. A model, which includes brand knowledge dissemination, role clarity, brand commitment and brand supportive behaviour is proposed. To provide further insight, the study seeks to examine the impact that hierarchical roles have on employees' responses.

A quantitative research methodology was adopted, resulting in the development of a self‐administered online survey instrument. Using a national database of service employees, respondents were invited to participate in the online survey, resulting in the completion of 137 surveys.

While all paths were significant in the overall model, differences were found when comparing front line and management models. Overall, brand commitment played a more significant role in the front line model, whereas role clarity was not shown to be significant in the management model with respect to influencing brand supportive behaviour.

The results suggest that the tourism and hospitality employee market is not homogeneous. IBM has a positive effect on all employees but it is what they choose to do with that information that differs. Managers should endeavour to develop brand‐committed front‐line employees, while the management employees should be encouraged to apply their brand knowledge, thereby “leading by example”.

An IBM strategy should be paramount in the tourism and hospitality industry, given the critical role the employee provides to a guest's overall experience and assessment of the brand. The study empirically validates the effects of IBM, identifying differences in responses based on hierarchical position, which has ramifications for practitioners and academics in developing best practice.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between QSC (quality, service and cleanliness) inspection scores and financial performance in quick service restaurants.

Restaurant QSC inspection data were collected from 25 quick service restaurants of an international chain over a period of 18 months. Audited financial data were also collected for these participating restaurants. Using SPSS software, the data were analyzed for possible relationships between the restaurant QSC scores and the financial performance measured as total unit sales per week, revenues per available seat per week, and gross operating income for each month. Restaurant unit size is measured by total revenues per month.

Contrary to the commonly held belief, the relationship between QSC variable and restaurant performance is weak. This study found there was a “V” curve in QSC inspections and financial performance when restaurant size was chosen as the moderating variable.

The specific items measured in the QSC may differ across organizations, although the broad categories remain constant. Certain operational factors such as price changes, special promotions, additional restaurant openings in the specific area, and local economic conditions could have confounded the results.

The knowledge obtained from this study could help restaurant organizations determine the level of weighting given to a specific inspection variable. This study also suggests the use of FQSC inspections instead of traditional QSC to emphasize financial performance (F). This study demonstrates the liability and limitations of tying QSC inspections to merit raises and bonus plans as normally done in restaurants.

This paper is the first empirical study to analyze the QSC inspections of restaurants related to financial performance. In contrast to the past studies with food safety/health inspections, the current study focuses directly on QSC inspections conducted more frequently and in greater detail by the quick service restaurants with emphasis on operational and financial performance.

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the foodservice and restaurant literature that has been published over the past 10 years in the top hospitality and tourism journals. This information will be used to identify the key trends and topics studied over the past decade, and help to identify the gaps that appear in the research to identify opportunities for advancing future research in the area of foodservice and restaurant management.

This paper takes the form of a critical review of the extant literature that has been done in the foodservice and restaurant industries. Literature from the past 10 years will be qualitatively assessed to determine trends and gaps in the research to help guide the direction for future research.

The findings show that the past 10 years have seen an increase in the number of and the quality of foodservice and restaurant management research articles. The topics have been diverse and the findings have explored the changing and evolving segments of the foodservice industry, restaurant operations, service quality in foodservice, restaurant finance, foodservice marketing, food safety and healthfulness and the increased role of technology in the industry.

Given the number of research papers done over the past 10 years in the area of foodservice, it is possible that some research has been missed and that some specific topics within the breadth and depth of the foodservice industry could have lacked sufficient coverage in this one paper. The implications from this paper are that it can be used to inform academics and practitioners where there is room for more research, it could provide ideas for more in-depth discussion of a specific topic and it is a detailed start into assessing the research done of late.

This paper helps foodservice researchers in determining where past research has gone and gives future direction for meaningful research to be done in the foodservice area moving forward to inform academicians and practitioners in the industry.

This study aims to cross-validate the technology experience (TE) scale and examine the potential differences in consumer TE across three different sectors.

Across three separate studies, the TE scale and its psychometric properties and consequences were examined across three distinctive hospitality and tourism (H&T) sectors: accommodations (n = 640), food and beverage (n = 615) and tourism (n = 592).

The findings consistently show that TE is a second-order formative construct with nine dimensions. Furthermore, the factor structure of consumer TE is consistent across the focal sectors, enhancing the TE scale’s generalizability. While the dimensions consisting of TE were identical across the three sectors, the composites of TE were formed differently across the sectors, demonstrating the differences in consumers’ TE across the three sectors.

This research offers practical implications to the H&T industry regarding the different impacts of various TE dimensions on consumers’ overall experiences, thereby creating overall satisfaction and behavioral intentions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research was the first attempt to examine the differences in consumers’ TE across the sectors of the H&T industry. By identifying the different impacts of TE dimensions on consumers’ overall experience, this research provides theoretical and practical contributions by confirming the distinct characteristics of the sectors under the H&T industry.

The main objective of this paper is to consider how firms set about strategising in marketing and the nature of their implementation effort. Prior research has not considered the alternative means of implementation that firms display in practice.

A model is developed from a mid‐level (marketing) managerial perspective by comparing three groups of strategy implementation types (“change”, “collaborative”, and “cultural”) against five contextual and process characteristics of marketing strategy implementation.

Contrary to literature that has recommended bottom‐up marketing planning, the findings show if the firm displays an implementation environment characterised by hierarchical structures and strong top‐down influences, then marketing strategy implementation will be more effective.

More analysis of the daily lives of mid‐level employees is essential to improve the understanding of the key implementation success factors. Also, more research is needed on the influence of firm factors, such as culture, structure and management style, in determining the context for implementation.

The strategic paradox in the results suggests that there is a need for a degree of top‐down imposition, yet it also suggested that fostering the cooperation of mid‐level marketing managers through bottom‐up initiatives is required in the implementation process.

Provocatively, the paper concludes that the movement to restructure corporate hierarchies should not amount to a rejection of hierarchy as an organising principle in terms of implementing marketing strategies more effectively. The data indicate that a hierarchical implementation style will positively enhance the performance of those strategies.

Drawing on person–environment fit theory, this study aims to investigate how the relationships between service task types (i.e. utilitarian and hedonic service tasks) and perceived authenticity (i.e. service and brand authenticity) differ under different conditions of service providers (human employee vs service robot). This study further examines whether customers’ stereotypes toward service robots (competence vs warmth) moderate the relationship between service types and perceived authenticity.

Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design, Study 1 examines a casual restaurant, whereas Study 2 assesses a theme park restaurant. Analysis of covariance and PROCESS are used to analyze the data.

Both studies reveal that human service providers in hedonic services positively affect service and brand authenticity more than robotic employees. Additionally, the robot competence stereotype moderates the relationship between hedonic services, service and brand authenticity, whereas the robot warmth stereotype moderates the relationship between hedonic services and brand authenticity in Study 2.

Restaurant managers need to understand which functions and types of service outlets are best suited for service robots in different service contexts. Robot–environment fit should be considered when developers design and managers select robots for their restaurants.

This study blazes a new theoretical trail of service robot research to systematically propose customer experiences with different service types by drawing upon person–environment fit theory and examining the moderating role of customers’ stereotypes toward service robots.