Revisit and satiation patterns: Are your restaurant customers satiated?

Abstract

This study was designed based on the notion that when people visit a restaurant repeatedly their overall enjoyment of the dining experience may decrease due to the nature of satiation. Thus, this study set out to understand the effect of repeated experiences on consumers’ affective responses. Specifically, this study examined whether or not repeated visits contribute to diners’ satiation and, if so, to identify patterns of satiation. To fulfill these objectives, this study randomly distributed questionnaires to customers of upscale and casual dining restaurants in the U.S. The results of this study suggested that consumers’ satiation levels increase according to the frequency of visits over both two- and six-week periods. However, satiation patterns differ over the two periods. Upscale restaurant customers feel satiated more quickly than casual dining restaurant customers when they revisit the same restaurant more often. Further, customers with more self-control feel less satiated after repeated dining experiences than customers with less self-control. However, customers with different optimal stimulation levels did not show a difference in satiation patterns after repeated dining experiences. Detailed findings and implications are provided in the main body of this study.