Restaurant’s Multidimensional Evaluation Concerning Food Quality, Service, and Sustainable Practices: A Cross-National Case Study of Poland and Lithuania

Joanna Trafialek,Ewa Czarniecka-Skubina,Jurgita Kulaitiené,Nijolė Vaitkevičienė

doi:10.3390/su12010234

Joanna Trafialek, Ewa Czarniecka-Skubina + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010234

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze consumer choices and evaluate the restaurant service quality, including quality of meals and services, and sustainability practices in restaurants in Warsaw and Kaunas. Our research was conducted using a sample of 1200 adult Poles and Lithuanians. Polish and Lithuanian consumers used catering services with varying frequencies. Different elements influenced their choice of restaurant. However, the common feature was the quality of meals, which in Lithuania was compared only with the price of meals, and with other elements in Poland. In the context of restaurant’s sustainable practices, it has been revealed that surveyed consumers had only partially fit into the contemporary consumption trends. In both countries, consumers have appreciated the use of reusable cutlery and crockery, as well as local and seasonal ingredients, while they did not pay attention to sustainable restaurant practices, such as the use of alternative sources of protein, environmentally friendly forms of energy, and reducing waste and minimization of food losses. The use of cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) allowed a comprehensive assessment of consumer opinions on restaurants in terms of meal quality and service as well as sustainable practices. Restaurateurs should monitor the satisfaction of their customers and recognize the changing needs and habits of consumers.

Highlights

Multiple factors contribute to food satisfaction when consumers eat out
The frequency of using catering services by Polish and Lithuanian consumers was differed statistically significant (Student’s t-test; p = 0.0000). In both countries, most consumers answered less than once a week (Poles 46.4%, Lithuanians 43.5%)
Significantly more Lithuanians than Poles dined in restaurants twice a week (12.3%, 9.5%, respectively) and three or four times a week (11.7%, 2.2%, respectively)

Summary

Introduction

Multiple factors contribute to food satisfaction when consumers eat out. The food quality is the most important factor in determining customer satisfaction and behavioral intention [28,29,30]. The nutritional awareness of consumers, who are showing an increasing concern for health, is growing and being manifested in regular and rational nutrition, including dietetical aspects, as well as eating meals of appropriate quality, e.g., organic, vegetarian, or allergen-free food. Awareness of the owners of catering establishments and legislative bodies are changing. This happened in the case of the obligation to provide information on allergens which is in relation to the meals in gastronomy [7]. Reducing the portion of food intake is a promising strategy in reducing energy intake by consumers and tackling obesity and it is associated with reducing food waste [10,11,12]

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