Restaurant’s Multidimensional Evaluation Concerning Food Quality, Service, and Sustainable Practices: A Cross-National Case Study of Poland and Lithuania

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze consumer choices and evaluate the restaurant service quality, including quality of meals and services, and sustainability practices in restaurants in Warsaw and Kaunas. Our research was conducted using a sample of 1200 adult Poles and Lithuanians. Polish and Lithuanian consumers used catering services with varying frequencies. Different elements influenced their choice of restaurant. However, the common feature was the quality of meals, which in Lithuania was compared only with the price of meals, and with other elements in Poland. In the context of restaurant’s sustainable practices, it has been revealed that surveyed consumers had only partially fit into the contemporary consumption trends. In both countries, consumers have appreciated the use of reusable cutlery and crockery, as well as local and seasonal ingredients, while they did not pay attention to sustainable restaurant practices, such as the use of alternative sources of protein, environmentally friendly forms of energy, and reducing waste and minimization of food losses. The use of cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) allowed a comprehensive assessment of consumer opinions on restaurants in terms of meal quality and service as well as sustainable practices. Restaurateurs should monitor the satisfaction of their customers and recognize the changing needs and habits of consumers.

Food Safety When Eating Out—Perspectives of Young Adult Consumers in Poland and Turkey—A Pilot Study

“…Understanding consumer perception and behavior is an important prerequisite to minimize the safety risks. The cultural and geographical background of consumers plays a significant role in determining their acceptance of and reaction to foods, and this point is generally neglected in the literature [ 40 , 41 ]. Although consumer complaints and comments are usually considered a negative reflection of the business, such comments can provide useful information for authorities and hospitality industry investors that they could use to their advantage [ 39 ].…”

Attitudes and Consumer Behavior toward Foods Offered in Staff Canteens

“…Moreover, financial support from the company is positively associated with a healthy meal option. To attract customers, catering companies introduce all kinds of innovations such as healthy eating programs, sustainable development principles in all aspects of the organization, supporting Fairtrade, and philanthropy [ 46 , 47 , 70 ]. Workplace strategies, such as reducing barriers to healthy eating, can help employees follow healthy diet guidelines [ 37 ] and improve their diet quality.…”

Combined Effects of Drivers and Impact of Customer Satisfaction on Brand Loyalty: The Contingent Effect of Social Trust

“…Bearing in mind the perspective of current study, slight modifications were made in the scale of the indicators of extant studies, which include food quality, service quality, restaurant atmosphere, price, variety of food, customers' satisfaction, brand loyalty, and social trust. A three-item scale was used to measure perceived food quality, perceived service quality, perceived restaurant atmosphere, price, and customers' satisfaction (Trafialek et al, 2020). A two-item scale was used to measure variety of food (Trafialek et al, 2020;Xi & Shuai, 2009).…”

“…A three-item scale was used to measure perceived food quality, perceived service quality, perceived restaurant atmosphere, price, and customers' satisfaction (Trafialek et al, 2020). A two-item scale was used to measure variety of food (Trafialek et al, 2020;Xi & Shuai, 2009). Moreover, a six-item scale was used to measure brand loyalty (Sunaryo, 2019) and further conceptualized into three dimensions such as behavioral, affective, and cognitive loyalty.…”

“…The extant literature has comprehensively examined the drivers of customers' satisfaction (Costa et al, 2018;Dutta et al, 2014) and fundamental indicator of economic success i.e., brand loyalty (Alkhawaldeh & Eneizan, 2018;S. M. Lee et al, 2019;Trafialek et al, 2020). Numerous studies have been conducted in the context of fast-food industry loyalty (Namin, 2017), but the combined effects had not been explored yet.…”