Augmenting service quality dimensions: mediation of image in the Indian restaurant industry

Abstract

Providing top-notch services is imperative for the success of any organization in this era of globalization and competitiveness. This study aims to identify the dimensions of perceived service quality, food quality, perceived value, and restaurant image in the Indian restaurant industry and examine the impact of the identified dimensions on customer satisfaction. The data was collected from 520 customers of the top 10 restaurants in New Delhi and Bengaluru each by employing a structured questionnaire. The results reveal that the food quality, tangibility, and assurance dimensions were the most important determinants of customer satisfaction. Moreover, the restaurant image partially mediates the association between food quality and customer satisfaction, while no mediation was observed between the perceived value and customer satisfaction in the study. The results exhibit the influential drivers of customer satisfaction, restaurant image, and customer loyalty that may stimulate restaurant managers to hold on to their customer base and ameliorate profitability. There are scant studies on restaurant image, food quality, and perceived value in Indian settings. Therefore, the study enriches literature by assimilating the aforementioned constructs together based on a methodical conceptual model. It is distinctive as it unravels the mediating role of restaurant image in clarifying the relationship amongst the underlying constructs. © 2022 Taylor & Francis.