Journal of Foodservice Business Research

Call for Papers

Journal of Foodservice Business Research

Special Issue “Consumer behavior in restaurants post-COVID19”

Guest editor:

Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu, Associate Professor, Tourism Faculty, Nevsehir HBV University, Türkiye

[email protected]

Aim and Scope:

The foodservice industry, particularly restaurants, has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by various studies (Jeong et al., 2022; Sun et al., 2022). In addition to the immediate health risks, the pandemic also brought about financial and economic difficulties for restaurant businesses (Kaptangil and Kübra, 2022; Palabiyik et al., 2023), resulting in a myriad of challenges that affected consumer behavior (Dhillon and Kaur, 2023). Ensuring the safety of customers and staff, for instance, necessitated changes in the physical layout of restaurants, increased sanitation protocols, and the adoption of contactless ordering and payment methods (Hong et al., 2021). The shift towards off-premises dining, such as takeout and delivery, also required new strategies for menu design, packaging, and logistics (Yang et al., 2020), while reduced indoor capacity due to social distancing measures resulted in significant revenue loss for restaurants.

As a result, there have been noticeable changes in consumer preferences and behavior, such as a greater emphasis on local sourcing, sustainability, and health and wellness concerns (Dedeoğlu, Mariani, Shi and Okumus, 2022; Ryu et al., 2023; Wei et al., 2021). Technology and digital platforms have also become more critical for ordering and payment, reflecting a shift in consumer reliance on technology. The pandemic has highlighted the challenges faced by small and independent restaurants and emphasized the need for financial aid and support (İskender et al., 2022; Roe and Smith, 2023).

The restaurant industry has been struggling with challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this special issue seeks to fill the gaps in our understanding of how consumer behavior has changed. With a better grasp of evolving consumer preferences, attitudes, and expectations, restaurants can adjust their operations and services to provide better customer satisfaction. Additionally, policymakers and industry stakeholders can make informed decisions and develop effective strategies to promote the recovery and growth of the sector based on research into post-pandemic restaurant consumer behavior. This issue serves as an opportunity for researchers to shed light on this crucial topic and contribute to the industry's overall understanding of the changes that have taken place.

Topics:

We invite research papers that address the following topics related to consumer behavior in restaurants post-COVID-19:

• Changes in consumer preferences and attitudes towards dining out
• The impact of health and safety concerns on consumer behavior in restaurants
• The role of technology in enhancing the restaurant experience for consumers post-COVID-19
• Consumer perceptions and expectations of restaurant service quality in a post-pandemic era
• The influence of social and cultural factors on consumer behavior in restaurants post-COVID-19
• Strategies for restaurants to adapt to the changing consumer behavior post-COVID-19
• The impact of government policies on the restaurant industry and consumer behavior post-COVID-19
• Sustainability and ethical considerations in the restaurant industry after COVID-19
• The role of marketing in attracting and retaining customers in the post-COVID-19 era

If you have any queries regarding this special issue, please email to the handling Guest Editor, Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu, at [email protected]

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper has been completely re-written and if appropriate written permissions have been obtained from any copyright holders of the original paper).

Submission Guidelines:

Manuscripts should be submitted through the journal's online submission system. All submissions will be subject to a double-blind review process. For more information on manuscript preparation and submission guidelines, please visit the Journal of Foodservice Business Research website.

All papers are refereed through a peer review process.

Select "Consumer behavior in restaurants post-COVID19” when submitting your paper to Journal of Foodservice Business Research via ScholerOne.

 

Important Dates:

Full manuscript submission deadline: March 31, 2024

 

We look forward to receiving your submissions and contributing to the knowledge on consumer behavior in restaurants post-COVID-19

If you have any queries regarding this special issue, please email to the handling Guest Editor, Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu, at [email protected]

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article