Impact of five important factors on restaurant performance and hospitality management: an empirical analysis of technological innovation

This study aims to explore the effects of five factors, i.e., price, food quality, ambiance, service quality, and online order on the performance of the Japanese restaurant of Kenzo in Iran. In this research, the required data were collected through a mixed-method involving both quantitative (with 81 participants) and qualitative (2 participants) approach. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS software. With the use of Lewin's Model of Change, the study's intervention plan was suggested. The Wilcoxon test results showed that the performance of the restaurant enhanced after the intervention. Foreign restaurants, especially Japanese ones, need to pay close attention to service quality and employees’ behaviors. This factor cannot be changed or improved overnight; it takes time and investment to grow. The findings of this study help the managers and policymakers of the restaurant to gain a deeper insight into the influence of the above-mentioned factors on customer satisfaction and, consequently, the revenue of the restaurant. Additionally, it was found that food quality, price, online order, and service quality are the most important common problems of Japanese restaurants in Iran. Two phenomena limited this study: sanctions posed by the U.S on Iran and the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the results of this study may not be generalized in the post-sanction time and post-pandemic time. Due to the pandemic, most customers prefer not to be present in the restaurant, which limits the results of the research. On the other hand, for future studies, researchers can study how to guide restaurant owners to use social media to increase the number of customers and attract new customers, which can be one of the unique factors that can directly affect the restaurant's performance. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this issue has not been studied in the Middle East region yet.