How a crowded restaurant affects consumers’ attribution behavior

Abstract

This study finds that when consumers perceive a restaurant as very crowded, they would attribute the high level of crowdedness to high food quality, good reputation and low food price that draw people to the restaurant. On the contrary, in the case of a quiet restaurant, the customer would associate the quietness with low food quality, high food price and poor reputation. The implication for restaurant managers is that they can manipulate the level of crowdedness in their restaurant to create a favorable impression of high food quality, low food price and good reputation.