PurposeThis research aimed to analyse the relationships between chefs' knowledge, learning with suppliers and restaurant sales performance.Design/methodology/approachA performance model was formulated, and the hypotheses were evaluated using partial least squares (PLS). The research questionnaires were sent by post to the chefs who confirmed leading for product innovation in the restaurants and yielded 166 completed questionnaires.FindingsWhilst the chef is developing new products, restaurant operations should pay attention to the supplier's subsequent income convenience. Additionally, through the cooperation of chefs and suppliers, innovative and valuable products can improve restaurant performance and maintain a competitive advantage. Moreover, tacit knowledge sharing can become a chef's ability to learn and provide competitive advantages and benefits to restaurants.Originality/valueValuable products can be advantageous to restaurants and increase restaurants' operating performance. Moreover, the development of new products is important for restaurants' operations. Further, chefs will understand market trends and make the culinary innovation process closer to the market by learning from their colleagues and partners. Additionally, chefs prefer culinary creation to provide more tacit knowledge with suppliers.

PurposeThis study examines how professional technicians' teaching styles and students' learning readiness affect cooking skills performance in culinary inheritance.Design/methodology/approachThis study constructed a learning performance model from the situated cognition perspective using a sample of students at universities and vocational colleges on a professional technician course. A total of 4,000 questionnaires were mailed to students, of which 2,018 were returned.FindingsStudents regard technical professors as teaching experts and expect them to care for their learning, while professional technicians' knowledge sharing significantly increases students' learning performance. The findings provide insight into professional technicians' teaching styles for academics.Originality/valueThis study focuses on the situated cognition perspective and its correlation with students' learning performance and discusses professional technicians' knowledge sharing as an important influencing factor.