Pleasure or annoyance? The opposing effects of food-service rituals

Purpose Food-service rituals are increasingly prevalent in hospitality practice, yet their effects in real-world settings remain underexplored. Drawing on Interaction Ritual Chain theory, this research aims to investigate when and why food-service rituals enhance versus undermine encounter satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Three video-based experiments were conducted in a restaurant setting. Findings Study 1 shows a positive main effect of food-service rituals on encounter satisfaction. Study 2 demonstrates that food-service rituals enhance satisfaction by evoking pleasure among customers with hedonic consumption goals but elicit annoyance among customers with utilitarian goals. Study 3 further reveals that food-service rituals exert a positive effect under communal customer-brand relationship norms, but backfire under exchange relationship norms. Practical implications This study offers valuable guidance for restaurant operators. Businesses should consider customers’ consumption goals and customer-brand relationship norms when implementing food-service rituals. Originality/value This study enriches the hospitality management literature by developing a more balanced understanding of food-service rituals and highlighting the conditions and emotional mechanisms that shape customer reactions.