The evolution of consumer restaurant selection: Changes in restaurant and food delivery application attributes over time

Abstract

Restaurants and food delivery applications (FDA) work together in consumption episodes, but how their interplay evolves remains unanswered. Applying this interplay to two time-lag intervals, this study explores the attributes driving shifts in the relationship between restaurants and FDA platforms' satisfaction-behavioral intention linkage. The findings indicate that these attributes are dynamic and evolve during consumption episodes. While attribute weights depend on subsequent consumption experiences, satisfaction judgments do not entirely coincide with weight changes. Although the FDA satisfaction-restaurant behavioral intention linkage is stable over time, the restaurant satisfaction-FDA behavioral intention linkage rises sharply. Finally, the temporal effect of the satisfaction-intention mechanism increases significantly within the restaurant context but decreases slightly within the FDA context.