Modern societies became more aware of the importance of dietary habits, and an increased number of people show interest in organic, natural and environmentally friendly food than ever before. These changes have brought attention to Buddhist temple foo...
Modern societies became more aware of the importance of dietary habits, and an increased number of people show interest in organic, natural and environmentally friendly food than ever before. These changes have brought attention to Buddhist temple food also known as Zen food. In Buddhist temples, it is prohibited to have any animal products other than milk and consequently their diet styles are based on seasonal vegetables and other alternatives which can be beneficial for people suffering from various circulatory and digestive symptoms caused by dietary habits focused on animal products.
Thus, Zen food is a good example of traditionally prepared vegetarian meal style that can satisfy both people who wish to eat natural food for environmental reasons and those who wish to eat healthy for the sake of their well-being. These characteristics of Zen food helped it to become a popular menu choice and a growing trend in restaurant business; however, many studies indicate the lack of objective evaluations and the needs of improved business plans for Zen food restaurants.
Therefore, this research further investigated customers’ awareness of different factors and qualities of Zen food and their satisfaction rate at the restaurant in order to provide a more efficient and competitive business plan resulting in a higher likelihood of re-visit; and it was hypothesized that there are correlating relationships among different factors and qualities of Zen food, and satisfaction rate of customers. The most common religion among customers was Buddhism, and the majority of customers had a previous experience with Zen food prior to visiting the restaurant. Also, there were a higher number of female customers than male customers. Furthermore, the texture of Zen food had an influence on its relationship orientation, and the customers’ satisfaction rate was increased as the taste, flavor, and texture were improved. In addition, functional value of Zen food, benefits of eating healthy, had a positive effect on the satisfaction rate whereas economic and emotional values were found otherwise; and the relationship orientation was positively influenced only by emotional values. Lastly, the customers’ satisfaction rate and the relationship orientation were analyzed to be positively related as hypothesized.