Abstract

This study was designed to identify how customers considered menu selection attributes on menu choice, and so the instrument for measuring that question was developed and menu selection behavior types were analyzed by customers' characteristics. Cronbach's alpha to assess the internal reliability of the developed scales was 0.8361, which indicated to be highly reliable. Construct validity was assessed by principal components factor analysis with a Varimax rotation to identify underlying dimensions of menu selection and then four factors explaining 55.618% of the total variance were found. These factors were labeled as 'quality of meals', 'attractiveness of meals', 'healthfulness of meals' and 'variety of meals', respectively. As a result of analysis on menu selection factors, 'quality of meals'(3.82 out of 5) was the highest consideration followed by 'variety of meals'(3.51), 'healthfulness of meals'(3.49) and 'attractiveness of meals'(3.34), so that menu marketing approaches in the perspective of quality of meals would do lead customers' selection rates, customer satisfaction and then sales highly. Frequent visitor selected menu indifferently but customers who were interested in food and menu highly, who perceived meals' quality highly, and who were satisfied with overall foodservice did with concern. On the basis of these results of study for the target of food court-style B & I foodservice operation, which was introduced as an ideal model in future foodservice market by the concept of 'customer's selection right', the following study related with customers' meal patterns and perception of foodservice by menu selection attributes would be able to predict the chances for success of food court-style foodservice operations.

• Keywords: food court; B & I foodservice; menu; menu selection