Comparative analysis of Chinese customers’ perceptions and satisfaction with Chinese and Western restaurants
Date
2012
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The food and beverage sector in China has grown in tandem with the larger Chinese economy, generating revenues of $3,250 billion in 2011. Also, the food and beverage sector has become intensely competitive with a proliferation of Western themed restaurants and concepts. The purpose of the study is to compare Chinese customers’ expectation and satisfaction with Chinese and Western restaurants. 251 Chinese restaurant diners participated in the experimental study. The respondents were asked to rate the importance and performance scores of 30 restaurant attributes. The results of the study showed that Chinese customers considered five restaurant factors when they selected restaurants: (1) food attributes, (2) service attributes, (3) presentation attributes, (4) value attributes, and (5) supplementary attributes. For both Chinese and Western themed restaurants, findings indicate that Chinese diners rate food as the most important criterion. However, service quality was a relatively more important criterion for Western themed restaurants when compared with Chinese restaurants. Lastly, value was relatively of greater importance when it came to Chinese restaurants as opposed to western restaurants. Findings help to distinguish differentiating criteria that Chinese customers apply and can be used to build on the knowledge of the food and beverage sector as foreign entrants seek to expand in China.