How can the solo dining experience be enhanced? Focusing on perceived territoriality

Solo dining in Chinese restaurants: A mixed-method study in Macao

“…On the contrary, YouGov, a global market research company, identified enjoying solo time as the key motive to dine alone in the United Kingdom ( Grant, 2015 ). A similar sentiment has been reported in several studies, in which hedonic motives such as freedom and enjoyment also have been found to be the main drivers of solo dining ( Lahad and May, 2017 ; Moon et al, 2020 ; Takeda and Melby, 2017 ). Moon et al (2020) further revealed the impact of different solo dining motivations on the place attachment of a restaurant.…”

“…Eating alone is commonly associated with utilitarian motives as opposed to the social motives of communal eating ( Takeda and Melby, 2017 ). Past studies have suggested that solo dining is induced by the circumstances, such as convenience, work schedule, and lack of a dining companion ( Heimtun, 2010 ; Moon et al, 2020 ; Takeda and Melby, 2017 ). For instance, eating out alone is regarded an unavoidable experience for solo travellers ( Brown et al, 2020 ; Heimtun, 2010 ).…”

“…The prevalence of solo dwelling, which is attributed to the changing work and living environment in urban areas and household structures, triggers an individualised lifestyle, including travelling alone and dining alone ( Bianchi, 2016 ; Her and Seo, 2018 ; Moon et al, 2020 ). Among the solo lifestyle trends, the increased visibility of solo diners in various countries has been highlighted ( Moon et al, 2020 ). According to The Fork (previously Dimmi), an online restaurant reservation platform, reservations made by single diners increased by 27 % in Australia between 2017 and 2018 ( Cloros, 2018 ).…”

“…Although solo dining has become prevalent in contemporary society, only a handful of studies have explored the phenomenon of solo dining ( Her and Seo, 2018 ; Lahad and May, 2017 ; Moon et al, 2020 ). Little is known about solo diners’ motivations, behavioural characteristics, and experiences.…”

“…Furthermore, prior research has suggested that the sociality assumption in a public dining space conducive to sharing and togetherness could render solo diners feeling lonely and conspicuous ( Heimtun, 2010 ; Lahad and May, 2017 ). Recent studies have also underlined the issues with dining space, such as table proximity and restaurant layout in creating stressful and negative experiences for solo diners ( Her and Seo, 2018 ; Hwang et al, 2018 ; Moon et al, 2020 ). Nonetheless, we have yet to fully understand the various dining environmental factors that shape the solo dining experience.…”