CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS

Abstract

The quick service (aka fast food) restaurant industry is a significant and growing aspect of the overall restaurant industry. For long-term success, quick service restaurants must be perceived as offering sufficient value for consumers. To do this, restaurants must first determine what consumers value in a quick service restaurant experience. As such, this research study explores consumers' service quality preferences in the quick service restaurant industry. Results of this research highlight critical factors which help to determine the expectations that consumers have about the quick service restaurant industry and their perceptions of service quality from a dining experience. Based upon university students' quick service experiences, the results found in this study indicated that consumers are highly price sensitive, but also place high importance on speed of service, location, quality of food, and cleanliness. A discussion is provided for how these results can be used to develop effective marketing strategies for quick service restaurants.