Consumer decisions and selection of catering establishment evidence from consumers within the Kumasi Metropolis

Abstract

In recent times eating away from home has become a norm and not attached the same level of reverence in sometime past. Consumers increasingly demand for convenient, quick serving and ready-made food away from home has made restaurants and fast food outlets one of the fastest growing sectors in the service industry. For a catering establishment to be able to meet or exceed the needs of its patrons, it requires that these institutions understand the key factors that guides a consumer in their selection decisions. Thus, the study sought to assess consumers’ decisions and selection of catering establishment. The study used study used a cross-sectional research design with quantitative approach. The population of the study was 7,500 with a sample size of 365 undergraduate students of the University of Education-Winneba campus. The instrument for data collection was through a questionnaire. SPSS was used for analysing the study. The study revealed that gender, income level, cleanliness, price, location, menu variety, health consciousness and brand image of a facility had a significant influence on consumer selection of a casual restaurant. The study concluded that control variables entered had no significant influence with a variance of 5.6% in restaurant selection decision. The study recommends that upscale restaurant operators to take conscious effort by improving their facility status through proper advertisement and by scoring high points in magazine reviews and newspaper reviews since achieving such positive identity could increase their restaurant awareness among upscale restaurant consumers.