This study compares and analyzes changes in users’ perceptions of industrial catering food service quality before and after COVID-19. The survey enrolled 226 subjects at five industrial catering establishments in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province; a total of 204 customers with complete data were included in the final analysis. Factor analysis was conducted to verify convergence validity and construct reliability; results pertaining to ‘service and environmental hygiene’ and ‘quality of food’ were extracted. Among the general variables of food service quality, differences were obtained in the user’s perceptions of food service qualities according to gender, education, and marital status. Our results revealed that women, low education, and married people perceived significant differences in all attributes before and after COVID-19. Additionally, varied altered perceptions were determined for service quality according to the occupations of the subjects. However, no differences were obtained for pleasant dining environment in the ‘service and environmental hygiene factor’ and variety of desserts in the ‘food quality factor’.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between conspicuous consumption tendency, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions of college students regarding eating out by limiting conspicuous consumption tendency among several psychological variables to acquire a more precise and concrete influence factor on consumption behavior to eat out. First, as for sensing other people, pursuing individuality and brand orientation among conspicuous consumption tendency of restaurant costumers had significant effects on brand attitudes, whereas the influence of status symbols and pursuing trend factor on brand attitudes was not verified. Second, as for sensing other people, pursing individuality, pursuing trends, and brand orientation factor among conspicuous consumption tendency had significant effects on purchasing intention. Otherwise, the significant effect relationship between status symbols factor and purchasing intentions was not confirmed. Third, as purchase intentions increased, brand attitudes of consumers increased according to existing research. Thus, this study suggests a more departmentalized marketing strategy method to create profits and enhance competitiveness of food service enterprises, and academic implications suggest fundamental data of relevant studies on conspicuous consumption tendency and purchasing behavior of consumers to eat out

Engagement has aroused tremendous interest in the marketing community, but studies examining engagement with luxury brands are absent. This study investigates whether luxury stores can use food to drive engagement with different customer segments. The results have important managerial implications and further our understanding of the behavioral drivers of (dis)engagement. The old marketing reality in which brands communicate with customers through one-way advertising messages is long gone (Campbell, Parent, Berthon, 2011). Now, it is not only brands that broadcast messages to customers, but customers can initiate or actively participate in conversations with brands. This customers’ participation in conversations with brands can have an effect on their and other customers’ purchase decisions. Therefore, brands are now focusing on using advertising to get customers engaged with them. Customer engagement has become a new way of describing brands’ relationships with customers. Scholars have offered many definitions of engagement. Some of them emphasize the psychological aspects of engagement (e.g., Calder Malthouse, and Schaedel, 2009; Mollen and Wilson, 2010), while others describe engagement in behavioral terms (e.g., Van Doorn et al., 2010; Verhoef et al., 2010). The most comprehensive definition of customer engagement was offered by Brodie et al. (2011: p. 790) who describe customer engagement as “a psychological state that occurs by virtue of interactive, co-creative customer experiences with a focal agent/object (e.g., a brand) in specific service relationships. It occurs under a specific set of context-dependent conditions generating differing customer engagement levels; and exists as a dynamic, iterative process within service relationships that co-creates value. Customer engagement plays a central role in a nomological network governing theoretical relationships in which other relational concepts (e.g., involvement, loyalty) are antecedents and/or consequences of iterative customer engagement processes. It is a multidimensional concept subject to a context- and/or stakeholder-specific expression of relevant cognitive, emotional and/or behavioral dimensions.” As both this definition and other definitions in the extant literature (e.g., Calder et al., 2009; O’Brien & Toms 2010).

The purpose of this study was to categorize and comparatively analyze tourists of different life-style groups who visit Yesan according to their lifestyles as well as their consumption behaviors and attitudes towards local foods or specialty agricultural products in order to understand the various needs, attitudes, and behaviors of consumers in each life-style group. Group 1 had a high percentage of single people in their 20s and those who worked in technology. Group 2 had a high percentage of those in their 30s and 40s who were married and were professionals. Group 3 had a high percentage of men and those in their 40s and 50s, as well as a high percentage of high income, highly educated people. Group 4 had a high percentage of those in their 20s or those in their 60s or higher. Compared to other groups, group 4 had a larger percentage of lower income and less educated people. In verifying the difference between life-style groups in terms of their behaviors and attitudes toward local foods and specialty agricultural products, consumption and experience of regional specialty foods showed high average scores in groups 1, 2, and 3, with significant differences from group 4.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of fast food customer's perceived risks on risk reduction behavior, attitude and purchase intention. A total of 268 usable surveys were collected using a stratified random sampling method. Descriptive analysis and factor analysis was then conducted using SPSS 12.0, and a Cronbach's α was generated to estimate the internal consistency of the survey items. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships among variables. The results indicated that fast food safety and monetary risks had a negative effect on customer feelings and satisfaction with fast food, which had a positive effect on buying purpose and recommendation purpose. Conversely, obesity and monetary risks only had a negative effect on buying purpose. An improved menu more effectively reduced the risk perceived by the fast-food customers than an improved image.

The objectives of this study were to: a) examine foreign customers’ satisfaction and expectations for the food and service attributes of Korean restaurants located in the U.S., b) measure the gap between the satisfaction and expectations for food and service attributes, c) analyze through IPA analysis the crucial attributes needing improvement in order to minimize the discrepancy between customers’ expectations and performance, and d) analyze the effects of factors related to the food and service attributes on overall customer satisfaction in regard to Korean restaurant selection. A total of 255 American customers who had visited four Korean restaurants located within metropolitan and rural areas of the U.S. were surveyed for this study. Statistical analyses, including t-tests, factor analysis, and multiple regression, were performed using the SPSS statistical package (12.0). The American customers’ overall satisfaction of the food and services offered by the Korean restaurants was relatively high, with the exception of tangible service attributes such as comfortable chairs, restroom cleanliness, and restaurant interior. The urban foreign customers, however, were dissatisfied with the use of healthful ingredients in Korean food, because their expectation level toward this aspect exceeded their satisfaction level. In terms of Korean restaurant selection, tangible services related to the restaurant facilities were identified as the critical factor having an effect on American customer satisfaction.

This study is to select food offered with higher frequency at restaurants such as hamburger, pizza, chicken, gimbap(boiled rice rolled in laver with seasonings stuffed), and calgooksu(Korean traditional noodles); identify customers' expectation and satisfaction levels on food and service quality and analyze correlation according to each food. The survey was conducted from March 1 to March 24, 2000, by distributing questionnaires. Statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS for t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation analysis. The results of this study were as follows: 1) It is revealed that overall average satisfaction levels on food quality according to individuals' trait came out significantly low compared to their expectation levels, and that balance in nutrition and reasonable prices had problems in relation to food quality. 2) Customers' expectation levels on food quality came out the highest with calgooksu and gimbap, and their satisfaction levels came out the highest with pizza. 3) Customers' overall average expectation levels on service quality showed a very high point, while their satisfaction levels showed a low point with significance. 4) Hamburger was poor in hygiene; pizza showed the highest satisfaction levels over its quality with significance, and calgooksu and gimbap showed very low satisfaction levels over their service quality. 5) Correlation between customers' expectation and satisfaction levels over the nutritional balance and proper taste of the food quality came out significant. 6) Pizza and chicken showed significant correlation with regard to atmosphere, service, and hygiene variables (p<0.01).