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This study aims to explore the perspectives of patrons and the underlying factors influencing luxury consumption in British Michelin-starred restaurants. While numerous studies have investigated consumers' purchase behavior of luxury items, there is limited research focusing on the utilization of premium restaurant services. Additionally, the hospitality literature has rarely addressed the emergence of discreet luxury consumption. Therefore, this research aims to examine the experiences of British Michelin-starred restaurants by incorporating online reviews from some of the most renowned establishments in the country. The initial objective of this study was to identify the predominant themes within British Michelin-starred restaurant experiences. Furthermore, the authors sought to analyze whether these main themes varied across different market segments based on guest types.

Using text mining tools, the authors analyzed a sample of 4,393 online reviews. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using the Leximancer program, which identified the dominant themes. Additionally, the authors performed an analysis to identify the major narratives associated with different types of guests.

The results of this analysis demonstrate that guests express a high level of satisfaction with their experiences at British Michelin-starred restaurants. The dominant themes within the narratives include food, wine, restaurant, time, reservation and innovation. It is important to note that these narratives vary depending on the type of guest.

Previous studies have highlighted the importance of market segmentation in Michelin-starred restaurants. This research addresses this need by specifically categorizing British Michelin-starred restaurants based on traveler type and the main concerns of their customers. The extensive data the authors collected and the authors' approach to utilizing guests' testimonials instead of traditional surveys contribute significantly to the field of academia and restaurant management.

The purpose of this paper is to trace the evolution of paternalism as a long-term component of a management control system (MCS) in a multi-national business enterprise.

The authors used a historical methodology involving the collection and evaluation of both primary and secondary data. Annual reports of Michelin (2009–2021) were also analysed to trace the evolution of the MCS towards corporate social responsibility (CSR).

This research traces the evolution of Michelin's Paternalistic MCS from “Traditional Paternalism” to “Welfare Paternalism”, “Managerial Paternalism” and “Libertarian Paternalism” thereby leading the way to CSR. The findings indicate that the evolution of the MCS revealed “Managerial Paternalism” as a specific type of paternalism and an important component of the “Personnel and Cultural Controls” (Merchant and Van der Stede, 2018, p. 95) at Michelin.

Many multi-national companies began as family-owned and controlled firms (e.g. Ford, Toyota, Fiat, Renault, Tata) and they often employed paternalistic MCSs during their early development (Newby, 1977; Perrot, 1979; Colli, 2003). Such MCSs have been seen as being anachronistic and are often abandoned as the family-owned enterprise grows into a multi-national company (Casson and Cox, 1993; McKinlay et al., 2010). The research challenges this assertion and demonstrates how aspects of a paternalistic MCS can survive in a multi-national business enterprise.

With respect to practical implications, this research shows that paternalism can still be a component of an MCS in a multi-national enterprise.

Using a historical approach, this research addresses a gap in the prior literature regarding the variations and persistence of paternalism in companies. In the case of Michelin, the authors investigate the evolution of its paternalistic MCS from a traditional form to an emphasis on CSR.

With the growing popularity of social media, it has become common practice for consumers to write online reviews to share their opinion and experience as well as consider others' reviews to inform purchase decision-making. This study investigated how online review sentiments towards four key aspects (food, service, ambience and price) change after a restaurant is awarded a Michelin Star to shed light on how the award of a Michelin Star affects online reviews as well as what factors contribute to positive online restaurant reviews.

The authors conducted a sentiment analysis of online restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor. A total of 8,871 English-written reviews from 87 restaurants located in Europe were extracted using a web crawler developed by Beautiful Soup, and data were then processed using Semantria.

The study findings revealed that overall sentiments decreased after restaurants were awarded a Michelin Star, in which service sentiment was the most affected aspect, followed by food and ambience. Yet, price sentiment showed a prominent increase. This provides valuable insights for Michelin-starred restaurant operators and owners to create a unique and compelling gastronomic experience that triggers positive online reviews.

The results of this study argue that consumers tend to hold higher expectations for this type of upscale restaurants given its recognition and quality assurance, so they are more likely to have negative feelings when their expectations are disconfirmed. Therefore, restaurants should continuously improve their food and service while paying attention to small details such as ambience, through creativity and innovation. Also, high-end restaurants, especially Michelin-starred restaurants, usually have the edge in premium pricing, yet competitive pricing may backfire considering its perceived luxurious values.

This study analyzed changes in customer sentiments when a restaurant is awarded a Michelin Star through text analytics. Through the lens of online restaurant reviews, the study findings contribute to identifying aspects that are most or least affected by the award of a Michelin Star as well as highlight the role of ambience in customer satisfaction which might have been overlooked in previous studies.

隨著社交媒體日趨普及，消費者出現一種常見的做法，就是在網上書寫評論，分享他們的意見和體驗，他們也會參考其他消費者的評論，以在購物時能作出知情決定。本研究擬探討當餐館獲得米其林星級時，消費者對它們在四個主要方面 (即食物、服務、情調和價格) 的網上評價會如何改變。我們藉此能更容易了解、餐館獲得米其林星級會如何影響其網上評論，以及是哪些因素、會為這些餐館帶來正面的網上評價。

我們對貓途鷹平台上的網上餐館評論進行情感分析。透過BeautifulSoup 研發的網絡爬蟲，我們取出位於歐洲87間餐館、共8,871個以英文書寫的評論，並把這些數據以Semantria加以處理。

研究結果顯示、當餐館獲得米其林星級時，顧客的整體情緒會下降，而其中最受影響的是服務情懷，其次是食物和情調; 但價格情緒卻有明顯的上升。這研究結果給獲得米其林星級餐館的經營者及其東主提供寶貴的啟示，讓他們了解如何為顧客創造一個可帶來正面網上評價的獨特而難忘的美食體驗。

本研究透過文本挖掘、去分析當餐館獲得米其林星級時，顧客情緒會如何改變; 透過網上餐館評論這面透視鏡子，本研究得到的結果、幫助我們確定米其林星級的聲譽所影響最大和最小的是哪些方面，以及讓我們更深入了解餐館的情調在顧客滿意程度上所扮演的角色，而這個角色在過去的研究中似被忽視。

本研究的結果提供了論據、證明由於消費者對擁有相關的認可和品質保證的這類高檔餐館一般予以較高的期望，故當他們發現期望與現實不符時，他們更容易產生負面的情緒; 因此，餐館在關注如情調方面的細節的同時，也應透過創造力和新觀念、去不斷改善他們提供的食物素質和服務水平; 而且，高檔餐館，尤其是獲得米其林星級的餐館，通常在溢價定價方面享有優勢，但當考慮到感知的奢華價值時，具競爭力的價格或會為餐館帶來反效果。

This paper aims to compare and contrast the innovation process described by Michelin‐starred chefs with existing theoretical innovation process models.

Semi structured interviews with Michelin‐starred chefs in Germany were conducted to better understand the underlying factors and dimensions that describe process practices. A sample of 12 Michelin‐starred chefs awarded one, two or the maximum of three stars were interviewed about how they develop new food creations in their restaurants.

Research results indicated that the development process of Michelin‐starred chefs has similarities and differences to traditional concepts of new product development. Michelin‐starred chefs' innovation processes do not include a business analysis stage and because of the simultaneity of production and consumption and the importance of human factors in service delivery, employees play a more important role in fine dining innovation than in other product innovation situations. Furthermore, Michelin‐starred chefs' innovation processes do not implement an all‐encompassing evaluation system.

The study was conducted in only one country and on a small sample. Based on an analysis of the findings, the innovation development process of Michelin chefs can be broken down into seven main steps.

The present study expands the scope of hospitality innovation research and the findings have not only important implications for high‐end restaurant settings but also other restaurant segments, and other hospitality service endeavors.

Receiving Michelin stars is considered an effective marketing tool and a prestigious certification in the restaurant industry. However, the direct effects of Michelin stars on restaurant performance remain unclear. To bridge this gap, this study aims to empirically validate the “Michelin effect” on the consumption values of restaurant patrons before and after receiving Michelin stars.

The data, collected from OpenTable, consist of over 160,000 reviews written for 218 restaurants, including 109 Michelin-starred (treatment group) and 109 nonstarred restaurants (control group). The authors measure perceived consumption value using the collected user-generated review data. The authors estimate fixed-effect difference-in-differences regressions to validate the Michelin effect.

Michelin stars enhance social, hedonic and service quality values, which are nonfunctional values. However, no significant effects on functional consumption values, such as economic, food quality and ambience quality values, are observed, even though Michelin stars are pure awards for kitchen performance.

Michelin stars can be an effective marketing tool for fine-dining restaurants because customers consider emotional and nonfunctional benefits such as hedonic and social values, which are more important than functional benefits such as food value. Furthermore, Michelin effects are heterogeneous depending on the number of stars awarded, price range and customers’ gastronomic involvement. These offer a strong rationale for monitoring social media, which may help managers better understand their customers and improve their performance.

This study extends the current literature on the Michelin effect by quantifying consumption values using user-generated review data. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study offers the first empirical evidence that directly validates the Michelin effect.

The main goal of this paper is to identify the attributes of consumer experience in Michelin-starred restaurants and to estimate their effects on restaurant ratings.

A sample of 70,233 online reviews of 224 Spanish Michelin-starred restaurants were analysed with the latent Dirichlet allocation algorithm. A sentiment analysis and a logistic regression analysis were also employed to estimate the effect of attributes on restaurant ratings.

Customer attention, food quality, decor and ambience and value for money are frequently used to define restaurant experience. However, it is shown in this study that the experience in a Michelin-starred restaurant goes beyond the evaluation of those four attributes. Furthermore, the effect of the factors that were identified on customer satisfaction differed depending on the restaurant ratings.

The findings are linked to the context of Spanish Michelin-starred restaurants. It is also assumed in this study that online reviews are based on truthful opinions.

Restaurant managers should primarily focus on customer attention and food quality to achieve customer satisfaction. In addition, those restaurants with an error-free service and a highly appreciated wine list among diners are more likely to achieve the culinary excellence that deserves a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor.

The attributes of the restaurant experience are frequently identified in literature reviews. Research based on text-mining analyses of customer reviews to discover a posteriori the factors that define a restaurant experience is scarce, and particularly difficult to find in the context of Michelin-starred restaurants.

The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of the contemporary relevance of the Michelin Guide as efforts are made to extend its reach in Asia. The focus is on recent endeavours by the producers of the restaurant guide to represent local conditions by acknowledging the importance of street food and hawkers.

The methodology is that of a case study based on analysis of published material about the inaugural Singapore Michelin Guide and its consequences.

The Michelin Guide confronts challenges in retaining its authority and establishing itself in new Asian locations. The Singapore edition indicates attempts at responsiveness to distinctive circumstances through the recognition of street food and hawkers, but questions can be raised about the appropriateness of their inclusion and rating.

Despite the absence of primary data, important topics about food and dining landscapes and modes of restaurant reviewing and grading are explored. A research agenda for the future is also proposed.

Attention is given to the impacts of the guide for individual enterprises, suggesting positive and negative outcomes of endorsement.

Findings enhance understanding of the place of food and dining within societies and the influence of restaurant guides.

The paper offers an Asian perspective on and fresh insights into the role of local food cultures as well as the meanings and functions of the Michelin Guide.

The purpose of this research is to examine response strategies and the change in Michelin-starred chefs' practices to adapt to the global pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis that has strongly affected the foodservice sector.

The authors conducted an exploratory qualitative research that used mixed-method, combining online interviews with 12 French Michelin-starred chefs and archival data. A manual thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data and identify relevant themes following an iterative coding process.

The findings show that Michelin-starred restaurants implement multilevel response strategies by developing dynamic capabilities while playing a social role through the development of new forms of business practices. The results show that Michelin-starred chefs adopt social bricolage entrepreneurial thinking to deal with the extreme situation and use diverse resources and response strategies to tackle social issues and improve the collective and individual well-being. The authors identified three major response strategies implemented by luxury restaurants: philanthropic activities targeting the well-being of the community, socially responsible business practices to support the foodservice actors and initiatives centered on consumer's food well-being.

The limits of this study are related to the small sample size and the elimination of psychographic criteria such as age and gender, which can extend our understanding of response strategies implemented by female and male owners or by age range during crises in the foodservice sector. Also, given that France is the country of Haute gastronomy, the conclusions of this study may not be generalizable to other countries where the gastronomic culture might be different.

Restaurants with high-end or luxury positioning must use multilevel – i.e. individual, sector and societal – response strategies to play a social role while sustaining their businesses during times of crisis. These insights seek to provide a roadmap which can be applied to other sectors to assess response strategies driven by various motives, resources and capabilities.

This research contributes to transformative service research literature by providing insights regarding how service providers can rethink their activities during the crises to play an active social role. Also, the findings point to several ways in which service actors can help customers and the community to improve their well-being.

To our knowledge, no prior research examined both the type of response strategies deployed by companies to survive and the importance of playing a social role and developing socially responsible business practices during times of crisis.

This study aims to conceptualise how the occupational socialisation of young chefs is conducted in Michelin-starred restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland; the key role of banter and bullying in this process is explored and critically discussed.

This qualitative research critically discusses the data from 54 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with male and female Michelin-starred chefs in Great Britain and Ireland. A flexible interview guide was used to ensure all key areas, and topics discussed earlier in the literature review were covered. The rich data from the interviews were categorised in four different themes.

Drawing upon the fieldwork, fresh insights into the social structures, processes and group dynamics which underpin the socialisation process of young chefs are revealed in the participants’ own words. Four areas emerged from the usage of thematic analysis: occupational status, discipline and hierarchy in kitchen brigades, gender segregation in kitchen brigades and the role of banter and bullying in occupational socialisation.

This study generates empirical data that inform contemporary debates about the role of banter and bullying in the occupational socialisation process of new members in Michelin-starred restaurants. A conceptual framework on the process of occupational socialisation in Michelin-starred kitchen brigades in Great Britain and Ireland is also provided.

The findings of this study suggest that banter and bullying are deeply embedded in chefs’ occupational culture; they also play a key role in the process of induction and occupational socialisation of the new recruits. In addition, gender segregation was found to be a persistent problem in commercial kitchens – young female chefs have to endure the same harsh conditions during the induction and occupational socialisation process. A recommended course of action to eradicate this phenomenon involves HR professionals, hospitality managers and the Michelin Guide.

The understanding of chefs’ induction and occupational socialisation is deemed crucial for successful hospitality operations; nevertheless, this still remains an under-researched area. This study is unique in terms of scale and depth; it is expected to provide useful insights in both theoretical and practical perspective, regarding the induction, socialisation and eventually, retention of young chefs in Michelin-starred restaurants.

Using the lens of crisis innovation and strategic alignment, this study explores how a segment of the restaurant sector that may be less agile than others—Michelin-starred restaurants—perceives and aligns with the challenges brought about by the COVID-19-pandemic.

The study collected data from 19 Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain using a qualitative interview method. The data were analyzed qualitatively and organized thematically.

Four key categories of strategic challenges were identified: human resources, uncertainty, control and economic challenges. In response, chefs displayed both behavioral and organizational strategies. Those organizational strategies were new human resource management, reorganization, product and service innovation and marketing. While the new human resource management actions adopted to align with the human resource challenges identified, a misalignment remains between some of the other strategic actions, such as product and service innovation, marketing and economic and uncertainty challenges.

The findings offer new insight into Michelin-starred restaurant chefs' challenges and (mis)alignment strategies, an area that has been understudied in the current literature on innovative responses in the hospitality sector post-pandemic.