Reality check, what diners really want in a restaurant

Restaurant-goers are a picky crowd, requiring more than just tasty fare to satisfy them. A new study finds that dirty menus and waiting for the check could be just as critical to a diner's overall experience.

The research, published in a recent issue of the journal Hospitality Management, revealed five factors that influence the dining experience of consumers, based on several interviews with experienced restaurant customers in two cities in Norway. Tops on the list: taste, followed by decor, service, the company and the atmosphere.

Kai Victor Hansen at the University of Stavanger in Norway and a colleague conducted the customer interviews and used this data along with results from focus groups to develop a five-factor model of what influences a diner's restaurant-meal experience, which includes (in no order):

    * Core product—the taste of the food and drink
    * Restaurant interior—the look of the premises, such as the furniture, decorations, lamps and napkins
    * Service—how the wait staff interacts with one another and the customers; how efficiently the meal is     served and the check is delivered
    * Company (guests)—whether the customers are having a good time; the reason for the dining                 (business deal or a birthday celebration); the type of guests (friends or business associates)
    * Restaurant atmosphere—the information customers get from their five senses, including sounds from     the kitchen or background music, as well as visual cues like the cleanliness and appeal of the menus