Abstract
In the highly-competitive restaurant environment, restaurateurs continually optimize the quality of their offer so that customers leave the restaurant with the intention to return and to tell others about their experience. Authenticity is among the attributes that restaurateurs seek to provide; and a wealth of study has been conducted to understand authenticity in a variety of contexts including ethnic-themed restaurants. However; insufficient attention has been given to non-themed domestic restaurants; which make up a significant proportion of available dining options. This study aimed to explore the role of authenticity as part of the concepts offered by domestic restaurants in Switzerland. Interviews with managers of 30 domestic restaurants were analyzed according to their content and interpreted according to authenticity dimensions identified by Karrebaek and Maegaard (2017) and Coupland and Coupland (2014). The approach of using a framework with four dimensions—“tradition”, “place”, “performance”, and “material”—was a useful epistemological lens to view the construct of authenticity. Participants from country restaurants placed more importance on tradition, while restaurateurs from both country and urban restaurants emphasized the importance of seasonal and regional ingredients and of fitting the restaurant within the cultural and geographical landscape. Managers of domestic restaurants in Switzerland see authenticity as a way of attracting and retaining customers, which can thereby contribute to the economic sustainability of restaurants, although the participants cautioned that customer expectations of sufficient choice can outweigh the added value of authenticity. Authenticity of the product offered by domestic restaurants can also contribute to the sustainability of place by enabling continuity of cultural heritage and traditions. These results provide a basis for future research that could guide restaurateurs’ decisions of how to include authenticity when developing and implementing their concepts for domestic restaurants.
Highlights
In a world filled with deliberately and sensationally staged experiences, consumers increasingly base their purchase decisions on their perceptions of how authentic they perceive an offering to be [1]
There appears to be close to consensus among restaurateurs that attributes that contribute to authenticity add value to the experience of domestic restaurants in Switzerland, which supports Gilmore and Pine’s [1] assertion that authenticity is what customers want
The results could be classified against four main dimensions: Tradition, which is expressed in terms of serving regional dishes, consistency of the concept over time, and long term relationships with local suppliers; Place, which is expressed by serving local and seasonal ingredients, and making connections with the countryside where the food is produced; Performance, which commonly involves demonstration of connections and local customs; and Material, which describes tangible characteristics such as interior design and food quality
Summary
In a world filled with deliberately and sensationally staged experiences, consumers increasingly base their purchase decisions on their perceptions of how authentic they perceive an offering to be [1]. The growth in consumer interest in the authenticity of products, services, performances, and places has been reflected by a corresponding interest by scholars [2]. A base assumption of study into authenticity is that its attribution conveys value to the object of study, which has been supported by research, such as that of Kovacs et al [3] who demonstrated that authenticity generates higher consumer value ratings of organizations. Carroll [2] noted that consumers in modern society increasingly embrace products, services, and forms of expression that exude and exemplify the authentic. Coupland [4] raised questions about whether the concept of authenticity in experience is desirable in every context
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