Name:TanWenHao

StudentID:0319923

ProjectTitle:ResearchProposal(Foodconsumption)

Module:FoodandCulture(CLS60203/ARC3223)

Course:BachelorofScience(Honours)inArchitecture

Instructor:Mr.NicholasNg

Research topic:Theeffect of foodquality anddiningenvironment in customersatisfactionResearchquestion:Howdoesthequalityoffoodasperceivedbytheconsumersaffectstheirperceptionondiningenvironment?A restaurant’s atmosphereplays amajor role in bringingup the value of therestaurantitself,butoftenthecateringindustrymissesthebull’seyeandsolelyputting its focus onto the atmosphere, neglecting the importance of the foodquality.Foodshouldalwaysbeinthespotlight,asthatisthebasicprincipleofaneatery: to serve consumerswithquality foodat a goodvalue. More andmoreinternational chain has been skyrocketing throughout the years and lessattention was given to local independent businesses. However, often the‘international-brand’ trend dies out soon and reviews stating the bad qualityslowly appears. Furthermore, under the influence of social medias such assnapchatandinstagram,thefoodindustryinMalaysiacanbeseendivertingitsfocus to the atmosphere of the restaurant or making their food more‘instragrammable’- more photogenic or to be eye-catching to be exact. Slowlyidentical eatery can be seen everywhere and such kind of contagious andstimulusdiffusionshouldnotbespreadedoutintheF&Bindustry.While foodquality stands only oneout of nine other factors (Pricing, service,etc.) in customer satisfaction, the proposed paper serves to identify themajorinfluencing factor (food quality or dining environment) among consumerstowards their prefered eateries and determine factors that influence returnpatronage.In order to conduct the research, on-site interviews and experiment will beused as the main channels for data collection. 10 experimental objects(consumers from all walks of life) are to be visiting two oppositional F&Bbusinesses,onewithpleasantenvironmentbutbadfoodquality,theotherwithaverage environment but good food quality. These two factors are justifiedthrough several online reviews and ratings of the to-be-visited oppositionaleateries. The perception of food quality and atmosphere can be subjective,therefore the definition of both objects of study will therefore be furtherinterpreted as: “the quality characteristics of food ranging from taste,presentation(color,texture,arrangement)andconsistency”forfoodqualityand“the certain mood or disposition that a dining space creates or implies, ofteneffectsproducedbydecoration, furnishings,or layout”foratmosphere.On-spotinterviewswillbeconductedsimultaneouslyduringsitevisittorecordconsumerexperience and satisfaction. Besides, online survey will also be done foradditional data collections, they will be mostly of hypothetical situationquestions,hererealiablestatisticsandfiguresgatheredwillhelpdeterminatingtheresultsandanalyzethefactorsofcustomersatisfactionrecordedduringsitevisit. The results and paper will be in a form of pictured short story withinfographicsrepresentingthedatas.

In “perceptionsof foodqualityanddiningenvironment inschools”by JoanneM.SulekRhonda l.Hensley, it is found that ‘food,prepared thewaycustomersenjoyit”,canlurethecustomerbackforsecondvisits,butpreliminarytheauthorset the location of the experiment to be in a sit-down restaurant in “school”,meaningthatthetargetgroupisinadvertentlyfixedandtheoutcomeisthereforeaddressing only to the students and school authority. However, this proposedpaper is catered toallwalksof lifebut inaMalaysiancontext. In “theeffectofrestaurantattributesoncustomers’expectationsandexperiences in formal fullservicerestaurantsinPortElizabeth,SouthAfrica”byO.Mhlangaz.Hattingh,thepaper states the importance of each factors in customer satisfaction and theirsignificantrelationshipwithcustomers’expectationsandexperiences,whilethisproposed paper takes on a similar approach but specifically narrowdown thefactorstofoodqualityanddiningatmosphere.Theproposedpaperservesasaguideofhighlightingthecurrentmarkettrendand itssignificantrelationshipwith theconsumers. It isdefinitelynecessary tobring the spotlight back to what the cosumer thinks the ultimate protagonist.Afterall,answeringtothecrowd’sneedistheutmosttaskoneshouldfocusandin this case to understand priorities of factors that affecting customersatisfaction.”Theoutcomeofthestudycanfunctionasavaluablemanagerialandoperationdevelopmenttool,affordingshopownerstoimprovetheircompetitivenessandsuggestpriorities in improvingtheirbusiness.Besides, theproposedpapercanalsobebeneficialforfuturescholarassidematerialinfindingoutfuturetrendsandmarketofthefoodindustry.Improvingtheindustryandplacingthembackintherighttracksuggestshigherrevenueoftheeateriesandoveralltheriseineconomicalvalueoftheindustryitself.Theultimategoalistobringthetrendtowhereitshouldbeandwhereitcanbe,thereforethequestionis“agoodhiddenbistrowithakillermenu”or“justanothercafefeaturedininstagram”?References:1. O. Mhlanga, Z. Hattingh (2014). The effect of restaurant attributes oncustomers’ expectations and experiences in formal full service restaurants inPortElizabeth,SouthAfrica[Abstract].AfricanJournalofHospitality,TourismandLeisureVol.3(1).RetrievedMay2,2017.2. Sulek, J. M., & Hensley, R. L. (2004). The Relative Importance of Food,Atmosphere,andFairnessofWait:TheCaseofaFull-serviceRestaurant.CornellHotelandRestaurantAdministrationQuarterly,45(3),235-247.RetrievedMay3,2017.3.Brown,N.,Gilmore,S.,&Dana,J.(1995).Perceptionsoffoodqualityanddiningenvironment in schools:.Journal of the American Dietetic Association,95(9).RetrievedMay3,2017.4. Online, T. S. (2016, September 19). Insight into current and upcoming foodtrends - Community. Retrieved May 5, 2017, fromhttp://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/09/20/insight-into-current-and-upcoming-food-trends-company-shares-results-of-its-research-with-hotel-part/