Across two studies, this research presents a novel extension to the service coproduction literature, demonstrating when and why consumers with low- versus high-innovativeness tendencies are willing ...to pay more to coproduce hospitality and tourism services. Findings suggest that, in in-person coproduction settings, low-innovativeness consumers are willing to pay more to coproduce (vs. not) with human employees, while high-innovativeness consumers are willing to pay more to coproduce (vs. not) with robots. Such effects were attenuated in tech-enabled remote coproduction settings, where only high-innovativeness consumers were willing to pay more to coproduce. PROCESS analyses further revealed that self-competence mediated the conditional effect of coproduction involvement on willingness to pay more. In support of our theoretical framework, we demonstrated that lowering the challenging level of the coproduction task increased (decreased) low- (high-) innovativeness consumers’ willingness to pay more for coproduction involvement. These findings offer notable theoretical and managerial implications.
•Consumers were more concerned about contracting COVID-19 from restaurant foods than food in general (i.e., no specified source).•Consumers were especially concerned about contracting COVID-19 from ...restaurant food that is served cold, raw, or uncooked.•Consumers perceived restaurant food packaging as a source of contracting COVID-19 (50% moderately concerned; 23% very concerned).•COVID-19 concerns about restaurant foods and packaging varied by consumers’ socio-demographics and COVID-19-related characteristics.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent U.S. in-restaurant dining restrictions deleteriously affected the restaurant industry. While dining restrictions were adopted to prevent human contact, evidence suggests that consumers may mistakenly perceive that restaurant "food" and its "packaging" are risky sources of COVID-19. To explore consumers' COVID-19 risk perceptions about food itself, restaurant food specifically, and restaurant food packaging, this study collected nationwide U.S. consumer survey data (n = 958) using an online consumer panel. Findings showed that: (1) consumers were less concerned about contracting COVID-19 from food in general than restaurant food and its packaging, with consumer restaurant concern highest for food served in restaurants, and lowest for hot/cooked restaurant food followed by restaurant food from carry-out; and (2) the risk perceptions of consumers varied with financial concern for food, gender, and being in a high-risk category of COVID-19. Implications for researchers, restauranteurs, government, and food safety professionals are discussed.
•A model of the intention to eat alone at a restaurant is proposed.•The group type of other consumers majorly determines solo dining intentions.•The crowding level in the restaurant moderates the ...effect of the group type.•The effect is mediated by anticipated loneliness and the anticipated negative evaluation from others.•Findings contribute to the understanding of rapidly growing solo consumers.
The radical change in contemporary lifestyles and demographics has led to the sharp increase of solo consumers in the marketplace, calling for an understanding of solo consumption behaviors. This study examines the determinants of solo dining intentions with respect to the other consumers in the restaurant, and its underlying mechanism through anticipated loneliness and the anticipated negative evaluation from others. Using a scenario-based, 2 (group type of other diners: in-group vs. out-group)×2 (crowding level: high vs. low) between-subjects experimental design, online survey data were collected from 248 participants.
Findings reveal that the group type of other diners (i.e., mostly solo diners vs. group diners) is a major predictor of solo dining intentions. The effect is further found to be greater by high-crowding (vs. low-crowding), and mediated by anticipated loneliness and the anticipated negative evaluation from others. The enhanced knowledge about solo consumers provides implications for researchers, restaurateurs, and consumers.
Has the huge increase in healthful food options indeed promoted consumer health? Previous studies have noted the health halo effects of such foods, which subconsciously lead consumers to rather ...unhealthful eating. This study examined whether the health halos of entrées increase the subsequent intention for desserts in restaurants when moderated by internal and external cues: health-consciousness and attribute framing. A 2 (perceived healthiness of entrées)×2 (health-consciousness)×2 (attribute framing of desserts) quasi-experimental design was employed using a scenario-based online survey, and 427 consumers participated in the survey. The results revealed that the effect of the perceived healthiness of entrées on increasing the intention for desserts was more salient among less (vs. highly) health-conscious consumers and when the desserts were framed as healthy (vs. tasty). The findings provide theoretical implications for consumer food behavior and sequential consumption literature, and highlight practical implications for consumers, health professionals, public officials, and restaurateurs.
Purpose
Off-premise restaurant service has a new addition – food delivery robots. This new technology and off-premise service, in general, has received little research attention, despite continued ...year-over-year sales growth for both carry-out and delivery. Therefore, this study aims to analyze off-premise service modes, including food delivery robots, for service quality gaps between consumer expectations and actual performance and among the various modes.
Design/methodology/approach
Performance of three off-premise restaurant service modes (robot-delivery, human-delivery and carry-out) were evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. Consumer expectations were ascertained about food- and service-related performance factors using a survey, and a field observation study was conducted to obtain actual performance data for these factors. Findings from both approaches were compared to identify gaps and differences.
Findings
For food-related performance, consumers reported lower expectations for food safety and food quality from robot- and human-delivered food; however, no differences were observed among the three modes in the field study. Consumers also expected lower service-related performance from robot-delivery for service efficiency and ease of use (than human-delivery and carry-out) and monetary value (than carry-out). Consumers deemed robots the most sustainable and human-delivery the most convenient compared to other modes – however, not all service-related expectations aligned with actual performances.
Originality/value
This study was the first to comparatively examine off-premise restaurant service. Identification of a missing link in service gap analysis was among the theoretical contributions of this study. Managerially, this study provides previously unavailable insights into opportunities for improvement for off-premise service and use of delivery robots.
Many factors likely influence decisions for in-restaurant dining during a highly contagious respiratory pandemic. Applying the Protection Motivation Theory, this study examined the relationships ...between consumers' threat and coping appraisals and their in-restaurant patronage intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating roles of conflicting information (CI) about COVID-19 and trust-in-science and scientists (TISS). Specifically, the moderators were categorized into CI-past, CI-present, TISS-optimism, and TISS-skepticism based on time- and viewpoints. Results revealed that consumers' perceived severity of threat appraisal negatively impacted in-restaurant dining intentions, while consumers' coping appraisal (i.e., self-efficacy, response efficacy, and response cost) had the opposite effects. Furthermore, high CI (past and present) and low TISS (skepticism) perceptions further diminished in-restaurant dining intentions for consumers who perceived the virus as highly threatening. The findings have theoretical implications and practical ramifications for restaurateurs and public health organizations for industry recovery and post-crisis planning.
•Perceived severity of COVID-19 reduced consumers’ intent to dine-in restaurants.•Self-efficacy, response-efficacy, and response costs bolstered dining-in intent.•Conflicting information and science trust influenced in-restaurant dining decision.•Conflicting information, across time, moderated the effects of threat appraisal.•Skeptic view of trust-in-science and scientists moderated threat appraisal effects.
Food courts are popular dining platform in most universities in the United States. However, insufficiently skilled part-time student employees, self-service and shared dining environment, and the ...low-risk food safety perception among young adult consumer population create an increased risk of cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses in the setting. In a mixed methods approach, using surveys, observations, and microbial testing, this study assessed and contrasted food safety perceptions and self-reported practices among 100 food handlers and 295 consumers, observed practices among 34 food handlers and 149 consumers, and the microbial status of 391 inanimate surfaces and 60 consumer cell phones in common dining areas at university food courts.
The findings showed that food handlers were more concerned about food safety in university food courts than consumers (weighted means of 3.66 and 2.88, respectively, 5-point Likert scale; 1 = Not at all, 5 = Very concerned). Our findings also identified gaps between perceptions of the importance for surface and hand sanitation (weighted means from 4.15 to 4.91, 5-point Likert scale; 1 = Not important at all, 5 = Very important), self-reported sanitation practices (weighted means from 4.10 to 4.81 for food handlers and from 2.54 to 3.32 for consumers, 5-point Likert scale; 1 = Never, 5 = Very often), and the actual sanitation practices (observed hand sanitation followed by only 0.9% and 1.6% transactions of food handlers and consumers, respectively). The contamination indicators were often found on dining area surfaces over the period of one year (generic E. coli on 11.9% salad bar/salad bar utensils, 9.8% food serving counters, and 3.3% of consumer cell phones; 79.0% samples containing >104 CFU/cm2). The findings will be used to develop effective strategies and consumer education interventions to improve foodservice food safety and reduce the risks of foodborne diseases.
•Food court employees and consumers had different perceptions of food safety risks.•Discrepancy between self-reported and observed sanitation practices were found.•Employees and consumers touched surfaces/tables frequently without hand sanitation.•E. coli was present on salad bar utensils, food counters, and consumer cell phones.•Comparison of surveys, observation, and microbial findings showed a unique value.
Proper hand washing practices in food service establishments are important for the adequate reduction of microorganisms on hands. To address practical barriers associated with active and direct ...interventions, this study employed passive and indirect interventions to examine whether the simple use of a water flow timer and an informational poster could influence food handler hand washing practices. A within-group, multiple-intervention experiment including baseline, single intervention, multiple intervention, and withdrawal phases was conducted at a student-operated, full-service restaurant over 4 weeks. We recorded a total of 839 hand washing practices over 112 hr of observation using a motion-detecting camera. Findings showed that the presence of a water flow timer increased the duration of hand washing and the compliance rate to proper scrubbing duration. The effects were robust in the weeks when establishments were busy with high-customer volume. The findings provide useful data regarding the use of passive and indirect interventions to change food handler hand washing practices.
Driven by a growth of single-person households and individualized lifestyles, solo dining in restaurants is an increasingly recognizable trend. However, little is known about solo diners’ motives and ...preferences in on- and off-premises restaurant dining and the subsequent behavioral intentions. In order to enhance the understanding of solo diners’ motives, preferences, and behavioral intentions in restaurant dining, this dissertation proposed and completed three studies related to solo (vs. group) diners’ menu-decision making process, solo (vs. group) diners’ service mode-decision making process, and a restaurant scale development for solo diner friendliness. Specifically, Study 1 examined the effect of dining social context (solo vs. group) on healthy or indulgent menu item decisions using self-control dilemmas and temporal construal theory as a theoretical framework. Findings revealed that solo diners showed less preferences for indulgent menu items because of a more utilitarian (i.e., less hedonic) consumption orientation than group diners, and that solo diners showed more preferences for healthy menu items than group diners when the menu included nutrition information such as calories, fat, and sodium. Study 2 examined the effect of dining social context (solo vs. group) on off-site over on-site dining intentions based on three mediators and the moderating role of self-determination using the selfdetermination theory. Findings revealed that, in the self-determined condition, solo diners showed more preferences for off-premises dining than group diners via greater convenienceseeking and polychronicity-seeking tendencies and lower anticipated enjoyment of on-premises dining. In the context-determined condition, solo diners showed more preferences for offpremises dining than group diners only via polychronicity-seeking and anticipated enjoyment of on-premises dining, and the effects were smaller. Lastly, Study 3 developed and validated a Solo Diner Friendliness (SoDF) scale that measured restaurant menu and service dimensions important for solo diners’ enjoyment as well as restaurant revisit intentions. The SoDF scale provided nine items under three factors, namely, Inconspicuousness, Proper Service, and Healthy Menu Items, that are valid and reliable measurements for future research and restaurant operators. Altogether, this dissertation offered theoretical and practical implications regarding how solo diners differed from group diners on various motivational and behavioral perspectives in on- and off-premises restaurant dining.
To systematically investigate factors affecting consumers' restaurant patronage decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study drew on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to (1) evaluate how ...threat and coping appraisal (i.e., PMT factors) may vary based on socio-demographics and COVID-19 situational characteristics, and (2) determine if PMT factors influence actual restaurant patronage behaviors. Furthermore, the current study examined consumers' perceptions of health-protective actions that restaurateurs could take to minimize consumer risk of contracting COVID-19. Data were collected from U.S. adults (N = 627) using an online crowdsourcing platform in early May 2020. Findings showed significant relationships between socio-demograhic factors and perceived severity and/or vulnerability to COVID-19, along with concerns of coping with the virus for in-restaurant dining. For take-out/delivery patronage, coping concerns were greater for those with lower education levels and those with more health concerns than their counterparts. Furthermore, consumers' higher levels of coping appraisal predicted their higher take-out/delivery frequency. Results also suggested actions that restaurateurs could take that would influence consumers' restaurant patronage decisions. This study provides new insights related to PMT in the context of restaurants in a pandemic situation and practical information for restaurateurs to recover and prepare for future pandemics or similar crises.
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