From Service Quality to Purchase Decisions in Traditional Culinary Businesses: Testing a Trust and Word of Mouth Driven Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.qems4350Keywords:
Service Quality, Trust, Word of Mouth, Purchase Decision, Traditional Culinary BusinessAbstract
This study examines how service quality shapes purchase decisions in traditional culinary businesses, emphasizing the mediating roles of trust and word-of-mouth (WOM). Adopting a quantitative design that combines descriptive and explanatory approaches, we surveyed visitors to traditional foodservice establishments. Data were analyzed with PLS-SEM to test the measurement and structural models. The outer model met standard reliability and validity criteria (indicator loadings ? 0.60, CR ? 0.70, AVE ? 0.50). Structural results show that service quality, trust, and WOM each exert significant direct effects on purchase decisions. In addition, service quality indirectly influences purchase decisions through trust and WOM, indicating partial mediation. Overall explanatory power for purchase decisions is substantial, suggesting the model captures the key mechanisms that convert service experiences into buying choices. The findings underscore that improving frontline reliability, responsiveness, and assurance enhances customer trust, which, together with positive WOM including community and group interactions amplifies purchasing outcomes. Practically, managers of traditional culinary businesses should prioritize service-process excellence, transparent value cues, and community-based engagement programs to cultivate trust and stimulate advocacy. The study contributes by simultaneously modeling trust and WOM as mediators in a traditional culinary context and by providing actionable guidance on service strategies that sustain competitiveness in increasingly crowded foodservice markets.
References
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Jalilvand, M. R., Nasrolahi Vosta, L., Kazemi Mahyari, H., & Khazaei Pool, J. (2017). Social responsibility influence on customer trust in hotels: mediating effects of reputation and word-of-mouth. Tourism Review, 72(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-09-2016-0037
Jiang, Y., Li, X., Wang, N., & Law, R. (2024). Cultivating initial trust in ghost kitchens: A mixed-methods study. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 118, 103694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103694
Karamustafa, K., & Ülker, P. (2020). Impact of tangible and intangible restaurant attributes on overall experience: a consumer oriented approach. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(4), 404-427.
Kim, B., Yoo, M., & Yang, W. (2020). Online engagement among restaurant customers: The importance of enhancing flow for social media users. Journal of hospitality & tourism research, 44(2), 252-277. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348019887202
Kitapci, O., Akdogan, C., & Dortyol, I. T. (2014). The impact of service quality dimensions on patient satisfaction, trust, and loyalty in health care industry. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 148, 161–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.030
Kuppelwieser, V. G., Klaus, P., Manthiou, A., & Hollebeek, L. D. (2022). The role of customer experience in the perceived value–word-of-mouth relationship. Journal of Services Marketing, 36(3), 364-378. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-11-2020-0447
Kusawat, P., Siritantong, T., & Ruangkanjanases, A. (2024). Cross-cultural electronic word-of-mouth: A systematic literature review. Spanish Journal of Marketing – ESIC, 28(2), 126–146. Emerald. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-09-2023-0210
Lin, P. M., Ok, C. M., & Ching Au, W. (2022). Peer-to-peer dining: A motivation study. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 46(8), 1596-1621. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348021990709
Marcos, A. M. B. D. F., & Coelho, A. F. D. M. (2022). Service quality, customer satisfaction and customer value: holistic determinants of loyalty and word-of-mouth in services. The TQM Journal, 34(5), 957-978. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-10-2020-0236
Matute, J., Polo-Redondo, Y., & Utrillas, A. (2016). The influence of EWOM characteristics on online repurchase intention: Mediating roles of trust and perceived usefulness. Online Information Review, 40(7), 1090-1110. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-11-2015-0373
Ngo, T. T. A., An, G. K., Dao, D. K., Nguyen, N. Q. N., Nguyen, N. Y. V., & Phong, B. H. (2025). Roles of logistics service quality in shaping generation Z customers’ repurchase intention and electronic word of mouth in E-commerce industry. PLoS One, 20(5), e0323962. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323962
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Park, C. W., Sutherland, I., & Lee, S. K. (2021). Effects of online reviews, trust, and picture-superiority on intention to purchase restaurant services. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 228–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.03.007
Shankar, A., & Jebarajakirthy, C. (2019). The influence of e-banking service quality on customer loyalty: A moderated mediation approach. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 37(5), 1119-1142. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-03-2018-0063
Sitorus, T., & Yustisia, M. (2018). The influence of service quality and customer trust toward customer loyalty: the role of customer satisfaction. International Journal for Quality Research, 12(3), 639. https://doi.org/10.18421/IJQR12.03-06
Sun, C., Ji, J., & Meng, X. (2025). Transparency as a trust catalyst: How self-disclosure strategies reshape consumer perceptions of unhealthy food brands on digital platforms. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 20(2), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20020133
Sun, H., Wang, Y., & Law, R. (2024). Impact of electronic word-of-mouth dispersion on tourists’ purchase intentions for local food. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480241311116
Sun, K.-A., & Moon, J. (2023). Assessing antecedents of restaurant’s brand trust and brand loyalty, and moderating role of food healthiness. Nutrients, 15(24), 5057. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245057
Tandon, A., Kaur, P., Bhatt, Y., Mäntymäki, M., & Dhir, A. (2021). Why do people purchase from food-delivery apps? A consumer value perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 63, 102667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102667
Usiña-Báscones, G., Taramuel-Torres, D., & Oliva-Niño, E. (2024). Analysis of the factors influencing the intention to share WOM among fast-food restaurant consumers. Foods, 13(22), 3559. MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223559
Wahyuningsih, Nasution, H., Yeni, Y. H., & Roostika, R. (2022). A comparative study of generations X, Y, Z in food purchasing behavior: the relationships among customer value, satisfaction, and Ewom. Cogent Business & Management, 9(1), 2105585. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2022.2105585
Waluya, A. I., Iqbal, M. A., & Indradewa, R. (2019). How product quality, brand image, and customer satisfaction affect the purchase decisions of Indonesian automotive customers. International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 10(2), 177-193. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSEM.2019.100944
Wang, J. J., Wang, L. Y., & Wang, M. M. (2018). Understanding the effects of eWOM social ties on purchase intentions: A moderated mediation investigation. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 28, 54-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2018.01.011
Yousaf, A., Mishra, A., & Bashir, M. (2020). Brand trust, institutional commitment, and their impact on student loyalty: evidence for higher education in India. Studies in Higher Education, 45(4), 878-891. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1558441
Arli, D., Warlina, L., & Tjiptono, F. (2024). The impact of SERVQUAL on consumers’ satisfaction, loyalty, and intention to use food delivery services. Journal of Foodservice Business Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2024.2372858
Bae, G. K., Lee, S., & Luan, B. (2023). The impact of ESG on brand trust and word of mouth in food and beverage companies: Focusing on Jeju Island tourists. Sustainability, 15(3), 2348. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032348
Bang, D., Kang, J., & Kim, S. (2024). How eWOM volume influences consumption value by shaping uncertainty. International Journal of Hospitality Management. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103718
Belarmino, A., Ozdemir, O., & Dogru, T. (2021). Always local?: Examining the relationship between peer-to-peer accommodations and restaurants. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 48, 289-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.07.003
Cardoso, A., Gabriel, M., Figueiredo, J., Oliveira, I., Rêgo, R., Silva, R., ... & Meirinhos, G. (2022). Trust and loyalty in building the brand relationship with the customer: empirical analysis in a retail chain in northern Brazil. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(3), 109. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8030109
Chathoth, P. K., Ungson, G. R., Harrington, R. J., & Chan, E. S. (2016). Co-creation and higher order customer engagement in hospitality and tourism services: A critical review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(2), 222-245. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-10-2014-0526
Chen, Y.-L., Chang, C.-L., & Sung, A.-Q. (2021). Predicting eWOM’s influence on purchase intention based on helpfulness, credibility, information quality and professionalism. Sustainability, 13(13), 7486. MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137486
Chetioui, Y., Lebdaoui, H., & Chetioui, H. (2021). Factors influencing consumer attitudes toward online shopping: the mediating effect of trust. EuroMed Journal of Business, 16(4), 544-563. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-05-2020-0046
Connelly, B. L., Crook, T. R., Combs, J. G., Ketchen Jr, D. J., & Aguinis, H. (2018). Competence-and integrity-based trust in interorganizational relationships: which matters more?. Journal of Management, 44(3), 919-945. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315596813
Croitoru, G., C?p??în?, A., Florea, N. V., Codignola, F., & Sokoli?, D. (2024). A cross-cultural analysis of perceived value and customer loyalty in restaurants. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 30, 100265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2024.100265
Dehghanpouri, H., Soltani, Z., & Rostamzadeh, R. (2020). The impact of trust, privacy and quality of service on the success of E-CRM: the mediating role of customer satisfaction. Journal of business & industrial marketing, 35(11), 1831-1847. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-07-2019-0325
Esparza-Huamanchumo, R. M., Dextre-Juarez, R., & Julca-Gonzales, D. (2024). Influence of eWOM on the purchase intention of consumers of Nikkei restaurants. International Journal of Tourism Cities. Emerald. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-01-2024-0010
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS–SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Haro-Sosa, G., García-Rodríguez, I., & Gutiérrez-Díaz, A. (2024). Does it depend on gender in the millennial generation? Motivations toward eWOM consultation and adoption in restaurants. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 19(1), 33. MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer19010033
Hasan, A. A. T. (2022). Perceived value and behavioral intentions toward dining at Chinese restaurants. South Asian Journal of Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJM-12-2021-0140
Hidayat, K., & Idrus, M. I. (2023). The effect of relationship marketing towards switching barrier, customer satisfaction, and customer trust on bank customers. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-023-00270-7
Isaeva, N., Gruenewald, K., & Saunders, M. N. (2020). Trust theory and customer services research: theoretical review and synthesis. The Service Industries Journal, 40(15-16), 1031-1063. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2020.1779225
Jalilvand, M. R., Nasrolahi Vosta, L., Kazemi Mahyari, H., & Khazaei Pool, J. (2017). Social responsibility influence on customer trust in hotels: mediating effects of reputation and word-of-mouth. Tourism Review, 72(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-09-2016-0037
Jiang, Y., Li, X., Wang, N., & Law, R. (2024). Cultivating initial trust in ghost kitchens: A mixed-methods study. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 118, 103694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103694
Karamustafa, K., & Ülker, P. (2020). Impact of tangible and intangible restaurant attributes on overall experience: a consumer oriented approach. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(4), 404-427.
Kim, B., Yoo, M., & Yang, W. (2020). Online engagement among restaurant customers: The importance of enhancing flow for social media users. Journal of hospitality & tourism research, 44(2), 252-277. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348019887202
Kitapci, O., Akdogan, C., & Dortyol, I. T. (2014). The impact of service quality dimensions on patient satisfaction, trust, and loyalty in health care industry. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 148, 161–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.030
Kuppelwieser, V. G., Klaus, P., Manthiou, A., & Hollebeek, L. D. (2022). The role of customer experience in the perceived value–word-of-mouth relationship. Journal of Services Marketing, 36(3), 364-378. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-11-2020-0447
Kusawat, P., Siritantong, T., & Ruangkanjanases, A. (2024). Cross-cultural electronic word-of-mouth: A systematic literature review. Spanish Journal of Marketing – ESIC, 28(2), 126–146. Emerald. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-09-2023-0210
Lin, P. M., Ok, C. M., & Ching Au, W. (2022). Peer-to-peer dining: A motivation study. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 46(8), 1596-1621. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348021990709
Marcos, A. M. B. D. F., & Coelho, A. F. D. M. (2022). Service quality, customer satisfaction and customer value: holistic determinants of loyalty and word-of-mouth in services. The TQM Journal, 34(5), 957-978. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-10-2020-0236
Matute, J., Polo-Redondo, Y., & Utrillas, A. (2016). The influence of EWOM characteristics on online repurchase intention: Mediating roles of trust and perceived usefulness. Online Information Review, 40(7), 1090-1110. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-11-2015-0373
Ngo, T. T. A., An, G. K., Dao, D. K., Nguyen, N. Q. N., Nguyen, N. Y. V., & Phong, B. H. (2025). Roles of logistics service quality in shaping generation Z customers’ repurchase intention and electronic word of mouth in E-commerce industry. PLoS One, 20(5), e0323962. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323962
Nunkoo, R., Teeroovengadum, V., Ringle, C. M., & Sunnassee, V. (2020). Service quality and customer satisfaction: The moderating effects of hotel star rating. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91, 102414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102414
Park, C. W., Sutherland, I., & Lee, S. K. (2021). Effects of online reviews, trust, and picture-superiority on intention to purchase restaurant services. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 228–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.03.007
Shankar, A., & Jebarajakirthy, C. (2019). The influence of e-banking service quality on customer loyalty: A moderated mediation approach. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 37(5), 1119-1142. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-03-2018-0063
Sitorus, T., & Yustisia, M. (2018). The influence of service quality and customer trust toward customer loyalty: the role of customer satisfaction. International Journal for Quality Research, 12(3), 639. https://doi.org/10.18421/IJQR12.03-06
Sun, C., Ji, J., & Meng, X. (2025). Transparency as a trust catalyst: How self-disclosure strategies reshape consumer perceptions of unhealthy food brands on digital platforms. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 20(2), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20020133
Sun, H., Wang, Y., & Law, R. (2024). Impact of electronic word-of-mouth dispersion on tourists’ purchase intentions for local food. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480241311116
Sun, K.-A., & Moon, J. (2023). Assessing antecedents of restaurant’s brand trust and brand loyalty, and moderating role of food healthiness. Nutrients, 15(24), 5057. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245057
Tandon, A., Kaur, P., Bhatt, Y., Mäntymäki, M., & Dhir, A. (2021). Why do people purchase from food-delivery apps? A consumer value perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 63, 102667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102667
Usiña-Báscones, G., Taramuel-Torres, D., & Oliva-Niño, E. (2024). Analysis of the factors influencing the intention to share WOM among fast-food restaurant consumers. Foods, 13(22), 3559. MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223559
Wahyuningsih, Nasution, H., Yeni, Y. H., & Roostika, R. (2022). A comparative study of generations X, Y, Z in food purchasing behavior: the relationships among customer value, satisfaction, and Ewom. Cogent Business & Management, 9(1), 2105585. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2022.2105585
Waluya, A. I., Iqbal, M. A., & Indradewa, R. (2019). How product quality, brand image, and customer satisfaction affect the purchase decisions of Indonesian automotive customers. International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 10(2), 177-193. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSEM.2019.100944
Wang, J. J., Wang, L. Y., & Wang, M. M. (2018). Understanding the effects of eWOM social ties on purchase intentions: A moderated mediation investigation. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 28, 54-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2018.01.011
Yousaf, A., Mishra, A., & Bashir, M. (2020). Brand trust, institutional commitment, and their impact on student loyalty: evidence for higher education in India. Studies in Higher Education, 45(4), 878-891. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1558441
Published
2025-10-18
How to Cite
Isma, A., Nurhayani, N., Dewantara, H., Windasari, W. R., & Muflih, B. K. (2025). From Service Quality to Purchase Decisions in Traditional Culinary Businesses: Testing a Trust and Word of Mouth Driven Model. Quantitative Economics and Management Studies, 6(6). https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.qems4350
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