GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN DINING PREFERENCES: A RESEARCH-BASED EVALUATION OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN THE RESTAURANT SECTOR

Authors

  • Tejashwini Srivastava Student at Amity Business School, Amity University, Mumbai
  • Linu George Assistant Prof. Linu George, Business School Mumbai, Amity University, India
  • Bhawna Sharma Director International Affairs & Programs, Officiating HOI, Amity Business School, Amity University Mumbai

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i3.2025.6496

Keywords:

Consumer Behaviour, Dining Preferences, Age Groups, Service Quality, Restaurant Industry, Customer Satisfaction

Abstract [English]

The fast-changing face of the Indian restaurant industry has been driven by shifting lifestyles, digital influence, and changing consumer expectations. This paper looks into differences in dining behavior along age divisions using primary data from visitors to a restaurant located in an urban environment. It investigates some key drivers of choice that include food quality, service experience, ambiance, pricing, hygiene, and finally, online engagement. The descriptive research design was followed, and responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic interpretation. Outcomes suggest that whereas food quality and hygiene are important across the board, digital presence and aesthetics appeal more to younger consumers, while comfort, familiarity, and courteous service are traits valued by older groups. The study underlines the requirement for restaurants to use targeted approaches that meet generational expectations. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour in the contemporary Indian dining sector.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Bhatia, R. (2024, August 12). Dining Trends Evolve in Urban India. The Economic Times.

Dąbrowska, A. (2011). Consumer Behaviour in the Market of Catering Services in Selected Countries of Central-Eastern Europe. British Food Journal, 113(1), 96–108. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701111097367

Kotler, P., and Keller, K. L. (2017). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson Education.

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346

Ministry of Tourism. (2023). Annual Report 2023–24 (hospitality and Tourism Trends). Government of India, Ministry of Tourism.

Parsa, H. G., Self, J. T., Njite, D., and King, T. (2005). Why Restaurants Fail. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 46(3), 304–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010880405275598

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., and Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A Multiple-item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.

Sri Astuti, and Hanan, H. (2016). The Behaviour of Consumer Society in Consuming Food at Restaurants and Cafés. Journal of Advances in Business Research, 1(1), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.21834/jabs.v1i1.173

Statista. (2024). Restaurant Industry in India: Market Overview. Statista. (Retrieved November 27, 2025, from Statista database).

Thahir, S. B. S. A. (2018). How does the Ambience of Café Affect the Revisit Intention Among its Patrons? MATEC Web of Conferences: MUCET 2018, Article 05074. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201815005074

Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., and Gremler, D. D. (2018). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Downloads

Published

2025-03-31

How to Cite

Srivastava, T., George, L., & Sharma, B. (2025). GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN DINING PREFERENCES: A RESEARCH-BASED EVALUATION OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN THE RESTAURANT SECTOR. International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 13(3), 543–548. https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i3.2025.6496

Most read articles by the same author(s)