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The competitive environment of foodservice industry is increasingly hostile. Thousands of restaurants have closed in the past few years. More startling, the total number of U.S. outlets has been sliding from a peak of 379,000 in 1989 to about 269,000 in 1992 according to Restaurant Consulting Group Inc. in Evanston, Ill. White-tablecloth restaurants and independent operators have been hit hardest, but no segmen tof the industry has escaped the pain (Therrien, 1992). Service plays an important role in determining good value at restaurants, according to National Restaurant Association data ("Service Crows," 1991). Theoretical and empirical evidence shows that firms that provide higher levels of service reap higher profits than those that do not (Oliva, Oliver, & Macmillan, 1992). The Yankelovich Monitor, an annual survey of consumers, reported that among seven service industries, only supermarkets have improved the perceived quality of their service in recent years. The perceived quality of restaurant service remained the same (Daniel, 1992). Improving service quality to satisfy consumers became a critical issue for the success of restaurants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study measures consumer involvement in restaraunt selection as a determinant of satisfaction/dissatisfaction in two parts. Part (I) offers a theoretical and conceptual background of consumer involvement and satisfaction/dissatisfaction literature in the foodservice industry. Part (II) proposes and tests a model that evaluates consumer involvement in restaurant selection and discusses the variables that impact consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]