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 and Nijolė Vaitkevičienė
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Joanna Trafialek: Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), 02-787 Warszawa, Poland
Ewa Czarniecka-Skubina: Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), 02-787 Warszawa, Poland
Jurgita Kulaitiené: Institute of Agricultural and Food Science, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU-AA), LT-50240 Kaunas, Lithuania
Nijolė Vaitkevičienė: Institute of Agricultural and Food Science, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU-AA), LT-50240 Kaunas, Lithuania

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-21

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.

Keywords: restaurant; consumer; food quality; service quality; sustainable practices; Poland; Lithuania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2019:i:1:p:234-:d:302421

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