Dining experience in the restaurant: theoretical and empirical delimitation for two types of establishment

Abstract

Objective The aim of this work is to build a multidimensional construct that gathers all the aspects that customers evaluate at the restaurant, and that receives the name of dining experience based on the theoretical conceptualization. Methodology Two subsamples (70 customers of fine restaurant, and 105 customers of casual restaurant) and the use of a Model of Structural Equation, has allowed to analyze the moderating effect that the type of restaurant exerts in the formation of the experience, and therefore the customers´satisfaction and intention. Conclusions The type of restaurant has a moderating role in the formation of the gastronomic experience in the restaurant based on the quality of the environment and the food, being greater in the effects on clients of the exclusive restaurant. It also moderates the effect of the gastronomic experience in the restaurant on the satisfaction being greater in the clients of the exclusive restaurant, while there is no difference in the effect of the satisfaction on the intention. Implications The findings offer solutions in the field of restaurant promotion according to their style. The moderate restaurant must strive to maintain the quality of the product and service, while the exclusive restaurant must pay special attention to its interior design and environment. Originality and value The main contribution is the conceptual and empirical delimitation of the gastronomic experience in the restaurant, gathering in a global construct all the evaluations of the customer experience in the restaurant.

Keywords

• dining experience
• atmosphere
• food quality
• service quality
• casual restaurant
• fine restaurant
• experiencia gastronómica
• atmósfera
• calidad del producto
• calidad del servicio
• restaurante moderado
• restaurante exclusivo