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The purpose of this study is to empirically develop and validate a practical, consistent and specific scale to assess perceived service quality at the service encounter at quick-service restaurants (QSRs).

Development and validation of the scale involved a five-stage process. Data were collected from 430 customers of a QSR belonging to an international brand located in Barcelona. Surveys were applied immediately after the service encounter, using the face-to-face method. The scale development procedure involved exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

The results suggest a specific and parsimonious measurement scale, whose structure comprises 14 items in four dimensions. In contrast to previous studies, this study identified the appropriateness of splitting the interaction quality dimension into two single dimensions, one focusing on the interaction time and other on staff–customer interaction. Furthermore, these indicate that a speedy service, pleasant treatment and food quality are the most valued attributes in QSR.

This scale is a useful instrument to administer and assure service quality standards within QSR management systems. Its practical approach and short survey length ease data collection, considering that customers spend short amounts of time in this type of restaurant. Furthermore, it could also be used by franchisors and restaurant operators as a tool to monitor continuing compliance with service quality standards.

The resulting scale introduces a novel four-factor structure with high goodness of fit to effectively measure customers' perceived service quality in QSRs, where the ease of use and speed of gathering client responses are a key factor for successful implementation.

This paper aims to outline the innovation process activities described by quick‐service restaurant (QSR) managers and to compare it with an earlier QSR process model and with those used in other food service settings.

Six semi‐structured interviews with QSR chain executives in the USA were conducted to better understand the underlying factors and dimensions that describe successful innovation process practices.

For new QSR menu innovations, the development teams follow a structured approach to reduce the likelihood of failure due to issues such as poor consumer demand or implementation. QSR screen new food innovations approximately five times during the development process. Furthermore, today's QSR innovation process integrates more sophisticated market research technology and a post‐audit is carried out after the new food concept has been launched. In comparison with studies of Michelin‐starred chefs QSR development teams use an approach that is much more explicitly structured as a whole due to the larger scale roll‐out as well as greater cross‐functional and regional differences to consider in the QSR setting.

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 QSR can be broken down into 13 main steps. Compared with earlier hospitality innovation studies, the process in this setting includes multiple screenings for high‐risk innovations, and greater emphasis on operational and training issues.

The study expands the scope of hospitality innovation research and the findings have important implications not only for QSR settings but also for other restaurant segments, and for other hospitality service endeavours.

This study aims to apply the information system success model (ISSM) to examine the relationships among actual use, use continuance intention, user satisfaction and net benefits in the context of quick-service restaurant (QSR) patrons using two contactless technologies (CT): self-service kiosks (SSK) and mobile applications (MA) for food ordering. The study also investigates the moderating roles of social interaction anxiety (SIA) and language proficiency (LP) in the abovementioned relationships.

Survey data from 421 QSR patrons with experience using McDonald's SSK and MA were collected and analyzed through a seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR) technique.

Research findings reveal positive associations among actual use, use continuance intention and satisfaction with CT (i.e. SSK and MA). The actual use and satisfaction with CT are positively associated with individual benefits, leading to improved patron satisfaction with QSR. Findings also reveal that, in the case of MA, SIA positively moderates relationships between actual use/satisfaction and individual benefits and between satisfaction and organizational benefit, while LP shows negative moderating effects on those relationships.

This study is one of the first attempts to present empirical evidence of constructs in the ISSM (actual use, use continuance intention, satisfaction and individual/organizational benefits) in the context of QSR patrons using SSK and MA. It also shows that using MA can address some patrons' psychological problems interacting with others in their food-ordering processes.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the rise of South Africa's quick service restaurant (QSR) industry by examining the structural changes and competitive strategies driving the industry.

The paper uses Michael Porter's Five Forces and secondary data to describe the structural reorganization of South Africa's QSR industry and market positioning strategies being used to respond to the growing industry competition and global challenges.

The paper finds that South Africa's QSR industry has risen tremendously and has expanded globally. The evolving fast food market comprises South African franchises and multi‐national franchise corporations co‐existing with modern supermarkets, contract food caterers, and informal traders. The industry uses a mix of market coordination, operational and competitive strategies to counter the intense global competition. Further research is needed to examine the potential of information communication technologies in QSR industry market coordination and consumer willingness to pay for increased convenience, healthy products, sustainability, and food traceability.

South Africa leads the continent in mobile phone penetration and there is scope for QSR managers to integrate mobile commerce when dealing with QSR industry customers and other stakeholders. South Africa's fast food franchises should craft strategies that adapt menus to local cultures and ethnic foods in other countries. With increasing attention on food safety and traceability, South Africa's QSR firms could provide leadership in marketing high quality food and gain competitive advantages through positive industry image.

The paper addresses the highly topical issue of rising competition in the fast food industry and successful strategies being utilized by South African firms to penetrate both regional and global markets.

The aim of the paper is to measure the service quality, satisfaction, service value and behavioral intentions of Gen Z in leading global Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in India by integrating QUICKSERV into an established model of consumer behavior.

A cross-sectional study design was used for the hypothesis testing. Service quality perceptions with satisfaction, service value and behavioral intentions were measured using structural equation modeling.

The outcomes suggest a direct effect of the service quality of QSRs on the satisfaction, service value and behavioral intentions of Gen Z customers. Satisfaction further influenced customers' behavioral intentions. However, customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions were not directly influenced by service value. Finally, the association between service quality and behavioral intentions was mediated by satisfaction.

Managers should encourage a pleasant attitude, good grooming and friendliness in QSR employees as Gen Z highly values these aspects. At the same time, QSRs should focus to elevate the service value of Gen Z customers by lowering their sacrifice perceptions and fostering initiatives.

Although many studies have considered millennials along with Gen Z to analyze the relationship between service quality and behavioral intentions in different service settings, few researchers have considered the impact of Gen Z consumer features in service quality research separately. The findings of the study will help both practitioners of different QSR brands and facilitators in hospitality academia to better understand the nuances and uniqueness of Gen Z consumer behavior in the QSRs.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the dining experience including food quality, service quality, convenience and ambiance on overall satisfaction and customers’ intention to revisit in quick service restaurants (QSRs). In addition, the mediating effects of overall satisfaction between dining experience dimensions and customer intention to revisit have been investigated in this study.

Data were collected online from 278 participants in the USA and analyzed using partial least square structure equation modeling (SmartPLS).

Food quality, service quality and convenience are strong predictors of both overall satisfaction and intention to revisit and recommend QSRs. However, ambiance did not directly influence the customer overall satisfaction in a QSR setting, Also, overall satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between the dining experience attributes and future intention to revisit and recommend QSRs.

This study makes a significant contribution to the QSRs literature by examining the effects of dining experience on satisfaction and intention to revisit, as well as the meditation role of satisfaction. Moreover, this study has several practical implications for QSRs practitioners and foodservice marketers. Self-selection to take the online questionnaire is considered one of this study’s limitations.

Restaurant managers, especially in the QSR segment, could benefit from the outcome of this study by utilizing their limited resources on improving their customers’ satisfaction and restaurants profitability.

By understanding which attributes of the dining experience value most during their visit to QSRs, this study aims to provide some insight on how to improve QSR customers overall satisfaction and future intention.

This study is unique as it applies attributes from fine dining and casual dining attributed to QSRs in the USA. In addition, this study is the first on QSRs to use SmartPLS as statistical tool for analyzing the collected data and simultaneously accounting the relationships between the constructs introduced in this study.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of consumer sustainability attitudes and quick service restaurants (QSRs) practices along with the willingness of consumers to pay a premium for sustainability efforts.

A random sample of QSR customers in Germany resulted in 428 completed surveys. First, common factor analysis was conducted to assess the summated scales related to the sustainable behavior of customers, the importance attached by them to the different dimensions of sustainability and the extent to which customers perceive that QSR implement such practices. Second, the effect of these summated scales on the willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for sustainability practices were assessed by means of a logistic regression.

The findings indicated that WTPP for sustainability efforts is primarily driven by internal beliefs and behaviors of consumers themselves rather than actions by QSR firms. Furthermore, when comparing five major QSRs, QSR brands did not appear to create a strong point of differentiation in their sustainability practices in the minds of frequent QSR consumers in the context of this study.

Implications of these results suggest that a growing number of consumers place high importance on sustainability and engage in personal sustainability practices that impact behaviors such as QSR selection and a WTPP for QSR brands and products that are perceived as implementing sustainable practices.

This paper addresses a gap by assessing drivers of willingness of QSR customers to pay a premium for sustainable practices and if QSR brands sustainability practices differ in the minds of consumers.

This study aims to examine the quick service restaurant (QSR) differentiation in the minds of consumers, customers and non-customers and addresses the use of absolute measures. The study integrated competitive context and customer vs non-customer perceptions to better understand marketing strategies and the impact on customer value.

A conceptual framework is provided with marketing strategy, 7Ps, value positioning and outcomes. A survey instrument to assess perceptions of QSR marketing mix dimensions and leading QSR brands as referents was used. The study used exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA and logistic regression to address research questions.

The five QSR brands were differentiated by three marketing mix dimensions: quality, convenience and price. Subway and Starbucks customers perceived higher quality than McDonald’s and Burger King. Price separated Starbucks and McDonald’s customers. Overall, QSR customers perceived higher quality and convenience than non-customers. Age group was a predictor of customer membership of QSR overall and McDonald’s.

The study used participants in Germany and had more respondents identified as McDonald’s customers or referent.

The quality bundle represents unique resources for each QSR brand. Management teams should use a holistic mindset in considering the quality bundle reputation and how the various attributes support each other.

Consumers look to three factors for QSR rather than 7Ps: quality, convenience and price. Relative comparisons of perceptions among brands and between customers vs non-customers provided important contributions for QSR marketing mix factors.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to investigate the impact of franchisor support on quick service restaurant (QSR) users’ intranet acceptance; and to examine the technology acceptance model (TAM) to explain QSR users’ attitude toward the franchise intranet usage. Franchisors are building intranet systems as a communication tool to assist their franchisees in performing their jobs better. However, there is a little available literature that discusses in detail the use of the intranet by franchise systems.

This study adopted the TAM to investigate the acceptance of the intranet in the context of QSR franchise systems. The original TAM was modified to include an external variable, franchise support. A total of 161 returned and completed responses were examined. Descriptive analysis, validity, principal component factor analysis and regression analysis were used to estimate the relationships between constructs.

The key finding of this study is that franchise support is a key in the decision for users to use intranet systems in the QSR franchise systems. This study also confirmed that there are positive and significant relationships among key variables: franchise support, perceived usefulness of intranet, perceived ease of use of intranet, attitude toward using intranet and behavioral intentions to use intranet. Regression analysis revealed that TAM is a valid model in predicting intranet adoption in restaurant franchise systems.

This study pursued franchise support, which was not included in the original TAM, to see how it affects perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and intention to use. In addition, a list of recommendations for improving the situation in that franchise organization is provided.

This study aims to explore: the impact of customers' previous experience on their likelihood of using kiosks at quick service restaurants (QSRs); a mediating role of customer readiness (i.e. role clarity, ability, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation) between customers' previous experience and their likelihood of using kiosks; and a moderating effect of gender in the relationships among customers' previous experience, readiness, and likelihood of using kiosks.

A total of 614 complete responses were obtained through an online survey. Structural equation modeling was developed and tested.

The results demonstrated that extrinsic motivation in using SSTs directly influenced the likelihood of using kiosks, and previous experience with SSTs indirectly influenced the likelihood of using kiosks through customer readiness in both male and female groups. This study also revealed that both male and female respondents who perceived their roles in using SST more clearly were more likely to use kiosks at QSRs. However, their perceived ability and levels of intrinsic motivations did not significantly influence the likelihood of using kiosks in both groups. Overall, gender did not play a significant moderating role in the relationships among experience, readiness, and likelihood of using kiosks at QSR.

Since very few studies have investigated the kiosks adoption at QSR settings, the findings and suggestions from this study will provide practical insight for QSR operators. Future research could attempt to draw a comprehensive kiosk acceptance model by incorporating the current study's framework with other demographic variables or other antecedent variables.