Dining Experience Process and Customer Satisfaction In Family Restaurant

Restaurant service in Malaysia provides big contribution to Malaysian economic growth and society. However, comprehensive studies to identify process of dining experience and how customer satisfaction evolve in Malay family restaurants that dominated 60% of restaurant service in Malaysia are left without attention. Therefore, this qualitative study was conducted in Johor Bahru to identify process of dining experience in Malay family restaurants and cognitive evaluation process of dining experience satisfaction. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with restaurant customers and restaurant staff, supplementary data from documentary evidence and close observation. The data were analyzed using three stages of coding process (open coding, axial coding and selective coding) that assisted by NUDIST computer software. Finding of this study showed that dining experience is a continuous process which started with the customers' first engagement with the restaurant at the reservation stage and continues until they leave the restaurant at the departure stage. For a successful restaurant service, restaurateurs need to ensure all tangible and intangible determinants that influenced satisfaction at each stage of the dining experience process are treated equally and not as a separate entity. This is to provide valuable, meaningful memorable and holistic satisfaction to every customer who dines at the restaurant.