INTRODUCTION

Hospitality industry is observing various changes in highly competitive environment for

buffet restaurants consumers are becoming conscious of food quality, restaurant service quality of the
buffet restaurants. Consumers switch easily in case of just one indefinite experience. Buffet restaurant
restaurants must attract new customers and retain the existing customers. There is a growing trend, to
dine out at buffet restaurants with family, friends, and colleagues. Restaurants focus to provide a dining
experience by combining tangible and intangible essentials. Decisive objective is to achieve customer
satisfaction, word of mouth, and future revisit intention at buffet restaurant. Restaurants differ in
offerings, appearance, service models, and cuisines; this classifies restaurants as downscale and upscale.
Revisit intention is the willingness of a consumer to revisit a place due to satisfactory experience.
Customer satisfaction generates a probability to revisit in presence or absence of an affirmative attitude
toward the restaurant. Revisit intention is a substantial topic in hospitality research.

The provision of service quality is also a source of competitive advantage to restaurants (Chow et al.,
2007; Martins, 2016). Quality service delivery is a vital strategic resource that can be leveraged to attain
a sustained competitive advantage in the restaurant industry (Lyons & Branston, 2006; Jin, Line & Goh,
2013). The National Restaurant Association (2009) indicated that 60 percent of new restaurants fail
because they are not able to satisfy their customers. Thus, customer satisfaction is a major determinant
of a company’s long-term profitability, customer retention and loyalty (Zeithaml & Bitner, 2003;
Spyridon, 2017).

Buffet restaurant quality is substantially associated with customer satisfaction and it is an important
predictor of behavioral intention. Service quality is an essential factor to produce consumers’ revisit
intentions. Furthermore, physical environment quality affects behavior of consumers at restaurants,
hotels, hospitals, retail stores, and banks. Physical environment quality is a precursor of customer
satisfaction. This suggests that customer satisfaction is associated with buffet restaurant quality,
restaurant service quality.

Furthermore, little empirical evidence is present about customer satisfaction with respect to buffet
restaurant service quality. Customer satisfaction is a post-consumption assessment in service industry.
Customer satisfaction acts as the feedback mechanism to boost consumer experience. Customer
satisfaction brings competitive advantage to the firm and produces positive behavioral revisit intention.
Marketing literature emphasizes customer satisfaction in anticipation of positive word of mouth, rectify
intention, and revisit behavior. Behavioral intention is assessed through positive oral message, and it is
important in-service industry, whereas social influence affects the behavior of individuals toward
conformity leading to a driving effect based on social conformity theory.

However, the significance of this study is to investigate the association of food quality, restaurant service
quality with customer’s revisit intention through mediation of customer satisfaction. This study
empirically tests a conceptual research framework based social conformity theory adding value to the
knowledge. To investigate the association of Food quality, restaurant service quality with intention
through customer satisfaction.
This study is to investigate the overview of Food quality, restaurant service quality, physical environment
quality with customer’s review intention through mediation of customer satisfaction, theory and
moderation of word of mouth on the relationship of customer satisfaction with revisit intention based on
social conformity theory. This study empirically tests a conceptual research framework and social
conformity theory adding value to the knowledge.

Background of the study

Customer satisfaction defines as consume attitude determinant reflecting positive or negative result
based on consumers’ private experience (Canny, 2014). It is the fulfillment of the consumer response
(Tharanikaran & Thusyanthy, 2017). Hawkins & Lonney cited by Tjiptono (2004) the states three
dimensions of customer satisfaction: satisfaction suitability, reprise intention, and willingness to
recommend. Regain intention represents the possibility of customers to involve in future costumer, while
the behaviors are the level of behavior observed objectively (Santoso, 2016). Food and service quality
are highly connected with customer satisfaction and company profitability (Kotler & Keller, 2016). In
terms of restaurant, better food quality will give higher customer satisfaction. Likewise, better food
quality label service quality will also give higher customer satisfaction. Therefore, the first hypothesis is
food quality has significant effect on customer satisfaction, and the second hypothesis is service quality
has significant effect on customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction are also related with repurchased
retrieve intention (Putro, Semuel, & Brahmana, 2014). The satisfaction of a brand can help to maintain
long term relationship with the consumer.

Good food and service quality that fulfill customer’s expectation will lead to customer satisfaction (Awi
and Chaipoopirutana, 2014). Food quality, service quality, and customer satisfaction all increase the
customer’s repurchase intention. Customers visit restaurant because of restaurant able to fulfill
customers’ hope from the taste and the quality of their food, also the quality of their services. Therefore,
the fourth hypothesis is food quality intervened by customer satisfaction has significant effect on
repurchase intention, and the fifth hypothesis is service quality intervened by customer satisfaction has
significant effect on repurchase intention.

This research aims to analyze the Food quality and Service quality of selecting Buffet Restaurant,
assessing the customer satisfaction of Food quality and Service quality. Service quality leads to positive
word of mouth, customer satisfaction, better corporate image, attraction for the new customers,
increase revisits, and amplified business performance. Service quality increases revisits and behavioral
intentions of customers in hospitality industry