Journal of Foodservice Business Research

ISSN: 1537-8020 (Print) 1537-8039 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wfbr20

Attributes of the coffee shop business related to

customer satisfaction

Won Seok Lee, Joonho Moon & Myungkeun Song

To cite this article: Won Seok Lee, Joonho Moon & Myungkeun Song (2018) Attributes of the
coffee shop business related to customer satisfaction, Journal of Foodservice Business Research,
21:6, 628-641, DOI: 10.1080/15378020.2018.1524227

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2018.1524227

Published online: 04 Oct 2018.

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JOURNAL OF FOODSERVICE BUSINESS RESEARCH
2018, VOL. 21, NO. 6, 628–641
https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2018.1524227

ARTICLE

Attributes of the coffee shop business related to customer

satisfaction
Won Seok Leea, Joonho Moon b
and Myungkeun Songc
a
Department of Tourism and Recreation, Kyonggi University, Suwon, Korea; bDepartment of Tourism
Administration, Kangwon National University, Chooncheon, Korea; cSchool of hospitality Management,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Chooncheon, PA, USA

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedent attributes of Atmosphere; coffee quality;
customer satisfaction in the coffee shop business domain. Based on the coffee shop; employee
literature, this research examines “atmosphere,” “employee attitudes,” attitude; IT service; loyalty;
satisfaction
“information technology service (IT service),” and “coffee quality” in
relation to “satisfaction” and “loyalty.” A total of 277 observations were
obtained from data collected using Amazon Mechanical Turk. For the
data analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation mod-
eling were conducted to examine the validity of the measurements and
to understand the structural relationship. The results showed that the
hypothesized antecedent variables were statistically significant to
account for satisfaction. In particular, taste was identified as the most
influential attribute accounting for satisfaction. Moreover, a significant
relationship between “satisfaction” and “loyalty” was identified.

Introduction
The coffee shop, considered the third most important place after home and the workplace
for Americans, is a representative domain of the hospitality industry. Individuals spend a
large part of their budget on coffee consumption because coffee shops can be used for
diverse purposes (e.g., studying, working, and playing) (Fisher, Landry, & Naumer, 2007;
Hattox, 2014; Waxman, 2006). The extant literature has discussed the economic value of
coffee businesses. According to an Ibis report (2011), in 2010, the economic scale of the
coffee shop business in the US was approximately 26.5 billion dollars, with 4.1% annual
growth on average and 6.1 billion dollars in employment effects. Thus, the industry
contributes substantially to the US economy. In describing characteristics of the industry,
Ibis (2011) reports that the coffee shop business has low barriers to entry but a high level
of competition and labor intensiveness. Given the economic value and uniqueness of these
industrial characteristics, it is crucial that coffee shop businesses understand the market in
order to achieve continuous profits.
Numerous studies focusing on consumer behavior have considered the role of satisfaction
in market achievement (Han & Hyun, 2017; Jung & Yoon, 2013; Kim, Vogt, & Knutson, 2015;
Ryu, Han, & Kim, 2008; Ryu, Lee, & Kim, 2012). A vast body of literature indicates that

CONTACT Joonho Moon joonhomoon0412@gmail.com Department of Tourism Administration, Kangwon

National University, Hyoja2-Dong, Kangwon University Rd, Chooncheon 200-701, Korea
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/wfbr.
© 2018 Taylor & Francis
 JOURNAL OF FOODSERVICE BUSINESS RESEARCH 629

customer satisfaction is an essential element of the service business because it may be linked to
positive business outcomes (e.g., higher levels of sales and customer loyalty). Despite its
importance, previous studies have rarely examined the attributes related to customer satisfac-
tion in the area of coffee shop service. To fill this gap in the literature, this study aims to
investigate satisfaction-related customer attributes in the context of the coffee shop business.
Since consumers are the basic unit of coffee sales, investigating attributes that can influence
satisfaction is essential for the success of coffee sales.
This research identified four attributes that are potentially linked to customer satisfac-
tion in coffee shop service. Based on abundant academic evidence in the service business,
food and hospitality contexts (Tsuar, Luoh, & Syue, 2015; Han & Hwang, 2015; Kang &
Hyun, 2012; Han, Ham, Yang, & Baek, 2012; Hwang & Ok, 2013; Cobanoglu, Bilgihan,
Nusair, & Berezina, 2012; Darini & Khozaei, 2016; Namkung & Jang, 2007; Ha & Jang,
2010), this study examined atmosphere, employee attitude, information technology (IT)
service, and coffee quality as antecedent variables that may be relevant to satisfaction.
Starbucks was selected as the research subject because of the sampling convenience. As
the largest coffee shop chain, Starbucks provides diverse products (e.g., drinks, food, tea,
and coffee-related items) and is a market leader in the food and beverage industry
(Chakravorti, 2010; Schultz, 2012; Statista, 2017). Starbucks has achieved market competi-
tiveness using elaborate marketing strategies and strong positioning in consumers’ minds
(e.g., location marketing, mobile marketing, and optional pricing marketing) (Moon &
Quelch, 2003; Taecharungroj, 2016; Thompson & Arsel, 2004). This study limits the scope
of research to the US to ensure representativeness (based on sales figures: 13.293 million
dollars in 2015) (Starbucks, 2016). Given these reasons, many studies in food and beverage
and hospitality contexts have selected Starbucks as a research subject (Chakravorti, 2010;
Harrison et al., 2005; Lin, 2012; Taecharungroj, 2016).
Overall, the main purpose of this study is to examine the antecedent variables related to
customer satisfaction with coffee shop service. In particular, four variables (atmosphere,
employee attitude, IT service, and coffee quality) that could affect coffee consumers’
satisfaction were selected based on a rich literature review (Cobanoglu et al., 2012; Han
et al., 2012; Kang & Hyun, 2012; Hwang & Ok, 2013; Han, 2105; Han & Hwang, 2015;
Hur, Moon, & Jung, 2015; Lai, 2015; Lu, Berchoux, Marek, & Chen, 2015; Tsuar et al.,
2015; Ali, Kim, Li, & Jeon, 2016; Wakefield & Blodgett, 2016; Line, Hanks, & McGinley,
2018) Furthermore, the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty was also examined
given the abundant evidence from previous research (Han & Hyun, 2017; Jung & Yoon,
2013; Kim et al., 2015). Amazon Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourcing Internet marketplace,
was used for the data collection. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation
modeling were conducted to identify the validity and internal consistency of the con-
structs used in the research and to verify the study hypotheses.

Literature review and hypothesis development

The coffee shop business and customer satisfaction
The coffee shop industry is popular worldwide because coffee shops serve various pur-
poses, such as chatting, meeting, eating, or studying (Fisher et al., 2007; Hattox, 2014;
Waxman, 2006). Given its role as a “place provider,” the coffee shop industry continues to
630 W. S. LEE ET AL.

develop (Starbucks, 2016; Statista, 2017). For example, in 2015, coffee shop-related
businesses generated 225.2 billion dollars in revenue globally and created approximately
1.7 million jobs (Ibis report, 2011; National coffee association, 2016; Starbuck, 2016).
According to an Ibis report (2011), the coffee shop industry is characterized as fairly
competitive and has a low entry barrier. Given these characteristics, it is important for coffee
shop businesses to make efforts to retain current customers and to attract new customers. Such
businesses must develop an in-depth understanding of customers (Han, Back, & Barrett, 2009;
Han & Jeong, 2013; Jung & Yoon, 2013; Ryu et al., 2008). In particular, customer satisfaction in
the marketing context is a critical factor to retain customers and attract new customers by
encouraging behavioral intentions that include “recommendations,” “willingness to pay,”
“repurchases,” and “word of mouth” (Chen & Hu, 2010; Han et al., 2009; Han & Hyun, 2017;
Han, Kwortnik, & Wang, 2008; Han & Ryu, 2009; Jung & Yoon, 2013; Kim & Ok, 2010; Ryu
et al., 2008, 2012; Tsaur et al., 2015). Thus, providing products or services that either encourage
customer satisfaction or prevent dissatisfaction is vital for retaining or attracting customers
(Jung & Yoon, 2013; Ryu et al., 2012; So, King, Sparks, & Wang, 2016). The extant coffee shop
research has examined the particular attributes that affect customer satisfaction. However, in
numerous previous studies, only limited or unspecified variables have been examined to
determine the relationship with satisfaction in the coffee shop context. For example, Ko and
Chiu (2008) examined the antecedents of coffee shop service satisfaction using brand-associated
attributes. Moreover, Tu, Wang, and Chang (2012) accounted for the satisfaction of coffee
consumers using corporate social responsibility-related attributes. Additionally, Kim and Shim
(2017) reported an association between service quality and customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction-related attributes and hypothesis development

To analyze customer satisfaction, this research examines four main attributes that can
reflect coffee shop characteristics: atmosphere, employee attitude, IT service, and taste.
Previous research has defined comfort as a state of physical ease in the atmosphere and
noted that it provides customers with familiarity and comfort to produce satisfaction in
the hospitality context (Han et al., 2009; Han & Ryu, 2009; Kang, Tang, Lee, & Bosselman,
2012; Ryu et al., 2012; Tsaur et al., 2015). In a similar vein, a number of studies have
examined the effects of “atmosphere” in the tourism service domain and have suggested
that feelings of comfort from the environment are likely to generate a sense of satisfaction
(Ha & Jang, 2010; Heung & Gu, 2012; Tripathi & Dave, 2014; Han & Hwang, 2015; Han &
Hyun, 2017; Han et al., 2012). For example, Han and Jeong (2013) examined customers of
an upscale American restaurant and found a positive effect of atmosphere on customer
satisfaction. Based on the extant literature, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H1: Atmosphere positively affects customer satisfaction with coffee shops.

The second variable that the study examines is “employee attitude.” In hospitality and
tourism services, employees are more likely to be at the service interface, so their attitudes are
reflected in service quality (An & Noh, 2009; Han et al., 2012; Kang et al., 2012; Ringle, Sarstedt,
& Zimmermann, 2011). Scholars have shown that a friendly or kind reply (e.g., willingness to
help) from employees is a critical element of restaurant service (Gazzoli, Hancer, & Park, 2010;
Kang & Hyun, 2012; Liu & Jang, 2009; Ryu et al., 2012; Tsaur et al., 2015; Wu & Liang, 2009).
 JOURNAL OF FOODSERVICE BUSINESS RESEARCH 631

Moreover, Kim and Ok (2010) asserted that a positive employee attitude builds rapport with the
customer, which is associated with satisfaction. Similarly, Hwang and Ok (2013) noted that in
casual and fine dining restaurants, outcomes (e.g., customer satisfaction and favorable beha-
vioral intention) are determined by the interaction between customers and employees. Based on
the literature review, the following is hypothesized:

H2: Employee attitude positively affects customer satisfaction with coffee shops.

The third variable that this research selects is “IT service provision” (e.g., availability or
speed of wireless Internet service). Several studies have found that free Internet service has
become a necessary element that can enhance service quality (Brochado, Rita, & Margarido,
2016; Bulut, Demirbas, & Ferhatosmanoglu, 2015; Efimov & Whalley, 2004; Hampton &
Gupta, 2008; Honack & Waikar, 2017; Liu, 2009; Yang & Jun, 2002). In particular, the
provision of complimentary wireless Internet service builds a competitive advantage in
restaurant or food services (Darini & Khozaei, 2016; Spacey, Muir, Cooke, Creaser, &
Spezi, 2015; Yusop, Tiong, Aji, & Kasiran, 2011; Zhou, Ye, Pearce, & Wu, 2014). For
example, in a study of American customers, Cobanoglu et al. (2012) demonstrated that
the provision of wireless Internet service contributed to generating favorable customer
reactions in a restaurant setting. Kim, Park, and Jeong (2004) investigated Korean hospitality
service customers and found a positive impact of wireless Internet service on the level of
customer satisfaction. Thus, the following is proposed as the third hypothesis:

H3: IT service positively affects customer satisfaction with coffee shops.

“Coffee quality” is the final variable that can influence customer satisfaction. Prior research
has shown that food quality is the most significant element in the food service business (Chen
& Hu, 2010; Dorn, Messner, & Wänke, 2016; Ha & Jang, 2010; Han & Hyun, 2017; Namkung
& Jang, 2007). The extant literature has shown a positively significant association between
satisfaction and food quality in an ethnic restaurant (Ha & Jang, 2010), a full-service restau-
rant (Tsaur et al., 2015), and a hotel restaurant (Han & Hyun, 2017). Based on the evidence,
this study hypothesizes that coffee quality influences customer satisfaction.

H4: Coffee quality positively affects customer satisfaction with coffee shops.

Finally, scholars have argued that customer satisfaction plays an important role in
increasing “customer loyalty” because a positive psychological state is more likely to bring
about a positive reaction (e.g., word of mouth, repurchase intention, and willingness to pay).
The literature has shown that loyalty is aligned with preferences and favorable behavioral
intentions (e.g., recommendations and willingness to pay and intentions to repurchase a
certain product, service, or brand) (Chen & Hu, 2010; Han et al., 2009, 2008; Han & Ryu, 2009;
Kim et al., 2015; So et al., 2016). Several prior studies have demonstrated that customer
satisfaction positively affects loyalty behavior in the case of a fast-casual restaurant (Ryu et al.,
2008), a Chinese restaurant (Ryu et al., 2012), a family restaurant (Jung & Yoon, 2013) and a
hotel restaurant (Han & Hyun, 2017).

H5: Satisfaction positively affects customer loyalty to coffee shops.

632 W. S. LEE ET AL.

Method
Measurement model
This study schematizes the hypotheses and presents them in Figure 1. The explanatory
variables are atmosphere, employee attitude, IT service, and taste. The four attributes are
possible antecedents of satisfaction, and satisfaction is considered to explain customer loyalty.
Numerous studies were reviewed in reference to measurement tools, and they were
modified in the study context: measurement of satisfaction (Han et al., 2009; Han & Ryu,
2009; Ryu et al., 2008), atmosphere (Han & Jeong, 2013; Ryu et al., 2012; Tripathi & Dave,
2014), employee attitude (Gazzoli et al., 2010; Ryu et al., 2012; Wu & Liang, 2009), IT service
(Bulut et al., 2015; Hampton & Gupta, 2008; Liu, 2009; Yang & Jun, 2002), coffee quality
(Ha & Jang, 2009; Chen & Hu, 2010; Dorn et al., 2016), and loyalty (Han et al., 2009; Han
&Jeong, 2013; Han & Ryu, 2009). The items were presented on a 5-point Likert scale
(1 = strongly disagree–5 = strongly agree) and modified according to the study content.

Data collection and analysis

Amazon Mechanical Turk (M Turk), an Internet crowdsourcing site, was used to collect
the study data. The extant research has argued that the quality of data collected through M
Turk can be reliable (Goodman, Cryder, & Cheema, 2013; Kim & Jang, 2013; Chandler,
Mueller, & Paolacci, 2014; Cheung, Burns, Sinclair, & Sliter, 2016). The total number of
participants was 277 (all were US citizens who were compensated 50 cents for survey
participation). For the data analysis, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
version 20.0 was employed. Initially, the mean, mode, median, and standard deviation
were calculated to collect descriptive information. Structural equation modeling was the

Figure 1. Proposed research hypotheses.

 JOURNAL OF FOODSERVICE BUSINESS RESEARCH 633

main analytical tool. Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) was also used to implement
confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. This study examined
goodness-of-fit indices for the validity and reliability of the measurements and the
hypothesis testing.

Results
Sample profile and descriptive statistics
Table 1 depicts the sample characteristics. Regarding gender, 57% of the respondents were
male, and 43% were female. With regard to age, 49.5% of the participants were between 25
and 34-years old. Additionally, 67.1% of the participants were single, and 32.9% of the
respondents were married. Moreover, 31.0% of the participants reported that their
monthly household income was between $2,000 and $3,999. Finally, 81.9% of the respon-
dents visited Starbucks 1–3 times a week.
Table 2 presents the descriptive information about the measurement items. A 5-point
Likert scale was employed (1 = strongly disagree–5 = strongly agree). The median and
mode for all items over the constructs was 4, indicating that a larger portion of partici-
pants reacted positively toward all items. The item means were between 3.14 and 4.18, and
the standard deviation for most variables was below 1, implying that the values in the
statistical dataset are close to the mean of the dataset.

Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model

A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to verify the structure of a set of observed
variables. As shown in Table 3, every goodness-of-fit index met the degree of agreement
(χ2 = 345.731, Q = 2.524, df = 137, p = 0.000, GFI = 0.884, NFI = 0.890, TLI = 0.912,

Table 1. Sample characteristics (N = 277).

Item Frequency Percentage
Male 158 57.0%
Female 119 43.0%
18–24-years old 23 8.3%
25–34-years old 137 49.5%
35–44-years old 63 22.7%
45–54-years old 33 11.95%
55–64-years old 16 5.8%
Older than 65-years old 5 1.8%
Single 186 67.1%
Married 91 32.9%
Monthly household income
Less than $2,000 75 27.1%
Between $2,000 and $3,999 86 31.0%
Between $4,000 and $5,999 52 18.8%
Between $6,000 and $7,999 32 11.6%
Between $8,000 and $9,999 8 2.9%
More than $10,000 24 8.7%
Weekly visiting frequency
1 ~ 3 times 227 81.9%
3 ~ 5 times 39 14.1%
5 ~ 7 times 9 3.2%
More than 7 times 2 0.7%
634 W. S. LEE ET AL.

Table 2. Descriptive information on measurements.

Construct Item Mean SD
Atmosphere Starbucks has a comfortable atmosphere. 4.03 0.77
The atmosphere of Starbucks is familiar to me. 4.01 0.85
It is comfortable to spend my time at Starbucks. 3.67 0.94
Starbucks makes me relaxed. 3.62 0.95
Employee attitude Starbucks employees are friendly. 3.97 0.69
Starbucks employees are kind. 3.85 0.76
Starbucks makes me feel happy. 3.62 0.87
IT service The wireless Internet service at Starbucks is satisfactory. 3.99 0.83
Starbucks has good Internet service. 3.98 0.79
Starbucks provides high-quality wireless service. 3.91 0.83
Coffee quality The taste of Starbucks coffee is great. 3.91 1.00
Starbucks coffee has a good smell. 4.17 0.85
The aroma of Starbucks coffee is pleasant. 4.18 0.85
I like the smell and taste of Starbucks coffee. 4.02 0.96
Satisfaction I am satisfied with Starbucks. 3.97 0.90
Starbucks is fulfilling. 3.42 1.13
I am content with Starbucks. 3.85 0.93
Loyalty I am willing to pay money to Starbucks. 3.87 1.02
I have loyalty to Starbucks. 3.09 1.29
I am a loyal customer of Starbucks. 3.14 1.28

Table 3. Illustration of the results of confirmatory factor analysis.

Construct (α) Item Factor Loading t-value
Atmosphere Starbucks has a comfortable atmosphere. 0.770
(α = 0.856) The atmosphere of Starbucks is familiar to me. 0.667 10.928
It is comfortable to spend my time at Starbucks. 0.843 14.166
Starbucks makes me relaxed. 0.839 14.100
Employee attitude Starbucks employees are friendly 0.766
(α = 0.780) Starbucks employees are kind. 0.806 12.292
Starbucks makes me feel happy. 0.691 10.697
IT service The wireless Internet service at Starbucks is satisfactory. 0.613
(α = 0.832) Starbucks has good Internet service. 0.877 10.620
Starbucks provides high-quality wireless service. 0.890 10.628
Coffee quality The taste of Starbucks coffee is great. 0.887
(α = 0.912) Starbucks coffee has a good smell. 0.867 19.637
The aroma of Starbucks coffee is pleasant. 0.824 20.797
I like the smell and taste of Starbucks coffee. 0.82 13.362
Satisfaction I am satisfied with Starbucks. 0.809
(α = 0.758) Starbucks is fulfilling. 0.547 8.779
I am content with Starbucks. 0.904 13.485
Loyalty I am willing to pay money to Starbucks. 0.653
(α = 0.879) I have loyalty to Starbucks. 0.949 13.103
I am a loyal customer of Starbucks. 0.952 13.118
Notes: All factor loadings are significant at p < .000.
χ2 = 345.731, df = 137, p = 0.000, GFI = 0.884, NFI = 0.890 TLI = 0.912, CFI = 0.930, RMSEA = 0.075.

CFI = 0.930, RMSEA = 0.075). Thus, the theoretical measurement model fits well with the
actual model. With regard to construct reliability (CR), all values were greater than ±1.96,
which indicates statistical significance (Hair, Anderson, Babin, & Black, 2010; Maiti,
Agresti, & Finlay, 2009). Moreover, the reliability values represented by Cronbach’s
alpha across all variables were between 0.758 and 0.912, indicating that all measurement
variables were internally consistent (George, D., & Mallery, P. 2003).
This research considered the average variance extracted (AVE) and CR to evaluate
construct validity (discriminant and convergent validity) (Berthon, Ewing, & Hah, 2005;
 JOURNAL OF FOODSERVICE BUSINESS RESEARCH 635

Table 4. Correlation matrix.

1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Atmosphere 1.00
2. Employee attitude 0.653 1.00
(0.23)
3. IT service 0.478 0.481 1.00
(0.17) (0.15)
4. Coffee quality 0.594 0.589 0.334 1.00
(0.25) (0.22) (0.15)
5. Satisfaction 0.687 0.723 0.482 0.765 1.00
(0.25) (0.23) (0.16) (0.26)
6. Loyalty 0.657 0.649 0.401 0.618 0.688 1.00
(0.29) (0.25) (0.17) (0.28) (0.27)
Construct reliability (CR) 0.77 0.76 0.92 0.89 0.78 0.83
AVE 0.72 0.68 0.85 0.83 0.63 0.72
Note: All correlations are significant at p < .01

Hair et al., 2010). As Table 4 shows, the AVE of all variables was less than 0.8, indicating
the construct validity of all latent constructs. The extant literature has indicated that
discriminant validity is assessed by comparison of the square root of the AVE with
correlation (Cheung, Chiu, & Lee, 2011; Fornell & Larcker, 1981; Wynne, 1998). The
overall square root of the AVE was higher than the value of each construct. This result
indicates the discriminant validity of constructs in the model.
Table 5 shows the estimates of the structural equation model. The model fit seems to be
appropriate based on the goodness-of-fit indexes (GFI = 0.737; NFI = 0.799; TLI = 0.806;
CFI = 0.832; RMSEA = 0.125; χ2 = 816.532, df = 165, p = 0.000). For the hypothesis path,
atmosphere, employee attitude, and coffee quality had statistically significant effects on
satisfaction at the significance level of .05. Furthermore, the effect of IT service is
supported at the 0.1 significance level, indicating that it is marginally supported. A
statistically supported relationship between satisfaction and loyalty was observed.
Specifically, an enhanced atmosphere and kinder attitudes of employees significantly
increased the level of satisfaction of customers in coffee shops. In addition, the results
suggest that the installation of IT service and coffee quality are necessary to build
customer satisfaction with coffee shop service.

Discussion and conclusion

This study examined the antecedents of satisfaction in the context of coffee shop service.
Considering the economic size (782 billion US dollars) and characteristics (high competi-
tion and low barriers to entry) of the coffee industry in 2016, research on these variables is
justified (Ibis report, 2011; Statista, 2017). Given the literature review, four attributes (e.g.,

Table 5. Results of the structural model.

Hypothesis Path Standard Coefficient t-value p-value Result
H1: Atmosphere → Satisfaction 0.381 6.211 0.000 Supported
H2: Employee attitude → Satisfaction 0.302 5.259 0.000 Supported
H3: IT service → Satisfaction 0.098 1.874 0.061 Marginally Supported
H4: Coffee quality → Satisfaction 0.649 9.600 0.000 Supported
H5: Satisfaction → Loyalty 0.704 7.758 0.000 Supported
χ2 = 816.532, df = 165, p = .000, GFI = 0.737, NFI = 0.799, TLI = 0.806, CFI = 0.832, RMSEA = 0.125.
636 W. S. LEE ET AL.

atmosphere, employee attitude, IT service, and coffee quality) were proposed to account
for customer satisfaction in the study. Additionally, the link between satisfaction and
loyalty in the coffee shop setting was investigated in this research. Data for this study were
collected using Amazon Mechanical Turk. For the analysis, confirmatory factor analysis
and structural equation modeling were performed.
Five research hypotheses were proposed and tested. Above all, the results demonstrated
a positive association between atmosphere and satisfaction, indicating that coffee shops
with better atmospheres achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction. This finding can be
externally validated by the studies of Kang et al. (2012) and Heung and Gu (2012). The
present study also verified that employee attitude positively affects customer satisfaction,
demonstrating external validity with Han et al. (2012). Specifically, Han et al. (2012)
investigated the importance of employee attitudes (e.g., politeness and courtesy) in
accounting for customer satisfaction in tourism services. Furthermore, the results indicate
that IT service plays an increasing role in satisfaction. These outcomes are similar to the
findings of prior studies with marginal significance (p-value of .1) (Kim et al., 2004; Yusop
et al., 2011). Additionally, this study found support for the importance of coffee quality in
explaining customer satisfaction; these results are similar to those of Ha and Jang (2010)
and Han and Hyun (2017). It can be inferred that higher quality coffee can contribute to
building higher levels of customer satisfaction in the coffee shop business. Finally, con-
sistent with prior studies, the present study has demonstrated a positive link between
satisfaction and loyalty behavior in the context of coffee shop service (Han & Ryu, 2009;
Kim et al., 2015). In sum, the external validity of this study represents a substantial
theoretical contribution in strengthening the results of extant studies (Han & Ryu, 2009;
Han et al., 2012; Heung & Gu, 2012; Kim et al., 2015; Han & Hyun, 2017).
Considering the measurement items that account for satisfaction, “Starbucks has a
comfortable atmosphere” is the most influential because its mean value is high in the
atmosphere construct (Mean = 4.03). In the case of the employee attitude construct, the
most influential attribute is “Starbucks employees are friendly: (Mean = 3.97). For the IT
service construct, “The wireless Internet service at Starbucks is satisfactory” is the most
essential item (Mean = 3.99). Lastly, “The aroma of Starbucks coffee is pleasant” is the
most crucial item in the construct of coffee quality (Mean = 4.18).
Additionally, despite the substantial growth of the coffee business, the use of variables
affecting customer satisfaction in the coffee business context has been fairly limited.
However, customers could have different levels of satisfaction depending on diverse
factors. To fill the literature gap, the statistical relationship between four additional
consumer-related attributes was examined, representing a main theoretical contribution
of the study. By presenting more information regarding the antecedents of satisfaction, the
study findings would broaden the understanding of customers in the coffee domain.
This study may be theoretically valuable by increasing awareness of the characteristics of
coffee customers. This could expand the service-related literature area to include the coffee
shop business, thus contributing to extending the range of service research. This research can
also make a theoretical contribution to expanding the hospitality and tourism literature. In
recent years, the global coffee service market has been growing (Ibis report, 2011; Starbucks,
2016). Despite this substantial growth, the literature examining consumer characteristics in
the domain of the coffee business may be insufficient. In other words, customers’ needs could
vary based on the growth of the coffee market; however, the extant literature might be
 JOURNAL OF FOODSERVICE BUSINESS RESEARCH 637

insufficient to determine the varied needs of consumers in this area. Given this void, this
research examined the various consumer-related attributes of the coffee service business and
identified antecedents of customer satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, this study may con-
tribute to the literature by presenting more information about the coffee service business,
which facilitates understanding of customer characteristics in the coffee market domain.
This study also provides practical information for industry practitioners. First, café
managers need to create an atmosphere in accordance with the coffee shop theme.
Moreover, management needs to invest in improved employee training, particularly
related to employee attitudes (e.g., instilling kindness and friendly attitudes).
Additionally, managers should allocate their resources to install stronger and faster
Internet service and enhance coffee quality (e.g., aroma and taste) by researching coffee
or obtaining new types of coffee. Through these actions, customer satisfaction may
increase, which can contribute to retaining or attracting loyal customers. Ultimately,
such efforts could become an avenue to achieve higher sales and survive in the highly
competitive conditions of the coffee market. Regarding the magnitude of the coefficient
for satisfaction, coffee quality showed the strongest effect (β = .649) compared with the
three other elements (Atmosphere (β = .382), Employee attitude (β = .301), and IT service
(β = .098)). Given the results, café managers could prioritize their resource allocation
decision making. Specifically, coffee managers could invest resources in the management
of high-quality coffee beans and suppliers. This approach could produce more efficient
resource allocation by increasing the likelihood of gaining more satisfied consumers.
This study is not without limitations. The sample was limited to American consumers
who patronize Starbucks coffee shop. Given the limited subject and sample, it would be
valuable to perform additional research using wider samples and additional coffee com-
panies. By doing so, future research could validate the results of this study, which would
assist in generalizing the study results.

Funding
This work was supported by the Kyonggi University Research Grant 2017 [00000].

ORCID
Joonho Moon http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9095-2894

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