By the time the first dish arrives, most guests have already decided what kind of restaurant they are in. The booking message, the entrance, the greeting, the table and the menu set an expectation that the food then has to meet or overturn.
The judgement starts early
Guests cannot taste the food before they order it, so they look for evidence elsewhere. Service researchers call the physical setting a servicescape: the surroundings customers use to infer quality before and during the service itself.
Five moments before the food
- The booking: the wording and timing of the confirmation message.
- The entrance: the frontage, the door, the light and the smell on the way in.
- The greeting: how quickly and how warmly the guest is acknowledged.
- The table: what is on it, how it is set, and whether it matches the price.
- The menu: its condition, its language, and whether staff can explain it.
Why it matters commercially
A guest who arrives expecting an ordinary meal is less likely to order the more expensive dish, the second drink or the dessert, whatever the kitchen is capable of. The experience before the food sets how much the food is allowed to be worth.
Questions
When do guests decide what a restaurant is worth?
Largely before the food arrives: from the booking, the entrance, the greeting, the table and the menu. The food then has to meet or overturn that expectation.
Sources
- Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes: The impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. Journal of Marketing, 56(2).
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