Ethnic restaurants’ outdoor signage: the effect of colour and name on consumers’ food perceptions and dining intentions

Abstract

Purpose

Outdoor signage, a key aspect of store atmospherics which influence consumer perceptions and behaviour, is largely overlooked in research on restaurants. Studies show that food perceptions relate positively to restaurant choice, but how outdoor signage influences these perceptions is unclear. Hence, the study aims to investigate the effect of signage colour and restaurant name on consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a two (signage colour: blue-white vs. red-yellow) by two (restaurant name: typical vs. atypical) experimental design to investigate the impact of two key elements of corporate visual identity – logo colour and corporate name – on consumers’ attitudes (perceptions of food tastiness and healthiness) and purchase intentions. Two-way analysis of covariance, confirmatory factor analysis and PROCESS are used for data analysis.

Findings

There is a main effect of signage colour on consumers’ perceptions of food healthiness and purchase intentions, and restaurant name significantly affects consumers’ purchase intentions. In addition, there is an interaction effect of signage colour and restaurant name on food healthiness and purchase intentions, and food tastiness and healthiness are associated with purchase intentions.

Practical implications

A key managerial insight emerging from this study is that restaurants’ outdoor signage may be manipulated by restaurateurs to enhance consumers’ perceptions of food healthiness and tastiness, as well purchase intentions.

Originality/value

This study adopts a new angle on corporate visual identity and links existing theories with research on restaurant atmospherics, to explore how brands employing national identity symbols leverages consumers’ prior knowledge to enhance the influence of outdoor signage on their food perceptions and purchase intentions.

Citation

Song, H. and Yang, H. (2023), "Ethnic restaurants’ outdoor signage: the effect of colour and name on consumers’ food perceptions and dining intentions", British Food Journal, Vol. 125 No. 1, pp. 186-204. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2021-0888