In the context of Sunday brunch evaluation, this research found that US participants perceived a menu price with 15% customary tipping as less expensive than the same price with a 15% mandatory service gratuity. In addition, they expressed greater intent to patronize a restaurant when it is under voluntary tipping than when it is under a corresponding mandatory service gratuity. More importantly, the results showed that participants’ use of surcharge information and perceived surcharge fairness acted in parallel and with similar strengths as mediators of the relationship between surcharge policy and menu price perception. However, the relationship between surcharge policy and patronage intent was fully mediated by participants’ perceived surcharge fairness. The findings of the present research have important implications for the US food service industry as a growing number of restaurants have adopted mandatory service gratuity in place of voluntary tipping in recent years. Although the decision to switch to mandatory service gratuity is mostly driven by concerns about internal customers such as employee compensation, this research suggests that it may have a negative impact on external customers in terms of menu price perception and patronage intent. Consequently, restaurants, especially those targeting price-sensitive clientele, should think twice before jumping on the mandatory gratuity bandwagon.
This study focuses on testing the validity of dimensions of restaurants’ menu prices. In addition, the effect of demographic variables on the perception of each price dimension was investigated. The subjects were people living in the capital region who have, at least on occasion, gone to family restaurants. The data were collected by self-administered questionnaires and analyzed by factor analysis, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and the ANOVA t-test. The results were that consumers’ perception of restaurant menu prices is not uni-dimensional, but has six dimensions: price-price schema, pricequality schema, value consciousness, low price proneness, price mavenism, sales proneness. Demographic variables partially affect the consumers’ perception of each menu price dimension. The result of the t-test examining dimensions of price according to the demographic characteristic was that females have a higher sales proneness than males. The t-test result according to marriage indicated that married people were higher in price-price schema and quality proneness than unmarrieds. ANOVA according to age indicated that people between ages of 20 to 29 have a higher quality proneness than those of other ages.
The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of menu price and image on perceived sacrifice and value of tourist restaurant, the mediating effects of perceived sacrifice on the relationships between menu price and value, and between image and value. A total of 273 questionnaires were completed. ANCOVA was used to measure the mediating effects of perceived sacrifice on the relationships among menu price, image, and value. When the menu price and perceived sacrifice were regressed on the value, the menu price and perceived sacrifice were statistically significant. Moreover, when the image and perceived sacrifice were regressed on the value, the image and perceived sacrifice had a statistically significant effects on value. The results demonstrated that perceived sacrifice played a mediating role in the relationship between menu price and value.
The purpose of this study was to investigate how comparative menu price, human service, amenity, and menu quality affected menu value, and how menu value influenced revisit intention. The model was tested in a family restaurant setting using a sample of customers visiting and enjoying menu in Daegu metropolitan city. Empirical results confirmed that not only do human service, amenity and menu quality increase menu value but that comparative menu price reduces menu value. Menu value was also found to be a significant antecedent of revisit intention. The results obtained have major implications for family restaurant marketers as well as for future research. First, family restaurant marketers should pay attention to menu pricing, as menu price decreased menu value. Second, family restaurant marketers should try to increase menu value through training of human service. Third, family restaurant marketers should try to add menu value by way of recruiting high-skilled cook. Fourth, family restaurant marketers should make efforts to attract customers through interior design.