Restaurant patronage during the COVID-19 pandemic and the protection motivation theory: influence of consumers’ socio-demographic, situational, and psychographic factors

ABSTRACT

To systematically investigate factors affecting consumers’ restaurant patronage decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study drew on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to (1) evaluate how threat and coping appraisal (i.e., PMT factors) may vary based on socio-demographics and COVID-19 situational characteristics, and (2) determine if PMT factors influence actual restaurant patronage behaviors. Furthermore, the current study examined consumers’ perceptions of health-protective actions that restaurateurs could take to minimize consumer risk of contracting COVID-19. Data were collected from U.S. adults (N = 627) using an online crowdsourcing platform in early May 2020. Findings showed significant relationships between socio-demograhic factors and perceived severity and/or vulnerability to COVID-19, along with concerns of coping with the virus for in-restaurant dining. For take-out/delivery patronage, coping concerns were greater for those with lower education levels and those with more health concerns than their counterparts. Furthermore, consumers’ higher levels of coping appraisal predicted their higher take-out/delivery frequency. Results also suggested actions that restaurateurs could take that would influence consumers’ restaurant patronage decisions. This study provides new insights related to PMT in the context of restaurants in a pandemic situation and practical information for restaurateurs to recover and prepare for future pandemics or similar crises.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• restaurant
• protection motivation theory
• pandemic
• take-out/delivery service

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. In-restaurant dining was not formally restricted in Nebraska and South Dakota. Nebraska “encouraged” limitations of restaurants to take-out/delivery only, but prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people; South Dakota “recommended” business practice modifications that involved 10 or more people in an enclosed space.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant Program.