How and when restaurant innovativeness promotes a memorable dining experience: A moderated mediation model

Restaurant operators are particularly concerned about how they can create a memorable dining experience (MDE) for customers. This study investigated the relationship between restaurant innovativeness and MDE, mediation of customer inspiration, and moderated mediating effect of novelty seeking. Data from a questionnaire survey of 374 customers who visited innovative restaurants in Taiwan were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Our results showed that restaurant innovativeness positively influenced customer inspiration, which in turn positively affected MDE. Customer inspiration mediated the link between restaurant innovativeness and MDE, while novelty seeking moderated that between restaurant innovativeness and customer inspiration. This article expands the knowledge of customer inspiration and MDE, and the factors influencing MDE and its boundary condition. This study proposed recommendations on service innovation and customer relationship management practices in restaurants to help them promote customer inspiration and MDE.