Buffet Restaurant Research Articles

Buffets and obesity: is there a connection?

ObjectiveTo determine whether buffets have become more common over the last 30 years in Greater Toronto.MethodsWe measured advertising for buffets (newspapers and Yellow Pages) as a proxy measure of buffet restaurants. Searches were done in two time periods: 1963–1988, and 2011 (up to September).ResultsBetween 1963 and 1988, we found 6 advertisements for buffet restaurants in Toronto (4 in the Yellow Pages and 2 in newspapers). In 2011 we found 16 advertisements (all in the Yellow Pages).CommentBuffets are restaurants that allow unlimited amounts of varied food to be eaten at a fixed price. They combine together several factors that encourage an excessive intake of food energy: they are a fast‐food restaurant, customers can take large portions, and (in most cases) they supply unlimited amounts of energy‐dense food at a relatively low price. Virtually no research has been conducted on the relationship between buffets, energy intake, and weight gain. Our findings indicate that there has been a large growth in the number of restaurants in Toronto offering buffets during the time period that obesity rates were climbing rapidly. These findings are consistent with the possibility that buffets are a factor involved in the epidemic of obesity. Future studies should measure actual food intake when customers eat at a buffet.

외식업체에서 제공되는 김치류와 채소절임류의 삭카린나트륨 함량에 관한 연구

This study was done to investigate the content of sodium saccharin in Kimchi and salted vegetables served by restaurants. 99 samples were collected from restaurants which were located mainly in the Seoul metro area. Sodium saccharin was analyzed by HPLC. The types of restaurants were privately owned(68.7%) and franchised(31.3%). The composition ratio of sodium saccharin in Kimchi & salted vegetables at Korean, Chinese, Japanese, fast food, family, flour based food, and buffet restaurants was 60%, 14%, 2%, 7%, 13%, 4%, respectively. The composition ratio of sodium saccharin in kaktugi,, danmooji, kimchi, moosangchai, jangajji, mool kimchi, pickle, jjasai, oijii was 19.2%, 16.2%, 16.2%, 14.1%, 12.1%, 9.1%, 5.1%, 4.0%, 4.0% respectively. The mean of sodium saccharin detection rate of the 99 samples was 30.30%.

호텔 뷔페 레스토랑의 서비스 품질과 고객의 감정반응, 추천의도 및 이탈의도에 관한 연구

This study investigated the hotel buffet restaurant's service quality, emotional reaction of customer, recommendation intention, and defection intention. The survey was conducted from January 3 to February 7 in 2011, and 400 respondents were used in the data analysis. As a results of this study, the hotel buffet restaurant's service quality was classified by the interaction, outcome, and physical environment quality. The emotional reaction of hotel buffet restaurant's customer was classified by the positive and negative emotion. The all factors of hotel buffet restaurant's service quality had a positive impact on positive emotion, while it had a negative impact on negative emotion. The positive emotion reaction of hotel buffet restaurant's customer had a positive impact on the recommendation intention, while the negative emotion had a negative impact on the recommendation intention. And the negative emotion had a positive impact on the defection intention in hotel buffet restaurants. In addition, there were partially differences in the service quality and emotional reaction by general characteristics. There were significant differences in the recommendation intention by marriage status and monthly income. Therefore, the hotel buffet restaurants have to design a strategy of service for increasing customer's positive emotion and recommendation intention.

A Study on the Effect of Menu Quality on Customer Value and Customer Satisfaction - Focused on Seafood Buffet Restaurant -

A Study on the Effect of Menu Quality on Customer Value and Customer Satisfaction - Focused on Seafood Buffet Restaurant -

A Study on the Effect of Menu Quality on Customer Value and Customer Satisfaction - Focused on Seafood Buffet Restaurant -

A Study on the Effect of Menu Quality on Customer Value and Customer Satisfaction - Focused on Seafood Buffet Restaurant -

The Effects of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty of Hotel Buffet Restaurants' Customer at Special 1st Grade Hotels

The Effects of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty of Hotel Buffet Restaurants' Customer at Special 1st Grade Hotels

The Effects of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty of Hotel Buffet Restaurants' Customer at Special 1st Grade Hotels

The Effects of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty of Hotel Buffet Restaurants' Customer at Special 1st Grade Hotels

Activity‐based pricing: can it be applied in restaurants?

PurposeThis paper aims to demonstrate how activity‐based pricing can be applied in a restaurant setting by combining the use of price sensitivity measurement with activity‐based costing.Design/methodology/approachData are collected at a Hong Kong buffet restaurant, based on guests' price perceptions and the establishment's detailed cost structure. These data are analyzed by using price sensitivity measurement techniques and activity‐based costing methods, separately, and then combined to create an activity‐based pricing analysis of the restaurant's menu.FindingsThe use of activity‐based pricing techniques reveals that, although the guests are relatively price‐insensitive, drastic measures were needed to reduce costs for the restaurant to become profitable. Without the benefit of this study, the restaurant's management would not have been able to see clearly the nature of the challenges that they faced, since a single pricing study, or cost study, would have missed the combined cost and pricing effects that were captured by activity‐based pricing.Research limitations/implicationsActivity‐based pricing is shown to be a powerful technique that can be applied effectively in a restaurant. Utilizing this method allows a restaurant truly to understand both its operating cost structure and the price perceptions of it guests. Since this study involved only a single buffet restaurant, further research should be conducted to confirm that activity‐based pricing can also be applied in other restaurant and hospitality industry settings.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study suggest that activity‐based pricing may be a viable way for restaurant managers to gain a better understanding of both their guests' price perceptions and the true cost structure of their restaurants. Use of activity‐based pricing allows restaurant managers to set price levels that cover all operating costs and profits, while still meeting guests' expectations of value.Originality/valueThis study is the first of its kind in the hospitality literature, since no prior research has applied activity‐based pricing in a hospitality research setting. This study represents an important new addition to the existing body of hospitality cost and pricing literature.

Price-Sensitivity Measurement: a Tool for Restaurant Menu Pricing

Setting the correct price for hospitality products is a crucial management task that has a major influence on a firm's profitability. In general, there has been a lack of academic interest in the area of pricing in services. The restaurant industry typically establishes prices by marking up a variable cost percentage and by intuition, or by trial-and-error methods. This study illustrates how restaurant managers can use price-sensitivity measurement to assess their guests' price sensitivity. By means of a relatively simple survey, restaurant managers can gain insights about their menu pricing directly from their customers. This study uses data collected from a Hong Kong buffet restaurant, but the technique could be applied in virtually any restaurant setting. The results reveal price ranges that represent real value for dinner buffet patrons.

Complaints and perceptions of failure recovery in buffet restaurants

PurposeComplaint handling has the great influence on customer retention and provides a chance for businesses to improve service quality. This study intended to reveal the complaint actions of adolescent customers and perceptions of failure recovery in buffet restaurants with a linkage of family communication patterns.Design/methodology/approachA consumer survey was administered in the metropolitan area of Taipei. Quota sampling procedure was applied following the age and gender distribution of the population between the ages of 13 and 19. Consent from parents was obtained prior to the survey.FindingsBased on the results of the study, adolescent customers with high concept‐ and high socio‐orientation were prone to complain for dissatisfaction. Private actions were preferred by adolescent customers to express dissatisfaction, followed by using the internet or through actions of parents. For service recovery, adolescents preferred to have discounts, followed by free desserts. The results indicated that adolescents were more straightforward and they wanted to have compensations immediately. Furthermore, service recovery satisfaction showed a positive relationship with repeat purchases. Adolescent customers who were satisfied with service or food compensations would be likely to have repeat purchases. Nevertheless, adolescents who were unsatisfied with the service or food recovery did not totally cease purchasing.Practical implicationsBuffet managers should give inducements to encourage adolescents to complain spontaneously. Buffet managers may offer discounts for the current consumption rather than coupons for next patronage. Adolescent customers with concept‐ and socio‐orientation will provide useful information for buffet managers to improve their service quality.Originality/valueThis study provides new insights into the area that has not been studied exclusively, complaint behavior of adolescent customers in buffet restaurants.

An Analysis on the Preference Tendency of Customer of Italian Restaurants, Buffet Restaurants and Traditional Restaurants for Locational Factors

An Analysis on the Preference Tendency of Customer of Italian Restaurants, Buffet Restaurants and Traditional Restaurants for Locational Factors

An Analysis on the Preference Tendency of Customer of Italian Restaurants, Buffet Restaurants and Traditional Restaurants for Locational Factors

An Analysis on the Preference Tendency of Customer of Italian Restaurants, Buffet Restaurants and Traditional Restaurants for Locational Factors

The Effects of the Choice Attributes of Seafood Buffet Restaurants on Customer Satisfaction and Revisit Intention

The Effects of the Choice Attributes of Seafood Buffet Restaurants on Customer Satisfaction and Revisit Intention

The Effects of the Choice Attributes of Seafood Buffet Restaurants on Customer Satisfaction and Revisit Intention

The Effects of the Choice Attributes of Seafood Buffet Restaurants on Customer Satisfaction and Revisit Intention

Menu engineering and activity‐based costing – can they work together in a restaurant?

PurposeThis research paper aims to examine whether using menu engineering (ME) together with activity‐based costing (ABC) for menu analysis gives new insights about true menu profitability. The traditional ME approach only uses food cost to determine the contribution margin of individual menu items. This combined approach uses both food and traceable operating costs to estimate contribution margins more accurately.Design/methodology/approachAn improved menu engineering model was developed and tested in a buffet restaurant in Hong Kong. Direct observation of restaurant activities allowed most costs to be traced (not simply allocated) to individual menu items.FindingsThe results found that only three of 20 dinner menu entrées were profitable. This unique insight would not have been possible using traditional ME methods alone. The results also showed that ABC methods are applicable to a buffet‐style restaurant.Research limitations/implicationsOnly a single restaurant and only the dinner menu were examined in this study. Future research should apply the model used herein to other restaurant types located in different geographical areas in an effort in order to validate the approach.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests that ME can be improved upon by first assessing variable costs using ABC methods. Thus, the extra effort required to apply ABC in a restaurant appears to be worthwhile.Originality/valueThe paper combines two disparate analytic techniques (ME and ABC) in a new approach that reveals a menu's true profit and loss picture. The paper also makes several modifications to the traditional ME approach.

Fruit, Vegetable, and Fat Intake among Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White Adolescents: Associations with Home Availability and Food Consumption Settings

Objective This study sought to explore home food availability and common settings of food consumption as correlates of fruit, vegetable, and fat intake among a sample of non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white adolescents. Participants and Design Adolescents (n=144 black, 84 white) and their parents completed a cross-sectional survey in an urban adolescent health clinic. The adolescent survey included screening measures for fruit, vegetable, and fat intake and items on frequency of eating meals with family, while watching television, and at three types of restaurants. Parents provided information on home availability of foods. Main Outcomes Correlates of fruit, vegetable, and fat consumption. Statistical Analysis Spearman correlations for associations among variables, t tests for mean comparisons, and multiple stepwise regression conducted separately for black and white adolescents. Results In multiple regression, home availability was not significantly associated with fruit, vegetable, or fat intake except for fruit intake among white adolescents only. Use of non–fast-food restaurants was the strongest positive predictor of vegetable intake. For both black and white adolescents, fast-food and buffet restaurant use and eating while watching television were the strongest predictors of fat intake. Conclusions Compared with restaurant use and eating while watching television, home availability had a relatively small impact on fruit, vegetable, and fat consumption for both black and white adolescents. Intervention programs on adolescent nutrition should target not just availability of healthful foods, but also ease of access, such as the preparation of fruits and vegetables so that they are flavorful and ready to eat.

The Application of Activity-Based Costing in a Hong Kong Buffet Restaurant

Previous research has shown that Activity Based Costing is a feasible method for establishing overall menu profitability. In this study, a model for Activity Based Costing that had been applied to a fine dining restaurant was tested in a buffet style restaurant in Hong Kong, China. The outcome of this study indicates that the restaurant model could also be applied to a buffet style restaurant with good results. In addition, the model was able to trace undistributed operating expenses to individual dinner buffet items, thereby revealing that every time the restaurant sold a dinner buffet, it realized a loss of HK $33.

Forecasting in Short-Term Planning and Management for a Casino Buffet Restaurant

SUMMARY Demand fluctuation accounts for an important consideration in a restaurant's daily operational decisions. Good short-term planning and management require accurate forecasts of daily demand. The objective of this study is three-fold: (1) to apply, evaluate, and compare different methods of forecasting customer counts for an on-premises buffet restaurant of a local casino in Las Vegas, (2) to describe and propose a combined forecasting approach for this casino buffet restaurant, and (3) to explore the concept of revenue and capacity management for this buffet restaurant. Eight forecasting models were tested and evaluated by two common error measures. The results suggest that a double moving average model was the most accurate model with the smallest MAPE and RMSPE. Extensive discussions on forecasting and planning/management in buffet operations are provided along with recommended future research.

Cultural Awareness of the Consumers at a Chinese Restaurant

Food consumption habits and patterns are components of culture that make an important contribution to the food decisions consumers make and thus compromise an important area for the studies of consumer behavior. Eating out and eating a variety of the combination of American and ethnic foods has become a new trend in the United States and thus makes it a popular culture phenomenon. Restaurants are suggested as one of the best places to study consumer behavior. It is in restaurants that consumers are not only consuming tangible goods (food and drink), but they are also consuming the intangible service. This study presents an exploratory descriptive examination of the cultural awareness of the consumers in a Chinese buffet restaurant using an anthropological approach.