WHY DO PEOPLE EAT OUT: UNDERSTANDING THE MOTIVATIONS OF CUSTOMERS OF CASUAL DINING RESTAURANTS

The following paper seeks to explore the reasons for the practice of ‘eating out at casual restaurants' among urban citizens and their implications for business. The study examines how to segment diners visiting casual restaurants, using the push-pull motivation theory framework. Two main questions were addressed by this research: what is/are the motivations for people for choosing to go to a restaurant leaving the home kitchen, and what ate the factors that propel such people to go to a or some particular restaurant (s) repeatedly. There are utilitarian as well as hedonic factors. Among the utilitarian factors cost of food and its quantity, distance one has to travel to reach the restaurant particularly from one's place of work are important, Among the hedonic pleasure the quality of the food, the ambiance of the restaurant, the courtesy of the restaurant staff and the opportunity to meet acquaintances are crucial factors.