How Sushi Became Popular in Italy The Role of Producers and Consumers

The diffusion of sushi in Italy is linked to the globalisation of sushi chefs and to the globalisation of fish markets that allows people to buy every kind of fish they need, without thinking about the damages they could provoke. The consumption of sushi underlines also the diffusion of Japanese cultural elements and the fascination for Japanese culture in Italy. In general, sushi is not only linked to economic strategies adopted by chefs and restaurant managers, but also to the diffusion in Italy of other Japanese cultural elements.

The challenges of presenting traditional music in gastronomic establishments – the case of Slovenian Istria

Purpose Through investigation and comparisons between tourists and restaurant managers regarding their understanding of traditional music and their attitudes, expectations and assigned importance to it, this paper aims to identify the most problematic aspects of the (non)inclusion of traditional music in restaurant settings in tourist destinations. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a field survey of tourists and managers/owners of catering establishments in the four municipalities of Slovenian Istria. Findings The results show that tourists attach a relatively high importance to this element of cultural heritage and that it is not sufficiently included in the overall product of the destination and in the catering establishments. Differences in the understanding of traditional music between the two groups were also found. Research limitations/implications The research limitations are, namely, a relatively small sample of managers for the quantitative analysis, the particular nature of the chosen destination which does not allow generalization of the results and finally, the study was conducted in the high season when the structure of tourists is significantly different compared to that in the mid and low season. Practical implications The findings bring some useful insights into tourists’ expectations and understanding of traditional music as part of the tourism experience for catering establishments’ managers and destination management organizations. By addressing the identified gaps, they can enrich the overall tourism product of the destination, while catering operators can achieve better business results. Social implications The more frequent and cogent inclusion of traditional music in the hospitality sector would provide a new social function and raison d'être for this segment of cultural heritage, which is in danger of being forgotten in many tourist destinations. Originality/value This research addresses a widely overlooked area of two interrelated fields of research, namely, hospitality and cultural heritage. Unlike the majority of previous research on this topic, which only involves actual guests, the present research is designed as a comprehensive investigation and comparison of the attitudes of the general population of actual tourists in the destination (as potential guests of the inns/restaurants) and managers of catering businesses operating in the destination.

Carbon dioxide, COVID-19 and the importance of restaurant ventilation: a case study from Spain approaching Christmas 2021

Restaurants present an especial challenge in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 via exhalatory bioaerosols because customers are unprotected by facemasks while eating, so that ventilation protocols in such establishments become especial important. However, despite the fact that this pandemic airborne disease has been with us for two full years, many restaurants are still not successfully prioritising air renovation as a key tool for reducing infection risk. We demonstrate this in the run-up to the 2021 Christmas celebrations by reporting on CO2 concentration data obtained from a hotel breakfast room and restaurants during the 5-day Spanish holiday period of 4th-8th December. In the case of the breakfast room, poor ventilation resulted in average CO2 levels ranging from 868 to 1237 on five consecutive days, with the highest levels coinciding with highest occupancy numbers. Inside the five restaurants, three of these were well ventilated, maintaining stable average CO2 concentrations below 700ppm. In contrast, two restaurants failed to keep average CO2 levels below 1000ppm, despite sporadic, but ineffective, attempts by one of them to ventilate the establishment. More effort needs to be made to foster in both restaurant managers and the general public an improved awareness of the value of CO2 concentrations as an infection risk proxy and the relevance of ventilation issues to the propagation of respiratory diseases.

Who is an evangelist? Food tourists’ positive and negative eWOM behavior

Purpose This study aims to examine food tourists’ engagement in positive and negative electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) by considering the following questions: Do satisfied customers engage in advocacy, and do dissatisfied customers make the same effort to spread their negative experiences? Which restaurant experience attributes influence eWOM behavior? What demographic and psychographic characteristics contribute to advocacy? Design/methodology/approach Using data from an online survey of 456 consumers with restaurant experience in the tourism context, this study applied simultaneous Tobit estimation to examine the research hypotheses. Findings Engagement in negative eWOM because of poor experiences was stronger than engagement in positive eWOM because of positive experiences. Food taste was a critical attribute for both positive and negative eWOM. Authenticity was influential for positive eWOM only, and value was influential for negative eWOM only. Atmosphere, service and location were found to be insignificant, indicating that they are ‘indifferent’ factors for eWOM in the food tourism context. Female customers were more active in negative advocacy, while Generation Y customers were more active in positive advocacy. Food involvement was significantly related to both positive and negative eWOM. Research limitations/implications The results of this study provide useful marketing and service insights for restaurant managers in the digitally connected world, enabling them to formulate services based on factors critical for restaurant eWOM in the tourism context. Originality/value To fill a gap in the current literature in the era of digital marketing, this study takes a comprehensive yet industry-specific perspective on eWOM engagement by examining demographic factors and the food involvement of consumers as well as restaurant experience attributes. By investigating both positive and negative eWOM, this study presents meaningful practical and theoretical implications.

Resilience Innovations and the Use of Food Order & Delivery Platforms by the Romanian Restaurants during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, the blocking of activity by the government and the restrictions imposed in Romania had detrimental effects on the activity of restaurants, imposing their adaptation to new situations and generating creative innovations that caused changes in the way restaurants deliver food to consumers through food order & delivery platforms. Exploring the nature and implications of such innovations on resilience, this study analyzes their impact on the attitude and intention to use food delivery platforms by restaurant managers in Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the proposed structural model, the authors integrate innovations in resilience by joining together the new components of the established TAM model. This research was conducted on a sample of 402 restaurant managers in Romania. The data was collected based on a questionnaire, and it was analyzed with the SmartPLS3 software. The results of the study show that the four variables of innovation, namely business strategy innovations, technological innovations, financial innovations and social innovations, exert different effects on behavioral intention and attitude towards using the order & delivery platforms. The results of the study can be key points in the more efficient management of material, financial and human resources, thus improving the commercial performance of restaurants.

The Effect Of Wom And Advertising On Purchase Intention With Brand Awareness As Mediating Variable At Five Star Restaurants In Nusa Dua

Five-star hotel restaurants in the Nusa Dua area managed by international chains have similarities, namely not achieved the restaurant sales targets set by the company, restaurants not being remembered and known by consumers, restaurants not being advertised in various media, and TripAdvisor rankings, bubble ratings, and reviews are low. The above phenomena are related to the theory of word-of-mouth communication, advertising, brand awareness, and purchase intention. Research is conducted on the effect of word-of-mouth communication and advertising on purchase intention with brand awareness as a mediating variable. This type of research is explanatory research with non-probability purposive sampling technique with data collection techniques through questionnaires. Questionnaires were distributed to customers who had stayed and visited Eight Degrees South Conrad Bali and The Shore Hilton Bali for a period of one month from July 2021 to August 2021. The respondents who answered the questionnaire were 170 respondents. SEM PLS analysis was used to analyze the data. This study found that brand awareness has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention. WOM and advertising have no significant effect on purchase intention. WOM and advertising have a positive and significant effect on brand awareness. Brand awareness significantly mediates WOM and advertising on purchase intention. Restaurant managers are advised to advertise hotel restaurants on social media and advertorial advertisements to build brand awareness and consumer purchase intentions. Future research to explore the possibility of being developed in the room and spa division.

Examining restaurant purchase intention during crises: the role of message appeal

Purpose This paper aims to examine the joint role of the pandemic-induced source of crisis (i.e. health and social crisis) based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and message appeal in customer perception of and behavioral intention toward a restaurant. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a 2 (source of crisis: social, health) × 2 (message appeal: social, health) between-subjects factorial design. A total of 181 samples was collected and data was analyzed by using ANCOVA and PROCESS. Findings The results showed a significant two-way interaction between source of crisis and message appeal on to-go intention. With the potential effect of risk aversion being controlled, message appeal significantly impacted perceived competence, which influenced both dine-in and to-go intentions. Practical implications The research findings suggest a crucial role of perceived fit between message appeal and customer concerns during crises. Therefore, restaurant managers should actively communicate their safety practices with their customers to inspire customer confidence. Originality/value This study identifies crisis dimensions based on human needs during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which determines the persuasiveness of marketing messages.

Critical Success Factors affecting the Restaurant Industry: Insights from Restaurant Managers

This study identifies, prioritizes and ranks a list of critical factors that impact consumers’ perception of the restaurant industry from a restaurant managers’ perspective. A mixture of the modified-Delphi method and multi-criteria decision-making method, the best-worst method (BWM), is adopted to achieve the study aim. The integrated approach has been employed with the help of seven experts from different units working under Hyderabad Restaurant Industry, India. The study identifies five main and twenty-five sub-categorical factors impacting consumers’ perception of restaurants. In particular, the study offers insights into the restaurant business after implementing a new taxation system (i.e., GST). The ranks showed that 66% of restaurants success depends on two critical factors, that is, ‘food quality’ and ‘cleanness and ambience’. The top choices can be improved by emphasizing the ‘use of fresh ingredient’ and ‘use of regular cleaning and sanitization’. The findings provide managerial and policy insights to direct efforts and resources more efficiently.

Restaurant Innovativeness and Brand Attachment: The Role of Memorable Brand Experience

The rise in restaurant failures suggests that a strong customer-brand attachment is essential for long-term viability. For restaurant managers, enhancing customer attachment to the restaurant brand is critical. However, few studies have examined the drivers of customer brand attachment. Our research investigated the association between innovativeness and brand attachment and the mediating role of memorable brand experience. A self-administered questionnaire survey method was adopted. Data were gathered from customers of coffee shops in Taiwan. The results revealed that out of four dimensions of restaurant innovativeness, menu innovativeness and experiential innovativeness exerted a positive influence on brand attachment through the creation of a memorable experience. Experiential innovativeness also exerted a direct positive influence on brand attachment. Few studies have explored the development of brand attachment from the perspective of innovativeness. Hence, our study may be the first to offer a framework that connects innovativeness, memorable brand experience, and brand attachment.