How can the solo dining experience be enhanced? Focusing on perceived territoriality. (July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Moon, Soyeon; Bonn, Mark A.; Cho, Meehee
• Is Part Of: International journal of hospitality management. Volume 88(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-07
• Subjects: Solo dining -- Perceived territoriality -- Restaurant physical and psychological boundaries -- Solo dining satisfaction -- Revisit intentions; Hotel management -- Periodicals; Restaurant management -- Periodicals; Food service management -- Periodicals; Hôtels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Restaurants -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Services alimentaires -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Food service management; Hotel management; Restaurant management; Periodicals; 647.94
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102506
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0278-4319

Abstract

Highlights: Solo diners and their perceived territoriality were found to be improved by restaurant physical and psychological boundaries. Perceived territoriality in a restaurant setting was found to be a significant determinant of solo dining satisfaction and revisit intentions. Place identity more positively influenced perceived territoriality for gastronomy-seeking solo diners than convenience-seeking solo diners. Place dependence more positively influenced perceived territoriality for convenience-seeking solo diners than gastronomy-seeking solo diners. Abstract: Europe, Australia, the United States and now Asia have documented recent increases in numbers of "solo" consumptive restaurant dining behavior, representing an emerging worldwide restaurant industry trend. The study's objectives were designed to explore unchartered solo dining research addressing perceived territoriality as a theoretical foundation for identifying potential physical and psychological boundaries applied to the solo dining context and for examining the relationships between those boundary factors, solo diners' perceived territoriality, overall satisfaction and revisit intentions. Results showed that restaurant physical and psychological boundaries positively influenced perceived territoriality, leading to positive solo dining satisfaction and revisit intention. Further, this study revealed that solo diners' motivations significantly moderated the effects of psychological boundaries upon their perceived territoriality. Implications and recommendations for future research are provided.