Perceiving the Atmosphere of Asian Restaurants: European Customers vs. Asian Customer

Perceiving the Atmosphere of Asian Restaurants: European Customers vs. Asian Customer

The food service sector is a huge part of the tourism and hospitality industry. Restaurants can be found everywhere in the world as humans always need and seek to eat. In our current world, most people eat out for more reasons than simply to have food to survive; people seek a meal experience which includes both tangible (e.g. food and drink) and intangible (e.g. service, mood, atmosphere, etc.) aspects combined to generate an entire product service mix. The atmosphere of the food service sector is considered to be the total environment to which customers are exposed. The purpose of this study is to compare cross-cultural differences in perceptions of restaurant atmosphere. In order to achieve the aim of this study to compare cross-cultural differences in restaurant atmosphere, a total of 101 questionnaires were collected from Asian restaurants in Bournemouth, UK. The results of this study indicate that restaurants must offer quality food to attract and retain customers. Also, customers consider staff behavior as an important aspect that impact on their choice and preference in choosing a restaurant was differed between cultures. To gain a competitive advantage in the present market, restaurants must also offer quality of service and meals of good value. Study results implied that restaurants must create a great atmosphere and managers must communicate actively to consumers that the core service will remain the same or become better.