The impact of food quality and its attributes on customers' behavioral intention at Malay restaurants

The foodservice business today is a dynamic industry. This can be seen from the assortment of foodservice establishments escalating in all sub-sectors of the industry, including restaurants. Food quality appears to be acknowledged as fundamental for the success of restaurants; however, most restaurant quality-related studies focused on atmospherics and service delivery, often neglecting the significance of food itself as the basis of a restaurant. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of food quality on behavioral intentions and to further examine the contribution of individual food attributes on it. With regression analyses, the results demonstrated overall food quality significantly affects behavioral intentions; on top, food freshness was the utmost contributor to it. Hence, restaurateurs should identify that customer place a high value on freshness of food and this appears to be associated with crispness, juiciness, and aroma of the food.