Determinants of customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions in fast-food restaurants among undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of a new construct, namely COVID-19 safety, on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions in the context of fast-food restaurants (FFRs), while accounting for the effect of service quality, perceived value, and food quality. Using an online questionnaire, data was collected from 219 FFR customers. A series of confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to demonstrate the construct validity of this study variables. This study proposed and examined three conceptual models. To test the hypotheses of the three models, structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) software. This study shows that compliance with COVID-19 safety measures is a key determinant of customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions in the fast-food industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. More importantly, the results reveal that when simultaneously including service quality, perceived value, COVID-19 safety, and food quality as predictors of customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions, only COVID-19 safety and food quality are significant predictors. Managers, owners, and employees of FFRs need to comply with COVID-19 safety measures and improve food quality in order to enhance customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward their restaurants. This seminal study examines the determinants of fast-food customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study proposes and validates a new construct for COVID-19 safety in the FFRs.