Examining the enablers of street food attachment: an integrated attachment-SOR perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT COVID-19-induced lockdowns and movement restrictions led to individuals’ limited movement and recall of street food memories. Against this backdrop, the current study explores the enabler role of the perceived scare of COVID-19 on street food attachment and its contribution to recommending and revisiting intention. A prominent contribution of this study is the evaluation of the moderating role of perceived price fairness, food authenticity, vendor hygiene practices, and income. The proposed model is validated with perceptual responses gathered from two prominent destinations viz. India and the Middle East and analyzed with partial least squares. Results showed that the perceived scare of COVID-19 does significantly enhance one’s attachment associated with street food. Moreover, street food attachment does enhance an individual’s revisit and recommendation intention in the new normal. Furthermore, results showed that the contingent effects of food authenticity, perceived price fairness, vendor’s hygiene practice, and income have a positive moderation on the relationship between perceived scare of COVID-19 and street food attachment. The study is one of the few studies on street food attachment in the new normal for developing countries like India and the Middle East. The implications have relevance for street food businesses and small food business owners in Asian countries.