e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 647 Socrat Ghadban Lebanese University – Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality Management Mohammad Alhallak Lebanese University – Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality Management Bader Fayad Lebanese University – Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality Management Local Chain Restaurants and Millennials’ Needs: Insights from Lebanon Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patterns in various sectors, especially the restaurant and hospitality industry. This paper examines Lebanese Millennials' needs and the way Lebanese chain restaurant operators could efficiently satisfy them. Researchers implemented a mixed-method approach and collected 484 valid responses using an online self-administered questionnaire. The survey covered mainly: Millennials' restaurant selection attributes, social media food sharing, and satisfaction. Moreover, a semi-structured interview was conducted with six local chain restaurants' operations managers to explore how they are satisfying Lebanese Millennials' needs. The results indicate a discrepancy in priorities regarding restaurant selection between Millennials and restaurants' managers. Interestingly, this study reveals a statistically significant relationship between sharing food on social media and preferring food presentation over taste. Keywords: Millennials, Selection attributes, Dining experience, Social media, Local chain restaurants, Satisfaction Dr. Socrat Ghadban Associate Professor of Economics & Master Program Coordinator Lebanese University – Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality Management Beirut, Lebanon Phone: +961 76 715011 Email: sghadban@ul.edu.lb Mr. Mohammad Alhallak Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management Lebanese University – Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality Management Beirut, Lebanon Phone: +971 50 5097385 Email: mohamadalhallak7@gmail.com http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 648 Mr. Bader Fayad Master’s degree in Hospitality Management Lebanese University – Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality Management Beirut, Lebanon Phone: +961 70 081 922 Email: bader.fayad@hotmail.com Socrat Ghadban is an Associate Professor and Master Program coordinator at the Lebanese University, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management. He has been a faculty member since 2013. He holds a Ph.D. in social economics from University of Toulouse – Jean Jaurès. His research interests are Hospitality Management, Tourism Economics and Sustainability. Mohamad Alhallak is an Assistant General Manager at AWJ Investments Dubai, a fast-growing Food & Beverage Holding Group. He holds an online Master’s Certificate in Food & Beverage Management from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from the Lebanese University. He is passionate about innovation in the Food & Beverage sector and has several years of experience in consultancy and project management. Bader Fayad is an Assistant Restaurant Manager at Junkyard Grill Restaurant in Nigeria. He holds a Master’s degree in Hospitality Management from the Lebanese University. He has ten years of experience in the restaurant industry and was involved in several research projects. Introduction The restaurant industry in Lebanon constitutes a significant element for local economic development. According to Chadi Chidiac (managing partner of Protocol, a hospitality and management consultancy), “The hospitality industry is one of the biggest private employment sectors in Lebanon. The restaurant sector alone recruits more than 80,000 people. The restaurant market is extremely dynamic; it makes a significant contribution to Lebanon's GDP" (BIMPOS, 2018). The restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists are major contributors to GDP directly and indirectly (World Travel & Tourism Council [WTTC], 2018). Millennials also called generation Y, represent a key consumer group for the restaurant industry worldwide. This segment dines out more regularly than any other age cohort and is considered the largest living generation (Yoon & http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 649 Chung, 2018). With about 47% of the Lebanese population (Index Mundi, 2018), Millennials represent a colossal customer base for the restaurant business in Lebanon. According to Jang et al. (2011), Millennials are the most frequent customers for all types of restaurants. According to the global law firm CMS' report, "Millennials spend 13% of their total income on eating out" (Lintott, 2019). Millennials are born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, roughly 1982 through 2005, aged between 14 and 37(Howe & Strauss, 2000; Kuhns & Saksena, 2017). Millennials represent the largest living generation of our century (Josuweit, 2017). In the USA, they constitute the largest generation and consume food in a restaurant or bar around 30% more than other older generations (Kuhns & Saksena, 2017). In the MENA region, they make up 57% of the population (Ipsos, 2019). Furthermore, Millennials represent a vital economic opportunity, especially to economically and politically fragile regions, because they represent an increasingly considerable economic force (Cavagnaro et al., 2018). Therefore, understanding the needs of Millennials has to be a priority for restaurateurs who are seeking long-term development and profits (Hammond et al., 2013). The Lebanese context represents an appropriate research area in this domain. The country suffers from continuous political instability and high geopolitical pressure reflected in a severely limited GDP growth (1%) and a fiscal balance deficit of more than 8% (World Bank, 2018). Internationally, several studies highlighted millennials in restaurants; Taylor & DiPietro (2018) showed that millennials dine out more regularly than other generations, and casual restaurants should focus on entertaining millennials to be more attractive. Moreover, Shapoval et al. (2018) have investigated millennials’ service quality perception in green restaurants and demonstrated that restaurants should emphasize green practices to captivate millennials. Meanwhile, there are no scientific studies conducted on the Lebanese Millennials about their consumption patterns and http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 650 dining experience. This research fills this gap by answering four main questions: what are the restaurant's attributes that the Lebanese Millennials consider when selecting a restaurant? How social media influence Lebanese Millennials' dining experience? Does Millennials' satisfaction level vary among Local restaurants? Finally, how managers of the local restaurants satisfy Lebanese Millennials' needs and preferences? This study has practical implications for the restaurant sector in Lebanon, especially chain restaurants, as it will help them better understand Millennials' selection and dining experience, thus developing strategies that can better target and satisfy their needs. Literature Review Millennials’ Characteristics: overview worldwide and in Lebanon Restaurants worldwide are improving their service attributes due to Millennials' changing consumption patterns and preferences, who are always eager to experience new types of food and beverage (Barton et al., 2012). For instance, Thompson & Barrett (2016) illustrated that when millennials order wine with their meal in a casual dining restaurant, they would make their food tastier and let them feel sophisticated and smart. Generally speaking, Millennials are confident and self-reliant, technologically practical, willing to change, open to diversity, socially responsible, service-oriented, and successful in multitasking (Young & Hinesly, 2012). Besides, they are more diverse and have a higher educational level than the preceding cohorts; they tend to consume healthier and fresher food while spending less of their budget on food at home (Kuhns & Saksena, 2017). Since most of them witnessed the financial crisis, they became price sensitive with fewer resources than other generations. Moreover, they tend to live new experiences and enhance their social ties (Twenge et al., 2012). http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 651 According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2019), Lebanese Millennials are considered a crucial segment for any business, with a relatively young population, more than 42% belong to Millennials. According to a study conducted by Ipsos (2019), Lebanese Millennials seek to integrate technology into their daily life through being online and connected; the majority of them use applications to order food in addition to health-related applications. According to the same study, Lebanese Millennials always like to stay connected with people around them, and they express their opinions through likes and comments on social media platforms. Finally, around 30% of Lebanese Millennials prefer buying local brands and support local businesses, with more than half of them are living under the burden of debt. Chain vs. independent restaurants Harris et al. (2014) defined chain restaurants as “food production units having various locations and having consistency on several levels such as the menu, the look, and the décor” They are identical in market, concept, design, service, food, and name. Regardless of their location, chain restaurants have the same menu, food quality, level of service, and atmosphere, and they could be owned by a brand company or either national or regional franchisee (Canziani et al., 2016). These restaurants are easily recognizable in the marketplace with their substantial advertising influence; they have solid experience allowing them to have sophisticated systems and access to discounted purchases (Walker, 2014). Meanwhile, independent restaurants are relatively easy to open and are not affiliated with any brand or name; they have their unique image and concept with very few branches. Owners of independent restaurants have freedom in adopting the concept, menu, and décor (Walker, 2014); it is sometimes denoted as a “non-chain” restaurant (Canziani et al., 2016). Furthermore, Parsa et al. (2005) demonstrated in their research that chain restaurants could gain a larger market share than independent restaurants. Compared to independent restaurants, full- http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 652 service chain restaurants might be relatively more IT-oriented, especially in managing and implementing social media platforms in their marketing strategies (Oronsky & Chathoth, 2007). Additionally, Jang & Zheng (2020) found that chain restaurants implement environmentally sustainable practices less than independent ones. However, they are more efficient in transmitting information to stakeholders about their environmental measures. Comparing the characteristics of chain and independent restaurants, chain restaurants offer lower prices menu items since they have more cash flow and a higher production level. Chain restaurants’ customers can create and maintain more connections with people than independent ones because chain restaurants are more popular and IT-oriented. Thus, by evaluating the Millennials’ characteristics worldwide and in Lebanon, it could be interpreted that Millennials may prefer chain restaurants over independent ones. This is due to Millennials’ sensitivity to price and their love to create and maintain connections with others through technology. Millennials’ restaurant selection attributes Flynn (2016) reported that Millennials dine out on average 13 times per month, so they have a set of criteria and attributes that they consider when selecting a particular restaurant. Table 1 shows the most recent studies conducted on Millennials' selection attributes. Adamczyk (2014) reported that Fast-Casual restaurants' success could be largely credited to Millennials since they seek healthier and more authentic food and tend to pay higher average-check for better food quality. http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 653 Table 1. Research background on Millennials restaurant selection attributes Researcher/s Year Selection attributes Stein 2016 Culture of the restaurant Flynn 2016 Natural/organic ingredients, value/service reliability, pro- environmental activities, reputation, food quality, nutritional menu, atmosphere, and convenient location. Self et al. 2015 Location of the restaurant. Adamczyk 2014 Food that is healthier and more authentic, food quality. Tian 2012 Menu designs Jang et al. 2011 Healthy, taste, convenience, new food experience, value for money. Verdict Foodservice surveyed recently over 5,000 Millennials in 18 different countries in the world and demonstrated that five key variables affect Millennials' selection of restaurants: Unique dining experience, value for money, healthy & organic foods, connecting through technology, convenience, and food delivery (Lintott, 2019). Self et al. (2015) and Flynn (2016) reported that location is a major concern for both restaurateurs and customers, which affects the market share and profitability of any restaurant. In order to better investigate this relationship, the following two hypotheses were formulated: H1a: Location is a major concern for restaurateurs. H1b: Location is a major concern for Millennials. Dining experience: social media and satisfaction According to Duffett (2017), "social media marketing communication has a positive impact on the cognitive, affective and behavioral attitude of young consumers." Thus, the social network is of great importance when studying Millennials' food consumption. Bassett et al. (2016) demonstrated that Millennials are continuously interconnected with each other on social networking platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., and they spend on average more than 3 hours daily on http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 654 social media. According to the global law firm CMS report, "With 25% of Millennials saying they will pay more at a restaurant if its social media ratings are good, as a big majority of Millennials use social media, they will want to share their experiences at the restaurant they are at" (Lintott, 2019). To study adolescents' food-related communication on social media, Holmberg (2018) showed that "Adolescents may increase their social capital by sharing desirable meals and food items through social media," which in turn affects their food habits. Sharing food experience or sharing photographs of food on social media is becoming more popular today, especially among the younger generation (Peng, 2017) these findings coincide with the fact that “nearly 50% of Millennials admit that their activity on social media has caused them to overspend to impress their networks” (Viens, 2019). Based on the above and the critical role social media plays in Millennials’ food-sharing habits, the following hypothesis is formulated: H2: Millennials who are heavy users of social media prefer food presentation over taste. Satisfaction is another crucial concept for Millennials' dining experience. Kim et al. (2009) proved that in university dining facilities, food quality and service quality were the strongest predictor of customer satisfaction and revisit intention. Moreover, Crotts et al. (2008) argued that customers' satisfaction has been decisive in determining any restaurant's longevity and financial success. So, the way restaurateurs are satisfying their customers can differ from one restaurant to another. Thus, the authors investigated the varying level of Millennials' satisfaction among restaurants: H3: Millennials’ satisfaction level varies among restaurants. http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 655 Figure 1. Conceptual framework Millennials’ restaurant selection and dining experience Restaurateurs’ strategies Millennials’ dining experience Millennials’ restaurant selection attributes Social media food sharing Millennials’ satisfaction Location Value for money Food quality & delivery Healthy menu items Social media presence Unique experience Menu design & atmosphere H1b H1a H2 H3 http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 656 Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual framework for the relation between restaurant strategies, Millennials’ selection attributes, and dining experience, and it depicts the three hypotheses developed in the literature review section. Methodology The researchers adopted a mixed-method approach based on a concurrent triangulation design. The interview and the questionnaire were developed and conducted in parallel. This approach is useful since researchers had to collect quantitative and qualitative data to explore if there is a gap between what is provided by the restaurant managers and what Lebanese Millennials prefer in terms of restaurant selection attributes and dining experience. The data triangulation increases the value of the research, especially when the researcher seeks to validate the findings by combining quantitative and qualitative data (Cooper & Schindler, 2014). Interview protocol A semi-structured interview was developed to explore how Lebanese restaurateurs integrate Millennials' selection attributes in their strategies and how they are enhancing Millennials' dining experience. A sample of six local chain restaurants was selected from a total of 21 existing in Lebanon and abroad (for the complete list of local chain restaurants, visit https://figshare.com/s/141ef7d1e0dc876869cb). Chain restaurants were the target for researchers because Millennials are more likely to select chain restaurants over independent. Local chain restaurants were considered for this study instead of international chains to explore how Millennials are changing the Lebanese restaurant industry. The six chain restaurants selected were: Ahwak, Classic Burger, Zaatar w Zet, Roadster, Crepaway, and Sandwich w nos. The restaurants' sample selection was motivated by the intention to cover the top three chain restaurants by local branch count, and the other three restaurants were selected based on convenience due to limited time and budget. Overall, the restaurants sampled have more than 85 branches across Lebanon. http://ertr.tamu.edu/ https://figshare.com/s/141ef7d1e0dc876869cb e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 657 The main questions of the interview covered three principal issues: the style of service provided, the restaurant expansion strategy, and Millennials’ dining experience. Questionnaire design and sampling techniques This study focused on Millennials born between 1980 and 2004 (Howe & Strauss, 2000). So, the sample was Lebanese Millennials aged between 15 and 39 years old. The questionnaire included four sections. The first section intends to explore the "Millennials selection attributes," including nine main items: quality and consistency, the timing of service (food delivery), type of service, value for money, location and accessibility, design and atmosphere, healthy menu items, social media presence, and entertainment. These items were adapted from Flynn (2016), Self et al. (2015), Adamczyk (2014), Tian (2012), and Jang et al. (2011). They were measured on a five- point Likert scale from 0 (not important at all) to 4 (extremely important). The second section measures “the use of social media platforms and food sharing” respondents were asked about food sharing on social media platforms and the preference of food presentation over taste. The third section considered “Millennials’ satisfaction” An unforced-choice rating scale of 6 points was used, from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), in addition to (Unable to rate) if respondents did not dine out in one or more of the six restaurants. This option was adopted to reduce biased data (Cooper & Schindler, 2014). The last section included questions about respondents’ demographic characteristics (age, gender, educational level, and employment status), in addition to their frequency of visit and average check spent. The questionnaire was developed using Google forms and conducted online. To ensure that the researchers target the right respondents, the first two questions were: are you born between 1980 and 2004? and if respondents visited one or more of the six restaurants selected. Moreover, to ensure higher validity, respondents were asked again at the end of the questionnaire about their http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 658 age, so those whose age was not between15 and 39 were not considered valid. Before launching the online survey, a pilot test was conducted with 20 students majoring in hospitality management and two restaurant managers. Minor revisions were integrated based on their feedback. The online questionnaire was then sent to potential respondents by email. Furthermore, researchers completed the questionnaire with Millennials in Hamra street (one of the busiest areas in the capital). Also, to ensure no biased data and higher validity, the same screening and verification questions were used. A systematic sample random technique was adopted to select respondents; the 5th person was approached and asked to complete the questionnaire. Data were collected during five consecutive dates, from 05/05/2018 till 10/05/2018. The questionnaire yielded a total of 500 responses. After examining the verification question about respondents’ age, a total of 16 responses were considered unusable since respondents did not belong to the Millennials, thus leaving a total of 484 usable responses. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. A chi-square test of independence was used to test the second hypothesis. Moreover, ANOVA single factor analysis and Bonferroni posthoc t-tests were implemented to test the third hypothesis. http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 659 Analysis and Findings Lebanese Millennials as main target for Lebanese chain restaurants Table 2. Interviews’ findings Restaurant Style of services Expansion strategy Dining experience Ahwak Casual & fine dining Location of the restaurant Friendly atmosphere Changes to the uniform and menu design Classic Burger Fast-casual Location /Accessibility Friendly atmosphere Changes to menu items (more healthy items such as Quinoa burger, Vegan burger, etc.), to the design of the restaurant, and to the prices (more affordable prices) Zaatar w Zet Fast-casual Location Friendly atmosphere Changes to the restaurant design, to the menu (healthy items) and to prices (more valuable prices) Crepaway Casual dining Location Entertainment (games such as a baby foot) Changes to the restaurant design and to the prices (more affordable prices) Sandwich w nos Fast food Location Simplicity is the best Changes to food safety (more food safety standards), to the taste, to the timing of delivery Roadster Casual dining Location Friendly atmosphere Changes to the service (quality and consistency) All the restaurants selected for the interview target Millennials, so they are familiar with the study topic and are aware of the importance of targeting this segment. The majority of the restaurant http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 660 managers interviewed provide casual dining and fast food/casual service (table 2). Regarding their expansion strategies, all the interviewees reported Location as the most vital factor to consider when growing in the marketplace and opening a new branch. Classic Burger Joint operations manager stated: “Where Millennials go, follow them. The location is the main factor; you should be accessible for all segments, especially Millennials”. Thus, the first hypothesis, H1a, is accepted; location is a major concern for restaurateurs. They are aware of Millennials' selection main attributes, and they are trying to integrate them into their strategies. For instance, most interviewees made changes to their menu items (healthier food) and to their prices (value for money) just to satisfy Millennials. However, the manager of Roadster was the only interviewee who reported that he made changes to the services of the restaurant, to maintain a good quality of food, more consistency, and a robust service recovery system. Regarding dining experience, as shown in Table 2, four out of the six restaurant managers interviewed reported that a friendly atmosphere is the best way to create a unique and memorable experience for Lebanese Millennials. Ahwak corporate operations manager indicated that: “The best way to create a new experience for Lebanese Millennials is to build a family, not a team, once you do that, you will be able to attract more Millennials since they are looking for experience as their top priority." http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 661 Respondents’ Characteristics Table 3. Respondents socio-demographic characteristics (N=484) Variable Category Count Percentage Gender Male 234 48% Female 250 52% Age 15-20 142 29% 21-25 280 58% 26-30 41 8% 31-39 21 4% Educational level Less than High school 27 6% High school 142 29% Bachelor 248 51% Masters 58 12% Ph.D. 9 2% Employment status Student 317 65% Working Student 90 19% Self-employed 12 2% Employed 58 12% Unemployed 7 1% Males and females are equally represented in the sample (table 3). 58% of the sample consisted of Lebanese Millennials aged between 21-25, followed by the age group of 15-20. 80% of the respondents have a high school and bachelor's degree. The majority (84%) of respondents were students and working students. Results demonstrated that 79% of respondents dine out between 4 to12 times per month with an average of 10 times per month, close to 13 times as reported by Flynn (2016). This finding emphasizes the importance of this segment for the survival of chain restaurants. Regarding the average check paid, most respondents pay an average of $17 per meal, with a standard deviation of $2.4. http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 662 Lebanese Millennials’ restaurant selection attributes Table 4. Lebanese Millennials’ restaurant selection attributes by order of importance Attributes Mean value SD Quality and consistency 3.20 1.01 Timing of service (food delivery) 2.94 1.01 Type of service 2.71 1.07 Value for money 2.62 1.09 Location and accessibility 2.58 1.09 Design and atmosphere 2.41 1.07 Healthy menu items 1.92 1.22 Entertainment 1.81 1.11 Social media presence 1.61 1.25 Each of the restaurant selection attributes was evaluated on a scale from 0 (not important at all) to 4 (extremely important). The researchers implemented ANOVA single factor and paired t-tests to examine the variations in Millennials restaurant's selection attributes. The results showed that the difference among these attributes is statistically significant (P-value < 0.001), enabling the researchers to rank these attributes as shown in table 4. According to table 4, service quality and consistency are the major attributes affecting Millennials' restaurant selection. Timing of service, type of service, and value for money are also notable factors when selecting a particular restaurant. The attribute “design and atmosphere of the restaurant” is of average importance. Location is also significant for respondents but is not a top priority for them, thus rejecting H1b, which states that location is a major concern for Millennials. Regarding entertainment, healthy menu items, and social media presence, these were evaluated as the least important when selecting a particular restaurant. The finding regarding healthy menu items contradicts the characteristics of Millennials studied by Ipsos (2019), which demonstrated that the majority of Lebanese Millennials use healthy related applications. However, it matches what was reported by http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 663 Barkin et al. (2010) about Millennials having poor health habits and limited activity leading to obesity. Lebanese Millennials Food Sharing on Social Media: new insights The results indicate that 65% of respondents do not share food on social media. This outcome is somehow different from what was discussed in the literature regarding Millennials' food sharing on social media (i.e., Holmberg, 2018; Peng, 2017). Among this group, only 18% prefer presentation over taste. Meanwhile, 30% of respondents who share their food on social media platforms place greater emphasis on presentation over taste. Table 5. Chi-square test: food sharing on social media and preferring food presentation over taste Test of independence Test results Chi-square (Observed value) 7.446 Chi-square (Critical value) 3.841 DF 1 p-value 0.006 Alpha 0.05 To test the second hypothesis, a chi-square test was conducted (Table 5). Results evidence that there is a statistically significant relationship between food sharing and preferring special presentation over taste. Thus, the second hypothesis is accepted. Heavy social media users tend to accord more importance to the presentation of the food over its taste since a special and attractive presentation is essential for food sharing (Holmberg et al., 2016). This paper provides a new contribution to the body of knowledge on the relation between food sharing on social media and food presentation. http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 664 A varying satisfaction level of Lebanese Millennials among local Chain Restaurants Table 6. ANOVA single factor test comparing satisfaction level among local chain restaurants Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F critical Between Groups 143.6203 5 28.72407 22.8007 1.91E-22 2.217648 Within Groups 3174.668 2520 1.259789 Total 3318.288 2525 The ANOVA single factor analysis tested the difference between Millennials’ satisfaction levels among the six local chain restaurants selected (table 6). The results demonstrate a discrepancy between the ability of the selected restaurants to satisfy Millennials; thus, confirming the third hypothesis. As shown in figure 2, Roadster is ranked as the most satisfying restaurant with an average satisfaction value of 4.06 over 5. The authors further investigated the difference in Millennials satisfaction level among the six local chain restaurants through post hoc Bonferroni comparisons. The results showed three groups of restaurants. The first group is characterized by Millennials' highest satisfaction level, including Roadster solely. The second group of restaurants: Crepaway, Zaatar w Zet, Sandwich w nos, and Classic Burger with a medium satisfaction level. The third group, represented by Ahwak, is considered the least satisfying restaurant for Millennials. http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 665 Figure 2. Respondents’ satisfaction level among local chain restaurants Discussions and Conclusions This study has illustrated the importance of Lebanese Millennials as the principal segment of local chain restaurants, with a majority dining out between 4 to12 times per month. The importance of Lebanese Millennials is frequent customers and a substantial economic opportunity for the restaurant industry in an economically fragile country. However, Millennials also have specific characteristics, needs, and preferences that restaurateurs need to consider when targeting this generation. This paper has detected a gap between what Lebanese Millennials are looking for when dining out and what local chain restaurants offer them. Therefore, the current study features some practical implications and recommendations for Lebanese restaurateurs to enhance their services and develop more effective strategies to target Lebanese Millennials. Local chain restaurant managers interviewed had made changes to their menu items and menu design to satisfy Millennials, those interested in features related to the restaurant services (quality and consistency, type and timing of service), and value for money. Furthermore, it is clear that location is a vital factor to consider when increasing restaurant market share and competitiveness, but Lebanese Millennials did not evaluate this attribute as their primary concern 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 Ahwak Classic Burger Crepaway Roadster Sandwich w nos Zaatar w zet Satisfaction Level Average http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 666 when selecting a restaurant. Thus, to satisfy Lebanese Millennials, it is critical for restaurateurs and marketers to better analyze the preferences and personality traits of Lebanese Millennials by conducting market studies and research on this segment. Local chain restaurants have to develop effective marketing strategies to target Lebanese Millennials as a niche market, not the same way as targeting other segments. The findings of this study have demonstrated a varying ability of local chain restaurants to satisfy Lebanese Millennials. Roadster registered the highest satisfaction level among Millennials since the manager of this particular restaurant had made changes to the quality and type of services delivered. A recent study suggests that Lebanese Millennials are not loyal to a particular brand and tend to be intolerant when having an unpleasant experience (Ipsos, 2019). Hence, if local chain restaurants are willing to retain Lebanese Millennials and create long-term profits, it is recommended for restaurateurs to enhance their service recovery system and to respond promptly and effectively to complaints. Finally, the finding of food sharing on social media and preferring food presentation over taste has a theoretical contribution and a practical one. Consequently, restaurant managers have to maintain and develop their social media channels as a tool to attract Millennials and to allow them to share their dining experience. Furthermore, they have to give more attention to the presentation of food so that local chain restaurants can attract more Millennials who are heavy social media users. When social media is becoming more important for food sharing among Millennials, it becomes more challenging for managers to incorporate social media marketing strategies into their business. According to Lepkowska-White (2017), “the majority of small restaurants use social media marketing strategy as a low-cost advertising tool to gain exposure, generate interest, inform, and spread word of mouth” http://ertr.tamu.edu/ e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), Vol. 18, No. 4, 2021 http://ertr.tamu.edu 667 Limitations and suggestions for future research While this study sought to understand Millennials' needs when dining out in local chain restaurants, the lack of figures about Lebanese restaurants and Lebanese Millennials was the main challenge. To overcome this limitation, the researchers had to collect data from several sources. Accordingly, Other studies could be conducted to (1) asses Lebanese Millennials’ needs with regard to international chain restaurants and independent ones (2) understand how Lebanese restaurateurs are integrating social media marketing strategies into their plans (3) investigate the relation between sharing food on social media and preferring special presentation over taste (4) examine the perception of Lebanese millennials toward green practices in restaurants. Since this study’s settings included a satisfaction evaluation for the six main local chain restaurants, the authors could not check the relationship between the satisfaction level and the frequency of visits for each restaurant separately. Conversely, if the questionnaire was designed to evaluate the level of satisfaction per restaurant per respondent, this will dictate a much larger sample that exceeds the budget and time limit of this study. 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