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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

Events and Tourism Review                                     
 
June 2022                                                                                                                                                 Volume 5 No. 1      

   

 

Customer Satisfaction with Food Quality in Buffet Restaurants in Vietnam 

 

 
Thi Kim Anh Luong 
 

Jennifer Hussey 
 

Technological University Dublin, Ireland 

Correspondence: Jennifer.Hussey@TUDublin.ie (J. Hussey) 

 

 
 

 

 

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Recommended Citation 

Luong, T. K. A & Hussey, J. (2022). Customer Satisfaction with Food Quality in Buffet 

Restaurants in Vietnam. Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15.  
 

 

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
2 

Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

 
 

 

 

Abstract 

 

Food quality (FQ) has been recognized as one of the fundamental factors that affects customer 

satisfaction in restaurant operations, yet research on buffet restaurants is still underdeveloped. This 

study focused on diners’ perceptions of buffet restaurants in Vietnam to (1) determine the most 

important dimensions of FQ, (2) identify the relationship between FQ dimensions and customer 

satisfaction, and (3) identify the relationship between the overall FQ and customer satisfaction. A 

total of 143 valid responses to a self-administered online survey were obtained. This study found 

that according to these respondents, food freshness is the most important variable followed by 

food taste, food presentation, menu variety, food temperature, and healthy food options. The 

results of regression and correlation analysis reveal that among the six dimensions of FQ 

measured, food temperature is the only attribute that is significantly related to customer 

satisfaction. Nevertheless, the overall FQ significantly contributed to customer satisfaction. It 

implied that restauranteurs operating this style of restaurant, should not only pay attention to FQ 

but especially food temperature, which is often overlooked in other forms of restaurants. 

 

Keywords: Food Quality Perceptions; Buffet Restaurants; Food Quality Attributes; Customer 

Satisfaction Analysis 
 

 

 

Food quality (FQ) has been gaining researchers’ attention due to its importance to customer 

satisfaction (Sulek & Hensley, 2004; Ha & Jang, 2010; Rozekhi et al., 2016), yet more research 

about FQ attributes in the form of buffet restaurants is required (Ramanathan et al., 2016; Bilog, 

2017). Therefore, this study contributes to the literature on FQ dimensions in the buffet restaurants 

sector in Vietnam. 

       Customers, nowadays, have more options in restaurant choices due to the variety of cuisines, 

styles of service and prices (Liu & Tse, 2018), leading to heightened competition among 

restauranteurs seeking competitive advantage (Raab & Mayer, 2007). Hence, understanding the 

important attributes that consumers consider when selecting a restaurant is essential for restaurant 

operators (Liu & Tse, 2018) and building customer satisfaction is a key priority for success in such 

highly competitive markets (Hanaysha, 2016). Food has and will continue to have a substantial 

impact on customer satisfaction (Kannan, 2017). Many studies have found that food quality (FQ) is 

the factor that positively affects customers’ satisfaction in diverse forms of restaurants (Namkung & 

Jang, 2007; Al-Tit, 2015; Rozekhi et al., 2016; Almohaimmeed, 2017). The buffet form of 

restaurant has been expanding, where people pay a fixed amount of money for unlimited food 

(Lucas & Santos, 2003; Raab et al., 2009). However, unlike in other service sectors, where multiple 

scales and methods have been applied to evaluate service quality (Oyewole, 2013b), little research 

has been carried out to measure the performance and critical factors present in the buffet sector 

(Ramanathan et al., 2016; Bilog, 2017).  

Customer Satisfaction with Food Quality (FQ) 

            Customer satisfaction in services has been defined as the degree to which the service 

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

performance can encounter or surpass the customer expectations (Pakurar et al. 2019). Satisfaction 

represents the driving force for customers to return and repay, as well as triggering word-of-mouth 

after experiencing the service (Ramanathan, 2016). The mainstream research has focused on factors 

like food quality, service quality and setting of restaurants in relation to customer satisfaction 

(Kivela et al., 2000; Ha & Jang, 2010); yet FQ frequently appeared as the most significant factor 

that impacted on dining fulfilment and return patronage (Arora & Singer, 2006; Kim et al., 2009; 

Jung et al., 2015; Filimonau & Krivcova, 2017). FQ has a positive influence on customer 

satisfaction, which in turn positively affects customer revisit intention (Namkung & Jang, 2007; Al-

Tit, 2015; Rozekhi et al., 2016; Almohaimmeed, 2017). Meanwhile, the form of all-you-can-eat 

buffet has been growing globally; however, there are still very few studies on this field (Oyewole, 

2013b), especially investigating individual FQ dimensions (Lee & Whaley, 2019).  

Food Quality (FQ) Dimensions 
            Prior research has recognized FQ as a key element contributing to customers’ expectations 

(Sulek & Hensley, 2004; Jeong & Jang, 2011; Zhong & Moon, 2020). Rhee et al.’s (2016) research 

on several types of restaurants, found that factors that link with food (food attributes) have a 

profound impact on customer choices. The conceptual model employed by Kivela et al. (1999b) and 

Namkung and Jang (2007) focused on six dimensions of FQ, listed as: “food presentation, menu 

item variety, healthy options, taste, freshness, and temperature”.  

Food Taste 
            Lee and Whaley (2019) revealed that food taste is the most important factor in diners’ 

satisfaction with their dining experience. Notably, Scott (2005) claimed that the hedonic pleasure of 

food would be developed by human’s sense of taste. Additionally, for Garcia-Bailo et al. (2009), 

individual perceptions of food taste can significantly influence their dining habits.  

Food Presentation 
            Food presentation is described as the colour, display and decorating of food in order to make 

food be more appealing (Alhelaili et al., 2015). Food appearance is often the first of diners’ senses 

stimulated, before they can smell and taste the food; hence, it is an important determinant of 

perceptions of FQ (Namkung & Jang, 2007).   

Healthy Food Options 
            Sulek and Hensley (2004) reported that restaurants that offer more healthy items witnessed 

an increase in customers’ interest. Similarly, Johns and Tyas’s (1996) research, found that customer 

perceptions and evaluation of a restaurant may strongly be linked with healthy food. Previously, 

Kivela et al.’s (1999b) findings, showed that one of the core attributes mentioned that impacted 

customer satisfaction was nutritious food. Indeed, the offer of nutritious food has been shown to be 

positively related to dining satisfaction and repeated patronage (Kim et al., 2013; Prinsen et al., 

2013).  

Variety of Food (Menu Variety) 

            The diversity of foods or menu variety embraces a wide range of different food items 

displayed on the menu. To increase the engagement of customers, restaurant operators incessantly 

launch new menus that offer diverse foods and drinks (Bashir et al., 2013). Ramanathan et al.’s 

(2016) research in fine dining restaurants mentioned that customer satisfaction is directly affected 

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

by the diversity of menus, whereas others discovered that a weekly changeable menu creates 

chances for chefs to innovate and develop more food items, which resulted in more customer 

involvement (Rozekhi et al., 2016).  

Freshness of Food 
            Péneau et al. (2006) defined freshness as the fresh state of food that includes the following 

characteristics such as “crispness, juiciness, and aroma”. Johns & Tyas (1996), Kivela et al. (1999a), 

and Acebrón and Dopico (2000) agreed that freshness of food is one of the most significant quality 

requirements. Furthermore, the finished dish should be served as soon as possible (Oyewole, 

2013a).For Rozekhi et al. (2016), Malaysian diners paid more attention to the freshness of dishes, as 

they believed it could provide more benefits for their physical health.  

Food Temperature 
            Food temperature could be considered as a feature to evaluate the quality of food (Johns & 

Tyas, 1996; Kivela et al., 1999a). Delwiche (2004) highlighted the relationship between temperature 

and customers’ evaluation of food flavor, as the temperature of food strongly relates to other sensory 

aspects such as smell, taste, and sight. Food should be served and maintained at an appropriate 

temperature, as the customers’ hedonic enjoyment and satisfaction is affected by the food 

temperature (Kahkonen et al., 1995; Kannan, 2017). 

            Few studies had divided FQ into its dimensions for an in-depth investigation (Rhee et al., 

2016; Bilog, 2017). Accordingly, this study sought to explore the following three objectives:  

Objective 1: To determine which dimensions of FQ are most important to customers in buffet 

restaurants.  

Objective 2: To identify the effect of different FQ dimensions on customer satisfaction in buffet 

restaurants. 

Objective 3: To identify the effect of overall FQ on customer satisfaction in buffet restaurants.  

Methodology 

            The target population of interest for this study was people aged over 18 years who visit 

buffet restaurants in Vietnam. Non-probability sampling was applied in the form of convenience 

sampling, allowing access to a wide sample despite the difficulties associated with geography and 

the current Covid-19 circumstances (Zikmund, 2003). Primary data was collected by using online 

self-administered questionnaires. Gunter et al. (2002) argued as online questionnaires basically are 

answered while no interviewer present, the pressure to provide social desire responses is reduced. 

As a result, by eliminating the interviewer’s presence, both participant and interviewer bias were 

removed.  

            The survey questionnaire was adapted from past research items, with each dimension of 

Food Quality captured through 3 sub-items that required a response on 7-point Likert-type scales, to 

capture levels of agreement or disagreement with research related statements. The 7-point Likert 

scale was adapted from the research of Oliver (1997), indicating the level of agreement ranged from 

1 - “strongly disagree” to 7 - “strongly agree”. Using an online Google Form the survey was 

conducted in Vietnamese and the data was translated into English. The questionnaires were 

delivered online within one month (September 2021) via Facebook, Email, and Zalo. There were 

143 valid questionnaires obtained after eliminating all incomplete responses. 

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

Limitations 

            This study is limited in the sample size achieved (N=143) and the convenience sampling 

approach undertaken, meaning the results are not generalizable.  

Data Analysis 

            Data was statistically analyzed by using a descriptive test to generate the general information 

of respondents (Aaker et al., 2007), a simple regression to assess the relationship between one 

dependent variable and one independent variable (Freund et al., 2006) (in this case, the overall FQ 

and customer satisfaction), and using correlation and multiple regression analysis to examine the 

effect of different FQ dimensions on customer satisfaction (Rozekhi, 2016; Kannan, 2017), to assess 

the strength of relationships between pairs of variables (Saunders et al., 2009), so as to determine 

which variable was most important to customers.  

Results 

            As shown in Figure 1, 2 and 3, there were three questions included in the questionnaire 

aiming to develop the participants’ profile including: age, gender and frequency of using buffet 

restaurant. The gender distribution was 69.2% females and 29.4% males. The majority of 

respondents were aged between 18 and 25 years old (63.6%), and frequented buffet restaurants less 

than once a month (68.5%, n = 98). 

Figure 1: Age Breakdown (N=143) 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

Figure 2: Gender Breakdown of the Participants (N=143) 
 

 
 

Figure 3: Frequency of Visits to Buffet Restaurants (N=143) 

 

 

 

Analysis 
            In addition to Customer Satisfaction, each dimension of FQ was examined in respect of their 

mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum value (Table 1).  

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics 

Food Quality 

FQ attributes  Items     N Mean SD Min Max 

Food Freshness 

(F5) 

1/ I do not notice whether the food 

looks fresh, succulent and juicy  
F5.1  

143 6.52  0.71  3.67  7.00  
2/ No off-flavor or off-colour food 

is essential for me  
F5.2  

3/ I like food that is freshly 

prepared (no reuse)  
F5.3  

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

Food Taste (F2) 

1/ I am happy with perfectly tasting 

food (salinity, sweetness, sourness, 

etc.)  

F2.1  

143  6.44  0.64  3.33  7.00  
2/ I do not care about food texture 

(tenderness, crispiness, etc.)  
F2.2  

3/ I am happy with food that feel 

nice in my mouth (the overall taste, 

texture and smell)  

F2.3  

Food Presentation 

(F1) 

1/ I do not mind about food 

decoration  
F1.1  

143  6.21  0.75  3.33  7.00  
2/ I am happy with food that is 

neatly organized  
F1.2  

3/ I am happy with food presented 

on an attractive/special plate  
F1.3  

Menu Variety 

(F4) 

1/ I like the menu with wide variety 

of choices for main dishes  
F4.1  

143  6.21  0.84  3.67  7.00  
2/ I prefer the restaurant to offer a 

wide variety of side dishes  
F4.2  

3/ I am happy with the restaurant 

that offers a wide variety of drinks  
F4.3  

Food Temperature 

(F6) 

1/ Food that is not served at an 

appropriate temperature does not 

bother me  

F6.1  

143  5.70  1.08  2.00  7.00  

2/ I feel happy with ready-to-serve 

food that is kept warm at self-

service buffets  

F6.2  

3/ I am happy with raw food that is 

kept at a cold temperature for being 

fresh at self-service buffets  

F6.3  

Healthy Food 

Option (F3) 

1/ I like the restaurant that offers 

many types of salads and 

vegetables.  

F3.1  

143  5.55  1.04  1.67  7.00  2/I do not notice much about 

nutritious food in restaurants  
F3.2  

3/ I do not like oily food (food that 

contains too much fat)  
F3.3  

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION  

Overall 

satisfaction (OS) 

I am satisfied with FQ at my last 

Buffet Restaurant experience in 

HCMC.  

S1  

143 5.69 0.97 2.33 7 

I gave a high rating for that Buffet 

restaurant  
S2  

I am pleased to have visited Buffet 

restaurants  
S3  

I will recommend Buffet 

restaurants to my friends/family  
S4 

 

            Table 1 shows that the mean scores were all above neutral (level of agreement = 4) and they 

varied from 5.55 to 6.52, which indicated the range of agreement of respondents stays within 

“slightly agree” to “strongly agree” meaning all six factors of FQ are important to customers when 

choosing the buffet service. Particularly, the freshness of food got the highest mean score (6.52 ± 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

0.71), which means that the respondents agreed that this is the most important factor when using 

buffet restaurants. Food taste also received a very high score, at 6.44 ± 0.64. The importance of the 

healthy food option (mean of 5.55 ± 1.04) has the lowest score among the six dimensions. The 

descriptive analysis also displayed the results of overall customer satisfaction, and it showed the 

mean equal 5.69 ± 0.97, which is moderately high. 

Correlation Testing 
            Reporting the Pearson correlation coefficient ranges from –1 to 1, correlation testing was 

used to determine the relationship between two or more variables (Hair et al., 2010). In this study, it 

was used together with the multiple regression analysis to show the relationship between each 

dimension with the overall satisfaction, following the research of Ramanathan (2016).  

     Table 2: Correlation Matrix  

  

Food 

Presentati

on 

Food 

Taste 

Healthy Food 

Option 

Menu 

variety 

Food 

Freshness 

Temperat

ure of 

Food 

Ov

eral

l 

Sati

sfa

ctio

n 

Food Presentation 1             

Food Taste 0.3 1           

Healthy Food 

Option 0.2 0.2 1         

Menu variety 0.4 0.3 0.3 1       

Food Freshness 0.3 0.4 0.01 0.193 1     

Temperature of 

Food 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.4 1   

Overall Satisfaction 0.10 0.15 0.17 0.19 0.20 0.30 1 

  
            Table 2 indicates that all six dimension of food quality are positively related to overall 

customer satisfaction. The food temperature has the highest correlation coefficient (0.3), which 

indicated that the temperature of food has a medium association with customer satisfaction. The 

other 5 variables have less of a correlation with overall satisfaction, but they are still on the positive 

side.  

Multiple Regression 
            The multiple regression analysis was carried out to assess the relationship between the 

independent variables (FQ dimensions) and dependent variable (customer satisfaction) by using an 

equation to predict customer satisfaction based on changes in the FQ dimensions (Zikmund, 2003; 

Namkung & Jang, 2007).  

Table 3: Multiple Regression Results of FQ Attributes and Customer Satisfaction  

ANOVA       

Significance F    

0.02    

        

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

 Coefficient t Stat P-value 

Food Presentation -0.07 -0.58 0.56 

Food Taste 0.00 -0.02 0.98 

Healthy Food Option 0.10 1.27 0.20 

Menu Variety 0.08 0.78 0.43 

Food Freshness 0.16 1.30 0.20 

Food Temperature 0.17 1.97 0.05 

Adjusted R Square 0.0646   

Observations 143   

  
            Table 3 displays the results of the regression analysis to show which dimensions of FQ are 

significantly related to customer satisfaction. The significant F = 0.02 < 0.05, thus, the data is 

appropriate for factor analysis (Zhong & Moon, 2020). The p-values in Table 3 indicate that the 

temperature of food is the only attribute that significantly influences customer satisfaction (p = 0.05) 

which corresponds to the results showed previously in the correlation analysis. The other five 

attributes are not significant as they all have p-values > 0.05. Hence, five variables are not 

significant predictors for customer satisfaction in buffet restaurants in Vietnam. The adjusted R 

square equals 0.0646, which means just 6.46% of the variation in customer satisfaction is explained 

by FQ dimensions. 

            As only food temperature is the predictor for customer satisfaction, the multiple regression 

model would become a simple regression model showed as ŷ = 2.96 + 0.17x, which predicts the 

customer satisfaction based on the change of food temperature attribute. 

Simple Regression  
            The simple regression analysis was applied to assess the relationship between overall FQ and 

customer satisfaction to see whether the overall FQ is a predictor for customer satisfaction. The 

overall FQ rating was obtained from the mean score of the six FQ dimensions. 

Table 4: Simple Regression Results of Overall Food Quality and Customer Satisfaction. 

ANOVA       

Significance F    

0.0004    

        

  Coefficients t Stat P-value 

Food Quality 0.509 3.606 0.00043 

R Square 0.0844   

Observations 143   

 

            Table 4 indicates that the coefficient is 0.509 and p is significant at 0.00043 < 0.05, implying 

that the overall customer satisfaction is positively influenced by the FQ. The R square equals 

0.0844, which means that 8.44% of variability of the customer satisfaction (ŷ) is explained by the 

FQ (x). From the analyzed results, the estimated model for predicting customer satisfaction can be 

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

presented as ŷ = 2.515 + 0.509x. 

Discussion and Conclusion 

            All six FQ dimensions had relatively high to very high mean scores which indicated that FQ 

is accepted as an important dimension by the participants. The respondents’ highest level of 

agreement was for the freshness of food (6.52 ± 0.71) when dining in buffet restaurants. This is 

similar to a previous US study that revealed that the freshness of food is the most important 

dimension in buffet restaurants in that customers desire food always to look and taste fresh 

(Oyewole, 2013a). This result is reasonable as in buffet restaurants, food is normally left out on the 

serving tables for a certain time, even a long period of time. In addition, perhaps, people in Vietnam 

are highly aware of the freshness of food because, in 2015, there was a serious scandal regarding 

turning rotten meat into fresh meat using potassium nitrate, which is harmful if it is used in high 

doses (Maguire et al., 2017). Therefore, people will be looking for food that is authentically fresh, 

newly prepared and frequently replaced or replenished. Ensuring the freshness of food can result in 

generating flavor-related value as well as maintaining a long-term profit bond with customers 

(Rozekhi et al., 2016).  

            The importance of food freshness was followed by the importance of food taste, which had a 

mean score of 6.44 ± 0.64. Food taste is undoubtedly a factor that will be looked at by the customers 

when searching for any kind of restaurant not only buffet (Ramanathan, 2016) but also fine dining 

(Namkung & Jang, 2007), fast food (Min & Min, 2013), as the secondary results indicate customers 

feel happy with food that has perfect taste, good texture, and good mouthfeel (Oyewole, 2013a).  

            The current study found that customers expect food to be neatly displayed, that concurred 

with Oyewole’s (2013a) results, as it positively affects customers’ perceptions about food 

(Namkung & Jang, 2007). Additionally, a menu that offers a wide variety of choice is essential to 

people who visit buffet restaurants, which confirms Oyewole’s research (2013a) suggesting that 

people visiting buffet restaurants seek extensive options on the menu.  

             Food temperature scored a mean of 5.70 ± 1.08, which is quite similar to the descriptive 

results shown in the study of Ramanathan (2016) in Chinese buffet restaurants in the UK, indicating 

that food temperature received a lower ranking compared to other FQ attributes such as food 

presentation, food freshness, or food variety. However, this is still a moderately high score on the 7-

point Likert scale. The final attribute in this study is the healthy food options (mean score of 5.55 ± 

1.04), which confirms the findings of Rozekhi et al. (2016) in the context of buffet restaurants in 

Malaysia. In contrast to the research by Ramanathan (2016) in the UK, when respondents tended to 

give higher scores to the importance of low-calories and vegetarian dishes. This may be explained 

by the difference in respondents’ age groups. The research with younger aged respondents paid less 

attention to healthy food, compared to the one with more elderly participants. Arguably, different 

living standards may account for these differences, as in a developed country respondents are more 

health aware. Indeed, the studies in the US (Sulek & Hensley, 2004), and in Korea (Kim et al., 

2013), where consumers have higher living standards were inclined to emphasize the importance of 

nutritious and healthy food. In contrast, in developing countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam, 

people might seek for hedonic fulfilment. 

The Relationship between Individual FQ Dimensions and Customer Satisfaction 
            The correlation statistics (Table 2) indicated that all six dimensions have positive 

correlations with customer satisfaction; however, it must be emphasized that the relationships are 

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

weak. The food temperature presented the strongest association with customer satisfaction in this 

study, and this corresponds to the results displayed in the multiple linear regression analysis. Table 3 

indicates that only food temperature was a significant contributor to customer satisfaction. Similarly, 

research of Namkung and Jang (2007) and Kannan (2017) suggested that food temperature is also 

one of the characteristics of FQ enhancing the pleasure of the dining experience, thus, affecting 

customer satisfaction. This result was surprising as food temperature was only ranked in fifth place 

in the descriptive analysis; however, as it received a moderately high score, this dimension has been 

identified as a determinant variable of customer satisfaction. The respondents expressed their 

satisfaction with food that is served at an appropriate temperature. It means a hot dish should be 

served at a hot temperature and vice versa (Oyewole, 2013a). This is understandable as the 

temperature has been associated with other features such as food flavor and food appearance 

(Delwiche, 2004).  

            The correlation coefficients (Table 2) between food temperature and food taste, and between 

food temperature and food presentation are both high (at 0.4 for both), which confirmed the 

observations of Delwiche’s (2004) study. Furthermore, in the context of buffet restaurants, food is 

normally prepared in advance and left out for a short or long period of time; therefore, it is difficult 

to keep the food at an appropriate temperature consistently. In Vietnam, the hot pot buffet is popular 

and prevalent, often consisting of raw vegetables, uncooked meatballs, even raw meat and seafood, 

which are easily damaged at normal temperatures. Hence, this could explain the importance of food 

freshness which had the highest level of importance, also correlation between food temperature and 

food freshness (Table 2) equals 0.4, which showed a high correlation compared to other pairs of 

variables. Therefore, to establish customer satisfaction during their dining experience, the restaurant 

operators need to focus on maintaining the appropriate temperature of the food during the serving 

time (Namkung & Jang, 2007; Oyewole, 2013a). Also, Vietnam is known for a tropical monsoon 

climate with an average temperature of 27oC, thus, food will spoil if left at ambient temperatures 

without food plates to maintain correct food temperatures (Oyewole, 2013a). 

            On the other hand, food presentation and food taste, which were indicated to be significant to 

customer satisfaction in fine dining restaurants (Namkung & Jang, 2007), full-service restaurants 

(Bashir et al., 2013), and fast-food restaurants (Tama, 2015), are not significant in this study. 

Although these two elements were important to customers when utilising the buffet services, they 

are not contributors to customer satisfaction. Similarly, healthy food options, menu variety, and food 

freshness, are not significant to customer satisfaction in buffet restaurants in Vietnam. These 

primary results support the prior research of Namkung and Jang (2007), implying that those 

attributes are not significant. Yet, these findings contrast with the study of Rozekhi et al. (2016), 

who indicated that food freshness and variety of food were significantly related to customer 

satisfaction, and Kim et al. (2013), who suggested that healthy food was positively associated with 

customer satisfaction. This difference may be due to the demographics of the participants, as 

Namkung and Jang’s (2007) study shared similarities in the gender-breakdown (more than 60% 

were female), and a similar age profile. In contrast, in Kim et al. (2013) and Rozekhi et al.’s (2016) 

studies, had a more equal gender-split, and the age of 40s and 50s were dominant among the 

respondents. This may mean that people at older ages pay more attention to healthy food options, 

menu variety, and possibly food freshness.  

          Another possible reason why they are not significant to customer satisfaction is that they 

might contribute to customer behavior or revisit intention as they showed their importance in the 

descriptive test. For instance, the healthy food options, which was not significant to customer 

satisfaction but significantly related to customer behavioral intention (Namkung & Jang, 2007). 

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Luong, T. K. A. & Hussey, J. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(1), 1-15. 
12 

Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26117                                                                                                  

               Copyright © 2022 Thi Kim Anh Luong and Jennifer Hussey 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

Therefore, future studies should explore these attributes in relation to customer behavior, revisit 

intention, or even customer loyalty, and further explore the role of demographics.  

The Influence of Overall Food Quality on Customer Satisfaction 
            Finally, the current study employed regression (Table 4) to reveal a strong relationship 

between FQ and customer satisfaction. The findings added evidence to previous research 

demonstrating FQ is a significant contributor to customer satisfaction. Specifically, in Ramanathan’s 

(2016) investigation of 11 food-related attributes which found that FQ is the most significant factor. 

Furthermore, FQ was also recognized as a crucial factor in satisfying customers when dining in fast-

food, fine-dining, full-service, mid-scale, and up-scale restaurants (Joeng & Jang, 2011; Kannan, 

2017; Liu & Tse, 2018; Rhee et al., 2016; Susskind & Chan, 2000; Zhong & Moon, 2020). In 

contrast, some research studies, such as Zhong and Moon (2020), perceived price is the most 

significant factor that affects customer satisfaction because price can drive the diners’ perceptions 

directly to a restaurant’s quality. Additionally, in Ha and Jang’s (2010) study, the researchers found 

that not only FQ but also service quality has a positive influence on customer satisfaction. 

Therefore, further research may investigate different aspects of restaurant operations.  

            Although individual FQ dimensions when examined in isolation had a weak relationship to 

customer satisfaction, once combined as overall FQ, it becomes an essential factor contributing to 

customer satisfaction. Therefore, in order to achieve a high level of performance, as well as fulfil 

customers’ desire, the operators and managers in buffet restaurants always need to pay attention to 

FQ and its variables, especially the food temperature, when operating this type of restaurant.  

            Given the literature indicates food taste is the most important factor in diners’ satisfaction 

which was not echoed by this study, this may indicate that Vietnamese buffet restaurants represent a 

special case, not generalizable to other dining experiences, raising the need for further research. 

Moreover, the explained variances in the regression models are relatively low, indicating more 

important factors remain unidentified necessitating further study.  

            The influence of the age profile of respondents may also be worth exploring further. 

In terms of future research, more research should be carried out to understand customer satisfaction 

since in restaurant operations as the perceptions and demands of customers will always change over 

time (Lockyer, 2005; Harrington et al., 2012). Additionally, further sets of restaurant variables also 

need to be examined to respond to the dynamic demands of consumers over time, for example, food 

safety could be an important dimension in the current context of Covid-19 (de Freitas & Stedefeldt, 

2020; Olaimat et al., 2020). Moreover, the service quality, price, and atmospheric factors all were 

highlighted to be important factors in past studies, and the interrelationships between these elements 

is worthy of further study (Khan & Shaikh, 2011; Ramanathan, 2016).  

 

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