Generation Y's dining out behavior

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to examine the dining out activities of Gen Y's in the United States. In particular, it focuses on dining frequency, restaurant selection, restaurant segments and demographic features of Gen Yers.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data for this study were collected from 631 Gen Y's living in the United States.FindingsThe research findings reveal a nascent exploration of eating out preferences of the Gen Y population in an industrialized country in the food service context.Research limitations/implicationsGeneration Y is a lucrative and growing customer group for the US foodservice industry. They dine out more frequently than the rest of the population and their dining out preferences are different from other cohorts.Originality/valueThis study offers some practical implications on Gen Y's dining out behavior for food service industry and restaurateurs.

Attracting the millennial customer: the case of food trucks

“…, 2019; Yoon and Chung, 2017). However, this study’s results are consistent with the Okumus et al. (2021) study, which concluded that restaurant attributes like ambience, having a new experience, noise and crowd level are inconsequential for the millennial diner when choosing a restaurant.…”

“…, 2017; Qin and Prybutok, 2008). Those new to food trucks use observable signals related to food truck image in the lines of S–O–R framework to form their perceptions along with factors such as cleanliness, food variety, service quality, food cost and service speed when selecting a restaurant (Okumus et al. , 2021).…”

Authenticity and Experience Quality Effect Customer Loyalty of Thematic Restaurants and Demography as Moderation

“…Food quality affects tourist loyalty (Han & Hyun, 2017;Hernandez-Rojas et al, 2021;Zhong & Moon, 2020). The majority of respondents are from generations Y and Z where they are the most powerful generation and the most developed customer segment in the food industry compared to other generations (Nyheim et al, 2015;Okumus et al, 2021;Yoon & Chung, 2018;Yoon et al, 2018). Tourists are more concerned with quality food than luxurious service and still consider a comfortable place for their satisfaction (Okumus et al, 2021;Roseman et al, 2017;Zhong & Moon, 2020).…”

“…This study explains that East Java tourists are a customer segment that pays attention on the level of service quality in buying food. They tend to like fast service over getting the luxury services offered (Okumus et al, 2021;Wahyuningsih et al, 2022) The next hypothesis is the direct and mediating effect of the perceived authenticity variable. H3 is accepted and this study supports previous research that there is an important relation between loyalty and authenticity in cognitive and emotional-based constructs (Fu, 2019;Zhang et al, 2019).…”

“…The context of an ethnic restaurant is a concept that prioritizes an authentic impression and is able to present a reflection of a reference culture to consumers Prayag et al, 2020). However, the speed of service remains a major consideration for tourists in East Java (Okumus et al, 2021;Wahyuningsih et al, 2022) Based on the results of the moderation test in table 4, it is known that the effect of Experience Quality on Customer Loyalty is not moderated by demography. H5 is rejected and it can be seen that there is no difference between the behavior of female consumers and male consumers.…”