In some studies, it was found that service quality was more important than food quality in dining

satisfaction. A study conducted by Yuksel and Yusel (2002) suggested that service quality had significant
effect on dining satisfaction at an aggregate market level, and particularly for adventurous or healthy
food seekers. Andaleeb and Conway (2006)

Omar, M. S., Ariffin, H. F., & Ahmad, R. (2016). Service quality, customers’ satisfaction and the
moderating effects of gender: A study of Arabic restaurants. Procedia-Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 224, 384-392. Retrieved from:
https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1877042816304748?token=C0AF965B859C0BD3C4632C2E2
B62CB3649C352838BC55D761B9D067D7D829AA846736E7CC455129CC3396378701AFCBC

Food quality is the quality characteristics of food that is acceptable to consumers. This includes
external factors as appearance (size, shape, colour, gloss, and consistency), texture, and flavour; factors
such as federal grade standards (e.g. of eggs) and internal (chemical, physical, microbial).

Kapiris, K. (Ed.). (2012). Food Quality. BoD–Books on Demand. Retrieved from:

https://books.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pbqZDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=Food+qualit
y+is+the+quality+characteristics+of+food+that+is+acceptable+to+consumers.+This+includes+external+f
actors+as+appearance+(size,+shape,+colour,+gloss,+and+consistency),+texture,+and+flavour%3B+facto
rs+such+as+federal+grade+standards+(e.g.+of+eggs)+an&ots=_GB207hDP5&sig=Yali9m-
5KmkZV8z17ZzQPa_S0x0&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Food%20quality%20is%20the%20quality%20char
acteristics%20of%20food%20that%20is%20acceptable%20to%20consumers.%20This%20includes%20ex
ternal%20factors%20as%20appearance%20(size%2C%20shape%2C%20colour%2C%20gloss%2C%20and
%20consistency)%2C%20texture%2C%20and%20flavour%3B%20factors%20such%20as%20federal%20gr
ade%20standards%20(e.g.%20of%20eggs)%20an&f=false

Ryu et al. (2012) highlighted the importance of food quality as a measure of customer
satisfaction in the restaurant industry. As a result, five aspects of food quality were adopted from Ryu et
al. (2012), namely: the food is fresh, the food is delicious, the food is nutritious, there is a variety of
menu items and the smell of the food is enticing. Qin and Prybutok (2009) explored the potential
dimensions of service quality and examined the relationships between service quality, food quality,
perceived value, customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions in fast-food restaurants and pointed
out that food quality has a positive and direct influence on customer satisfaction

Al-Tit, A. A. (2015). The effect of service and food quality on customer satisfaction and hence
customer retention. Asian Social Science, 11(23), 129. Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmad_Al-
Tit/publication/282128914_The_Effect_of_Service_and_Food_Quality_on_Customer_Satisfaction_and_
Hence_Customer_Retention/links/5816439d08ae90acb240f55a/The-Effect-of-Service-and-Food-
Quality-on-Customer-Satisfaction-and-Hence-Customer-Retention.pdf
 Several researchers have provided strong support that food quality is one of the key factors for
success (Du and San, 2005; Lawless, 1995). Empirical evidences reveal that food quality has a significant
impact on a firm’s long term financial performance due to its ability to create a favourable preference
for the firm’s products when consumers can 20 differentiate its product quality from others in a
meaningful way (Du and San, 1995). Hence, to be able to gain competitive advantage and survive in the
market, it is therefore essential for the restaurant managers to identify which attributes are vital and
reachable to consumers and to know which parameters have impacts on the purchase decision (Bryhni
et al., 2002)

Retrieved from: http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/1529/3/CH_2.pdf

The comparative design was also used as it tried to ascertain the comparative analysis on service
quality of food service establishment by select demographic variables. Moreover, it also used the
correlation design because the study attempted to correlate some variables to the dependent variables
of the study. The responders of this research were the managers and employees of fast food chains,
fine-dine restaurants, and family owned food service establishments. Respondents were further
classified according to select demographic variables for comparison and correlation. A questionnaire on
the determinant of the level service quality of food establishments was adopted to carry out the
objectives of the study.

The food service establishments use varied marketing practices in promoting their line of
business, services and promotion. Years of operation is not related to the implementation of service
quality levels in the food service establishments although it established an emerging positive
relationship to place, product and promotion, and a negative relationship to people and price
Bautista, R. and Gaspar, K. (2015). THE SERVICE QUALITY OF FOOD SERVICE
ESTABLISHMENTS. [online] www.academia.edu. Available at: Retrieved from:
https://www.academia.edu/12130820/THE_SERVICE_QUALITY_OF_FOOD_SERVICE_ESTABLISHME
NTS