Restaurants are often judged by tourists and locals based on different criteria, which is important for restaurateurs to consider in their marketing communication. According to studies, online reviews on platforms such as TripAdvisor and Google My Business (GMB) are one of the most important decision-making factors when choosing a restaurant. However, many restaurateurs who receive what they believe to be unjustified negative reviews try to have them removed. A study by the Modul University and the FH Wien reveals the criteria by which restaurants are evaluated and how restaurateurs can use negative reviews to better understand their guests.
The team, led by Ilona Pezenka, Senior Researcher at the Department of Communication at FH Wien, analyzed over 100,000 online evaluations from Washington, D.C. The study, published in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, focused on whether tourists and locals apply different evaluation criteria to restaurants. The study considered anyone living within a 50-mile radius of the restaurant as a local, while the remaining online reviews were assigned to the tourist group. The study found that tourists spend 25% of their total expenses on food and drink, making it important for restaurants to target this group.
The study examined various evaluation criteria, including food and drinks, service, pricing, payment options, and restaurant atmosphere. The results showed that the two target groups weigh the individual criteria differently, leading to significantly different overall evaluations of a restaurant. The quality of the food was found to be the most important criterion for both locals and tourists, but tourists were less influenced by the quality of the food in their overall evaluation. The study also found that tourists value the experience of the restaurant, including the ambiance and location, while locals prioritize practical aspects such as accessibility. The researchers recommend that restaurateurs conduct customer segmentation based on the study’s findings and incorporate it into their marketing communication, with a focus on the quality and presentation of the food, which has the highest impact on both target groups’ overall evaluation.
