Dimensions of consumer expectations from sustainable food practices in cloud kitchens

The food service industry has undergone a remarkable transformation influenced by changing consumer lifestyles, rapid technological advancements, and innovative business models. Most notably, the emergence of cloud kitchens, which operate without dine-in spaces and focus solely on delivery and takeout. This study examines the dimensions of consumer expectations in cloud kitchen food delivery models by adopting a qualitative research design and conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 19 cloud kitchen consumers from Chennai, India. The data were thematically analysed using NVivo15 to identify nuanced perceptions and experiences. Thematic analysis using an inductive approach showed that sustainability emerged as the most frequently mentioned theme, with implications for promoting healthier choices and responsible consumption in cloud kitchen services. Subsequent to thematic analysis, the emergent themes were organized into six categories of consumer expectations and further synthesized into three broader dimensions—fundamentality of expectations, precision of expectations, and feasibility of expectations each operating along a continuum. Grounded in Expectation Confirmation Theory, this study contributes to the service quality literature by developing a comprehensive framework that systematizes consumer expectations and offers strategic insights for cloud kitchen operators. Although this study is conducted in urban India, the findings hold broader relevance for emerging markets experiencing similar digital transformations.