Scrolling the Menu, Posting the Meal: Digital Menu Effects on Foodstagramming Continuance

Abstract

Grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework, this study examines how digital menu design influences visitors’ continuance intention towards foodstagramming within hospitality settings. Specifically, the research investigates the direct and indirect roles of menu visual appeal (MVA) and menu informativeness (MI) as stimuli, desire for food (DoF) and cognitive fluency (CF) as organismic responses, and continuance intention towards foodstagramming (CIF) as the behavioral outcome. Data were collected through a Microsoft Forms administered via food-oriented social media platforms in Egypt that employ digital menus. A total of 404 valid responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings confirmed that both MVA and MI are significantly associated with DoF and CF, which in turn positively shape CIF. Moreover, DoF and CF mediate the relationships between menu design attributes (MVA and MI) and CIF, while Product design/visual design story congruency (PVC) strengthens the positive relationships between DoF and CF and CIF. Overall, the results highlighted the critical role of digital menu design in promoting customer engagement behaviours on social media. The study contributes to hospitality and tourism literature by integrating digital interface design with experiential dining research. It also offers practical implications for enhancing customer satisfaction and brand visibility through the strategic implementation of digital menus.