Main Attributes of Quality and Price Perception for a la Carte Restaurants

This paper presents a qualitative study of the main determinants of perceived quality and perceived price as seen by clients of a la carte restaurants. Focus group interviews were conducted covering four types of consumers: couples without children, groups of friends, families, and groups of executives. The main determinants of perceived quality identified in this study were: attributes of the food, service, ambience, waiting time, cleanliness, security, support facilities, menu, attributes of drinks, privacy, accuracy, decor, and confirmation of expectations. On the other hand, the most important determinants of perceived price were: food quality, decor, ambience, service, support facilities, menu, cleanliness, attributes of drinks, portion size, prior expectations, and privacy. Results suggest a strong relationship between determinants of perceived quality and perceived price, an important aspect to be considered by restaurant managers in order to improve the customer satisfaction. The importance of this work lies in its contribution to research carried out in the restaurant industry, since the findings suggest that quality and price attributes are differently prioritized by customers as a function of their reason for using the service. Hence, managers should look into these factors to position their services according to client characteristics.