Evaluation of the key determinants of customer loyalty in the restaurant industry

The purpose of the research was to evaluate the key determinants of customer loyalty in the restaurant industry. The theoretical part of this study consisted of marketing and branding literature. The main emphasis was on brand loyalty and its measurements. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodology were implemented in this study. The quantitative research data was gathered with the aid of a survey, with 120 responses collected. The qualitative research data consisted of three one-on-one interviews. As a result, it was discovered that food quality, service quality, friendliness of staff, price and general customer trust constitute the base for customer loyalty development. As the supplemental findings, it was determined that recommendations from family and friends and social media advertising are the most popular information channels in the restaurant context. Also, type of food was found to be the most influential factor when it comes to choosing a restaurant to dine at. By implementing the found information into a strategy, a restaurant business owner is recommended to focus on a particular cuisine or style of cooking in order to create an association between a particular type of food and the restaurant in the minds of the customers. Also, a solid online presence of a restaurant should become an essential part of a restaurant’s marketing strategy. Another aspect worth investing in is the proper training of the personnel and development of a complaint handling system