Customers’ Motivation to Adopt Augmented Reality (AR) Technology in a Restaurant

Abstract

The food service business has been completely transformed over a decade. It’s due to the introduction of smart technology, which has resulted in an improved experience for customers while also enhancing the industry’s operational efficiency. One of the advanced technologies that have recently been used by these service companies is Augmented Reality (AR). Using the cognitive evaluation theory, the purpose of the current study was to examine what motivates the customers to adopt AR applications at the restaurant. The study focuses on customers who have not used or experienced the AR application previously. This research adopts a quantitative approach and uses convenient samples involving 164 participants. The findings revealed that consumers’ attitudes regarding AR apps in restaurants were shown to be positive when those apps offered both pleasant experiences (hedonic motivation) and effective data or functional advantages (utilitarian motivation). Moreover, it was revealed that attitude has a favorable impact on intention. It was hypothesized that consumers who had a positive view of AR applications were more likely to intend to use them. Drawing on principles from smart technology literature, this research advanced our understanding of how customers react to implementing augmented reality in the food service companies, especially in restaurants.