Consumer Behaviour and Nutrition Trends in Dining at Restaurants, Cafes, and Kiosks: A Systematic Review

Background: The informality of eating out has been steadily increasing, and with consumers spending significantly, there’s a heightened demand for value. Beyond just the food, consumers now seek additional features, including efficient service, appealing decor, a pleasant ambiance, and high-quality, varied food options. Consequently, many food outlets are actively observing current dining trends to better serve their clientele. Objectives: The broad objective of this review article is to highlight the factors that influence consumer behaviour while dining at a food outlet. Specifically, this study aims to explore consumer behavior, prevailing nutrition trends, and the factors affecting consumer choices when selecting an eating establishment. Methodology: A comprehensive search using different databases was conducted for relevant literature on the topic. A final pool of 40 studies of the food establishment business was analyzed and discussed. Results: The reviewed studies indicate that due to increasingly busy lifestyles and a rise in per capita income, dining out has become a more casual and frequent occurrence. Consumers select food outlets based on various factors, including their lifestyle, income, age, location, and occupation. Therefore, an eating establishment can be effectively designed and planned by considering the lifestyle and income demographics of the population within a specific area.