The experience of flexible commensality in restaurants

L’expérience de commensalité flexible au restaurant

Khuong Nguyen Huy () and Jean-Baptiste Welté ()
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Khuong Nguyen Huy: CREGO - Centre de Recherche en Gestion des Organisations - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar - UFC - Université de Franche-Comté - UBFC - Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] - UBE - Université Bourgogne Europe
Jean-Baptiste Welté: CREGO - Centre de Recherche en Gestion des Organisations - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar - UFC - Université de Franche-Comté - UBFC - Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] - UBE - Université Bourgogne Europe

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Abstract: This study explores the impact of digital technologies on the dining experience in restaurants, introducing the concept of "flexible commensality." By analyzing interactions in seven restaurants in Dijon, the research highlights how technologies, such as smartphones and social media, are redefining social dynamics around meals. The findings reveal that while technology sometimes fragments physical interactions, it can also enhance social exchanges by enabling a hybrid form of sociability. Diners navigate between digital and physical presence, balancing direct and virtual interactions. This study offers recommendations for restaurateurs, suggesting the seamless integration of technology to preserve the social experience of dining. It also paves the way for future research on the evolution of these dynamics in diverse cultural contexts and in response to rapid technological advancements.

Keywords: Experience; Commensality; Technology; Social interaction; Social ritual; Rituel social; Interaction sociale; Technologie; Commensalité; Expérience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-03-27
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Published in 11ème Journée de Recherche en Marketing du Grand Est, Mar 2025, Dijon, France. pp.230-237

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05348540

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