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The Aristocrat has been in business for 85 years.

The Aristocrat signage beside a carving of its founder, Lola Asiang.

The Aristocrat Restaurant is a case study of Philippine hospitality. Among Filipino consumers, it is the unrivaled purveyor of “the best chicken barbecue in town.” Multiple generations have enjoyed its signature set meal of char-grilled meat, java rice, atchara , and peanut sauce. Then there’s the flying saucer, sotanghon soup, pinakbet , chicken honey, sizzling tofu, mechado , halo-halo , and many other bestsellers. But beyond its hard-hitting menu, The Aristocrat also specializes in impeccable service and exquisite operations – an affirmation recognized by the local F&B industry.

Its 85-year-old legacy speaks for itself. With numerous food businesses opening every year, longevity is a prized possession among a few successful restaurants in the Philippines. For many, five years is a good consolation, 10 is a blessing, 20 is a miracle, and anything beyond is mere luck. But, The Aristocrat never solely relied on fortune for their success. How has it survived close to a century of operations, withstanding wars, revolutions, and a pandemic? Read on to find out.

A Brief History of The Aristocrat

In 1928, Engracia Cruz-Reyes, or Lola Asiang, converted the ground floor of her family’s house into a canteen called Lapu-Lapu. There, she sold her “Big Four,” including arroz caldo , pancit luglog , lumpiang sariwa , and dinuguan at puto . By 1940, she converted a four-wheeled vehicle into a mobile canteen selling snacks, like the flying saucer, along Luneta. Inspired by good sales, Lola Asiang then rented a 20-square-meter space along Roxas Boulevard, which grew in size and popularity through the years. 

The location even survived World War 2. And with the help of her husband, children, and grandchildren, Lola Asiang grew The Aristocrat into the restaurant it is known today. In 1980, the relentless entrepreneur received recognition as the “Mother of Filipino Cooking.” More awards poured in, but the form of praise the matriarch preferred was the satisfaction felt by every diner after each meal. All she wanted was to feed each guest like a true aristocrat. At present, third- and fourth-generation descendants continue her legacy.

At the core of managing the business are the same values the family championed 85 years ago. The goal has always been to serve good food at the most affordable prices in the cleanest and fastest way. The Aristocrat Restaurant sticks by these three keywords: mabilis , mura , and malinis (fast, affordable, and clean).

Challenges Surpassed by the Heritage Brand

Protecting Lola Asiang’s legacy is no easy task. Despite the family’s desire to keep their menu and operations as traditional as possible, various circumstances have forced them to innovate. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the restaurant’s systems for the first time. The Aristocrat had to endure not only to preserve heritage but also to reciprocate the support from their most loyal staff and clientele. It is a case study on restaurant service, business stability, and humility.

Challenge #1: Technology

Recent events have prompted food businesses to expand their digital operations, whether for ordering, delivery, or customer relationship management. This was not among The Aristocrat’s core competencies.

The solution: Invest in technology that does not diminish traditional ways. The Aristocrat started simply – expanding its social media presence , entering Viber groups, and joining delivery apps. They’ve also developed new procedures and increased digital marketing efforts to widen their reach.

Challenge #2: Competition

In 2020, The Aristocrat found itself competing against home-based food businesses that specialized in delivery services . Before then, the restaurant had always banked on its dine-in operations over takeout or delivery .

The solution: Pivot, pivot, pivot! Management had to introduce new dining formats without compromising standards. They doubled attention on takeout, improving their packaging and ensuring the food’s quality while in transit. The aim was to deliver food that had the same flavor, texture, and appearance their customers knew.

Challenge #3: Shifting markets

The Aristocrat catered to families no matter their size. These customers preferred to dine in-store and enjoy a communal meal of classic Filipino food. The COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to this, including family-style dining that was losing popularity at the time.

The solution: The restaurant had to study and revise its portions for bulk sales. Sharing food was out of the equation. Instead, all components of a meal had to fit in one container.

Challenge #4: Increasing prices

Besides zero dining, increased prices of ingredients and raw materials worsened the situation. Supply chain disruptions, high demand, and increased competition added to the gravity.

The solution: The Aristocrat’s first step was to review their inventory. In the beginning, there was a surplus. They worked quickly to use ingredients at their optimal level, maximizing output and minimizing waste. The restaurant also benefited from strong relationships with long-established suppliers that efficiently managed their supply and demand even during rough times.

Challenge #5: Ingredient quality

Any successful restaurant in the Philippines knows the role good-quality ingredients play in the path to success. But there can always be challenges in their supply and procurement. Even an established business like The Aristocrat is not immune to this situation.

The solution: They had to look for food solutions that offer stable shelf life, portability, and consistency. They ventured into trial-and-error testing to find cost-effective ingredients and products they can incorporate into their recipes and procedures. Unilever Food Solutions was a big help, ensuring the stability of bulk orders, improving dessert production, enhancing tastes, and offering healthier alternatives.

How The Aristocrat Champions People-First Culture

At the heart of The Aristocrat’s operations is its people, who help build and sustain the brand’s legacy. Compared to other food businesses, it barely faced manpower challenges during the pandemic. The restaurant champions a people-first culture. Staff and crew become family, so much so that they have employees whose children and grandchildren also choose to work at The Aristocrat.

The business has always believed in returning to the basics – its fallback when crises arise. It’s what helped The Aristocrat reach 85 years, and it’s what they still prioritize over exciting innovations. Fads come and go, but The Aristocrat Restaurant continues to stand strong. Sticking to your identity? It's a terrific case study of Philippine hospitality.

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Case Study: Which Customers Should This Restaurant Listen To?

• Sandeep Puri,
• Kirti Khanzode,
• Alison Beard

Half want something new, but half don’t want it to change.

Rohit was juggling eggs. Smooth, brown ovals—in one hand or the other for a split second, and then up, up, up in the air. First there were three, then four, then five— Where are they coming from? he wondered—but he kept his arms moving and the loops going, and the crowd in front of him cheered. Where am I? Who are these people? He wanted to look around but knew he couldn’t take his eyes off the eggs. Then, suddenly, they changed into different things: a chicken leg, a courgette, a tomato, a potato, and a bag of lentils. He tried to keep juggling, but his fingers slipped on the slick chicken skin, he tossed the lentils too low and the potato too high, and everything came crashing to the ground. He looked down, but the mess wasn’t what he expected. All around him were broken eggs—dozens of them—whites and yolks oozing out through splintered shells.

• SP Sandeep Puri is an associate professor at the Asian Institute of Management, in the Philippines.
• Kirti Khanzode is an associate professor at the Institute of Management Technology in Dubai.
• Alison Beard is an executive editor at Harvard Business Review and previously worked as a reporter and editor at the Financial Times. A mom of two, she tries—and sometimes succeeds—to apply management best practices to her household. alisonwbeard

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Home ⇛ the banquet ⇛ vol. 3 no. 1 (2016), exploring the practices of catering x in davao city: a case study.

Nelca Stephany M Umblero | Franklin Kim Amoguis | Romeo Dominic Bas | Kenji Ybanez | Chloe Mae Quiambao | Donna Grace Insik | Dale Bautista

A catering service is one of the most dynamic business groups in the food and beverage industry. In Davao City, a lot of catering business has been established for the past decade. These businesses generally cater Fusion Cooking. This case-study entails an in-depth analysis on the catering business processes and practices to use empirical evidence from real people in real organizations to make original contributions to knowledge, and to determine how they provide services to their customers, and their hygienic practices. It is also qualitative in nature where the subject, termed as Entity X, is a catering business which can already cater to up to five hundred guests per service, known throughout the city, and already lasted in the industry for more than 10 years. Assessments such as interviews with recorded audio; observations which would include actual participation by the proponents through availing the establishment’s buffet services; ocular inspections with checklist; and SWOT analysis were utilized in order to collect all necessary information about their catering business practices and processes. Results revealed that Entity X has continuously been successful as they ensure that their customers are their top priority.

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UX Case Study: Grace's Cuisine

Food Ordering App

Th is case study for my Google UX Design Professional Certificate features Grace's Cuisine App, a restaurant food delivery app in Manila. It is a food delivery app designed to make it easy to find and order food you are craving for.

Project overview

The product

Grace's Cuisine is a restaurant located in Metro Manila, Philippines. Grace's Cuisine is attracting customers who have no time cooking at home or want new delightful meals to select, order, and check out food for safe delivery. We built an app letting users select food from our restaurants and offering more payment options to pay.

The problem

Individuals who have no time cooking at home or want new delightful meals to select, order, and check out food for safe delivery.

Design an ordering app letting users select food, offering different payment options and deliver food at home safely.

Conducted competitive analysis by trying competitor apps

Conducted user interviews as primary research with 5 users who order food online

Created user personas

Created user flow diagrams

Created paper and digital wireframe

Created low and high fidelity prototype in Figma

Conducted 2 rounds of Usability study and interview

User Research

I conducted interviews and created maps to understand the users I'm designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was working adults who don't have time to cook meals. Problems included or challenges that make it difficult to cook and get grocery are time, work schedule and the Covid pandemic.

I interviewed users to learn about the following:

What food delivery app do you usually use? Why?

How often do you order food?

Can you tell me your process in ordering the food?

How do you decide what food to order?

How do you discover new dish or restaurant?

What are the challenges or experiences while using that food delivery app?

What are the areas that you think they can improve?

User Journey Map

I created a user journey map to highlight the touch points, actions, thoughts, and pain points. This illustrates what the user goes through to achieve their goals. This will help me as a UX designer create obstacle free paths for users, reduce impact of designer bias, and identify improvement opportunities.

Fictional user whose goals and characteristics represent the needs of larger group of users. This will help identify patterns and behaviors in users that might point to a common pain point that a group of user experience. Build based on research and data collected.

Here is the part of the user flow showing the path taken by a user on the app from selection to ordering.

I started making paper wireframe, a fastest and inexpensive way to get the idea out. Wireframes help me as a designer figure out how a page is arranged and envision how each feature of a product fits with the others and how the product will likely be used. Stars were used to mark the elements of each sketch that would be used in the initial digital wireframes.

Moving from paper to...

Digital Wireframe

Design and Implementation

Created a Design system, a series of reusable elements and guidelines that allow designers to design and develop following predetermined standards.

View the Grace's Cuisine App High-fidelity prototype in Figma

The Grace’s cuisine ordering app makes the user feel that they attended to the need of user and offer new option in food delivery service. I learned a lot while designing the Grace's cuisine app. We should always make the user front and center of the product. Always remember that we are not the user, that's why we need to continuously learn from them to produce inclusive design.

Tourism in the Philippines pp 67–95 Cite as

Culinary Tourism as an Avenue for Tourism Development: Mapping the Flavors of the Philippines

• Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez 5 ,
• John Paolo R. Rivera 5 &
• Fernando Martin Y. Roxas 5  
• First Online: 28 September 2022

219 Accesses

Part of the book series: Perspectives on Asian Tourism ((PAT))

Culinary tourism has emerged globally at a rapid pace. Food has become a deciding factor in choosing a destination and a central part of a travel experience. The Philippines is brimming with heirloom recipes, food-centric festivals, olden cooking practices, and home to world-class homegrown culinary talents that contribute to the emerging popularity of Filipino food. Likewise, in the Philippine National Tourism Development Plan, Filipino cuisine is identified as a key tourism product. However, many culinary experts deem that Filipino cuisine still lacks the kind of identity and branding needed for it to be sought by travellers. Hence, this chapter provided an overview of Filipino cuisine through culinary mapping, to gain a better understanding on how it can develop a strong identity against the backdrop of global cuisines. Our analysis contributes to furthering the identity of Filipino food, strengthening the culinary tourism industry, and improving the understanding of Filipino cultural heritage through cuisines.

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Gutierrez, E.L.M., Rivera, J.P.R., Roxas, F.M.Y. (2022). Culinary Tourism as an Avenue for Tourism Development: Mapping the Flavors of the Philippines. In: Aquino, R.S., Porter, B.A. (eds) Tourism in the Philippines. Perspectives on Asian Tourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4497-0_4

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Research Article

Evaluating factors influencing customers’ intention to eat Korean cuisine “Samgyeopsal” in the Philippines: A structural equation model forest classifier approach

Roles Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Supervision, Visualization, Writing – original draft

Affiliation School of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Mapúa University, Manila, Philippines

Roles Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Software, Supervision, Visualization, Writing – original draft

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliations International Bachelor Program in Engineering, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li, Taiwan, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li, Taiwan

Roles Conceptualization, Resources, Writing – original draft

Affiliation Young Innovators Research Center, Mapúa University, Manila, Philippines

Roles Data curation, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Roles Data curation, Supervision, Validation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Malayan High School of Sciences, Pandacan, Maynila, Philippines

Affiliation Entrepreneurship Department, BINUS Business School Undergraduate Program, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia

Affiliation Department of Information Systems, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia

Roles Visualization, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Information Systems, Institut Teknologi Telkom Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia

• Ardvin Kester S. Ong, 
• Yogi Tri Prasetyo, 
• Atheena Rhezelle B. Manguray, 
• E. J. Meinard G. Moral, 
• Andrea Lorraine M. Maun, 
• Josh Gasty F. Diaz, 
• Charlotte N. Monteiro, 
• Venice Cristine C. Dangaran, 
• Satria Fadil Persada, 

• Published: May 19, 2023
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077
• Reader Comments

Samgyeopsal has become a widely popular cuisine in the Philippines since 2014. The rise of Samgyeopsal is evident worldwide as it is available in countries such as the United States, Northern, and Southern Asia. This study aimed to explore the intention to eat Samgyeopsal during the COVID-19 pandemic utilizing structural equation modeling and random forest classifier. With a total of 1014 responses collected online, the result showed that utilitarian and hedonic motivation, Korean influence, and attitude led to very high actual behavior in east Samgyeopsal in the Philippines. Moreover, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention led to significant results influencing intention to actual behavior. Lastly, the COVID-19 safety protocol showed the least significant result. This study is the first study that evaluated the intention of consumers to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study would be beneficial to Korean BBQ restaurateurs and the further development of their marketing strategies even in other countries. Finally, the model construct of this study can be extended and applied in evaluating the consumers’ eating intention toward other varieties of food or cuisines worldwide.

Citation: Ong AKS, Prasetyo YT, Manguray ARB, Moral EJMG, Maun ALM, Diaz JGF, et al. (2023) Evaluating factors influencing customers’ intention to eat Korean cuisine “Samgyeopsal” in the Philippines: A structural equation model forest classifier approach. PLoS ONE 18(5): e0286077. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077

Editor: Charles Odilichukwu R. Okpala, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences: Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy we Wroclawiu, POLAND

Received: November 5, 2022; Accepted: May 9, 2023; Published: May 19, 2023

Copyright: © 2023 Ong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: The data is available online in this link: 10.6084/m9.figshare.22491274 .

Funding: We would like to mention that this research was funded by Mapúa University Directed Research for Innovation and Value Enhancement (DRIVE). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

1. Introduction

The Korean wave has had a great impact on the Philippines. It is also known as “Hallyu—wave or flow of Korea” where Korean films, Korean pop music (K-pop), and even Korean dramas have become popular [ 1 , 2 ]. The Philippines had the highest growth rate of Hallyu enthusiasts among 113 nations [ 2 ]. As an impact, the media popularization of the Korean wave has increased its influence, even on the cuisines [ 3 ]. Eventually, the Filipinos’ consumption of these media has taken their level of interest in Korean cuisine [ 4 ].

Korean cuisine such as Korean barbeque (Korean BBQ), commonly referred to by Filipinos as Samgyeopsal, has rapidly become a popular social and dining activity in the Philippines [ 5 – 7 ]. According to a 2020 survey conducted by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in Manila, the number of Korean restaurants in the Philippines has climbed by 81.2 percent from 2014 to 2018. Consequently, all-you-can-eat buffets such as Korean BBQ restaurants are highly popular in the Philippines as they give great offers to consumers who are looking to eat as much as possible at an affordable price. Moreover, numerous restaurateurs have started franchises that market Samgyeopsal in different varieties.

Fig 1 represents the top 10 Korean barbecue restaurants in the Philippines and their respective number of branches. Based on this figure, it can be observed that Romantic Baboy and Samgyupsalamat are the two restaurants that have the most number of branches in the Philippines. They have a combined number of 131 branches in the Philippines while the other restaurants range from 1 to 7. Ultimately, the figure below shows that the top 10 Korean BBQ restaurants currently have a total of 159 branches all over the Philippines [ 5 – 7 ].

• PPT PowerPoint slide
• PNG larger image
• TIFF original image

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.g001

Various studies on meat linked with Samgyeopsal will help provide better information on how research on meat or Korean barbecue was conducted. Nam et al. [ 8 ] studied Samgyeopsal relating to East Asian meat products and consumption habits. Their results showed that East Asia’s dynamic environment, religion, history, and main food staples have contributed to a lack of meat consumption culture. Recently, due to the globalization of the food business and the countries’ rapid economic expansion, the amount of meat produced and consumed in Eastern countries has increased dramatically. However, the study of Nam et al. [ 8 ] only focused on three Northeast Asian countries: China, Japan, and Korea, and two Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam and Thailand. Both Vietnam and Thailand have traditionally shared comparable environmental and cultural contacts but have their own distinct cuisine cultures.

Cultural influences lead to the variation in the practices of preparation and in the consumption of food and cuisine [ 9 ]. It influences shapes the fundamental structure of food attitudes [ 10 ]. The consumers’ experiences, beliefs, and values are shaped by culture, which is connected to attitudes, emotions, social norms, intentions, and behavior [ 11 ]. The impact of culture in correlation with food choice or consumption has been tackled by different studies [ 3 , 10 , 12 ] and is commonly measured using the Theory of Planned Behavior.

The current times changed the behavior of people [ 13 , 14 ]. It was explained in the different studies how reassessment of behavioral factors should be considered. To which, their study implemented the utilization of TPB, SERVQUAL 5 dimension, and even the social exchange theory. The separate analysis made provided justification for the change in human behavior due to the influence that happened during the strict lockdown, health fear, and perception of people [ 15 ]. As well as their study focusing on the transportation sector, restaurants have also been influenced due to changes in the behavioral aspects of people. Thus, the need to evaluate behavioral intention through TPB is needed to further close the gap of changes that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 16 ]. In accordance, the lack of study focusing on Samgyeopsal despite its popularity should be evaluated to provide managerial implications and suggestions for restaurants in the near end of the COVID-19 pandemic such as in the Philippines.

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is a commonly used expectancy-value model of attitude-behavior interactions that has been successful in predicting a range of behaviors to some extent [ 17 – 20 ]. According to the TPB, attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control predicts behavioral intention which then affects the actual conduct of a person [ 21 ]. The model of the TPB is beneficial in predicting the behavioral intentions of individuals to predict consumers’ purchase intentions [ 18 ]. Several studies have used the TPB to determine the intention and measure human behavior [ 22 – 24 ]. However, only a few researchers have used the theory to investigate a consumer’s satisfaction and intention for eating meals [ 25 , 26 ].

Hoeksma et al. [ 27 ] utilized an extended TPB to predict consumers’ willingness to purchase mobile slaughter unit (MSU) meat. Their results showed that consumers who decided to buy MSU meat have a stronger intention in buying. However, the study only covered pork and beef meat. Charlton et al. [ 28 ] considered a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) rating for hunger and satiety over a set time. Pork, beef, and chicken were test meals used in this study. Their result showed that all three types of meats had similar effects on eating behavior. However, the study only covered three (3) meals to represent the differences in the release of intestinal hormones associated with appetite and hunger. Thus, studies on Samgyeopsal have been underexplored despite the consequent impact and rise of popularity with the Korean wave on Filipinos eating Korean food, particularly Samgyeopsal.

This study aimed to evaluate the varying factors influencing consumers’ intention to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior. Various factors such as hedonic motivation, utilitarian, Korean influence, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, COVID-19 safety protocols, intention, and actual behavior were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Random Forest Classifier approach. This is considered the first study to analyze the different factors influencing consumers’ intention to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines during the COVID-19 delta variant pandemic. The results of this study would be beneficial to Korean BBQ restaurateurs and the further development of their marketing strategies since Samgyeopsal is a business that has been growing exponentially, even in other countries. Finally, the model construct of this study can be extended and applied in evaluating the consumers’ eating intention toward other varieties of food or cuisines.

2. Conceptual framework

This study considered the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to evaluate factors affecting the influence of consumers’ intention to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines during the COVID-19 delta variant. As seen in Fig 2 , there were 10 hypotheses created for this study that included different latent such as hedonic motivation, utilitarian, Korean influence, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, COVID-19 safety protocols, intention, and actual behavior.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.g002

Hedonic motivation refers to a person’s willingness to engage in acts that improve positive experiences (pleasant or nice) while also reducing bad experiences [ 29 ]. The link between beliefs and attitudes is analogous to hedonic motivation [ 30 ]. Hedonic motivation has been discovered to have a significant impact on cognitive-emotional attitudes about purchasing intentions. Moon et al. [ 31 ] presented in their study how consumers’ perceptions of hedonic attributes are important and are considered a positive predictor of cognitive and affective attitude. Ong et al. [ 22 ] also presented how hedonic motivation had a positive significant direct effect on attitude of consumers. Thus, it was hypothesized that:

• H 1 . Hedonic motivation had a significant direct positive effect on attitude.

The utilitarian aspect of a consumer’s attitude toward an action relates to the behavior’s utility, value, and wisdom in the consumer’s eyes [ 32 ]. Attitude is directly affected by the Utilitarian motivation [ 33 , 34 ]. Prior studies found that utilitarian traits are concerned with more cognitive components of attitude when shopping or purchasing ( e . g ., convenience, economic value for money, or time savings) [ 35 – 37 ]. Similarly, Ong et al. [ 22 ] showed how utilitarian motivation had a significant effect on consumers’ attitude when purchasing. Hence, it was hypothesized that:

• H 2 . Utilitarian had a significant direct positive effect on attitude.

Consumers’ attitudes are positively influenced by the attachment and affinity features of Korean trending dramas [ 38 ]. With that, Lee et al. [ 39 ] stated that consumption of Korean items would ultimately lead to a better understanding of Korean culture and appreciation for Korea. This demonstrates that people’s understanding and acceptance of culture are highly influenced by their level of contact with the environment, whether directly or indirectly. In addition, media plays a vital role in learning to embrace the culture of a foreign place through experience [ 39 ]. Thus, it was hypothesized that:

• H 3 . Korean influence had a significant direct positive effect on attitude.
• H 4 . Korean influence had a significant direct positive effect on subjective norms.
• H 5 . Korean influence had a significant direct positive effect on perceived behavioral control.

Attitude is an antecedent of intention, as well as the degree to which an individual has a previous valuation of possible behavior concerning any purchasing situation [ 17 ]. TPB specifies that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are the essential components of behavioral intent and actual health-related behavior [ 40 ]. The subjective assessment of the risks and advantages of the expected outcome, as well as the attitude about the chance that the behavior will have the desired effect that subsequently influence behavioral intentions [ 41 ].

Lau et al. [ 42 ] mentioned that the variables of behavioral intention are directly correlated to the factors derived from the TPB. In addition, Ong et al. [ 43 ] presented how attitude is one of the highest factors influencing Filipinos that affects their intention. According to Latimer and Martin-Ginis [ 44 ], perceptions of others’ views may influence intention, depending on how much the individual fears being judged. In the context of the TPB, it is plausible that fear of being judged badly by others moderates the path from social standards to fast food intents [ 44 ]. In addition, Research suggests that if consumers possess high perceived behavioral control towards purchasing organic food products, positive behavioral intentions will also be high [ 45 – 47 ]. Thus, it was hypothesized that:

• H 6 . Attitude had a significant direct positive effect on intention.
• H 7 . Subjective norms had a significant direct positive effect on intention.
• H 8 . Perceived behavioral control had a significant direct positive effect on intention.
• H 9 . Intention had a significant direct positive effect on actual behavior.

Restaurants, where cluster infections are easily spread, have been a source of concern during the pandemic. Droplets, airborne particles, and person-to-person contact can disseminate COVID-19 and someone with the coronavirus infecting the environment and anything in it can easily cause its transmission [ 48 ]. Because of this, the people have become cautious and thus, influenced their intention to dine out and eat. To promote safe dining out, the government announced that restaurants must implement social distancing rules and set safety guidelines [ 7 ]. To reduce the risk of infection, close physical contact and food sharing in restaurants should be avoided. Other precautionary measures that restaurants can take to make customers feel safer and reduce physical and psychological risks include hand sanitizer, contactless payment, segregated dining areas, and separate restrooms. Hence, it was hypothesized that:

• H 10 . COVID-19 safety protocols had a significant direct positive effect on intention.

As control variables, this study also considered demographic factors such as age, frequency of consumption, and monthly allowance/salary which may affect the actual behavior for consumption as presented among several studies [ 21 , 29 , 31 , 34 ]. Based on the described presentation of the different studies, demographic characteristics may play a significant role in the actual behavior of consumers from a different perspective. In addition, the presentation of age, income or allowances, and frequency had presented a great factor among consumption or actual behavior on a positive or negative decision [ 22 , 30 ]. Therefore, the following were hypothesized:

• H 11 . Age as a control variable had a significant direct positive effect on actual behavior.
• H 12 . Monthly Allowance/Salary as a control variable had a significant direct positive effect on actual behavior.
• H 13 . Frequency of consumption as a control variable had a significant direct positive effect on actual behavior.

3. Methodology

3.1 participants.

The study employed a self-administered online cross-sectional survey using Google forms. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey was distributed online via social media platforms [ 49 ]. This study used a convenience sampling approach, and respondents were asked to sign a consent form before answering the study’s questionnaire. As shown in Table 1 , a total of 1,014 people voluntarily responded to the survey. This study underwent verification by Mapua University Research Ethics Committees. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to the data collection in accordance with Data Privacy Act or Republic Act No. 10173 in the Philippines. Utilizing the Yamane Taro equation, the Philippines’ total population is 62.6 million. At 95% confidence, 399 or roughly 400 respondents would suffice the generalizability [ 50 ]. The current study had 1014 respondents, which may be confidently a representation of the consumers.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.t001

The demographics are made up of 433 males, 557 females, and 24 other genders with the majority belonging from the 15 to 24 years old age bracket (85.40%). Furthermore, approximately 80.87% receive a monthly salary/allowance of <15,000 PHP, and eat Samgyeopsal once a month (68.74%). Most of the respondents came from National Capital Region (45.86%). The result is supported by Gallinera et al. [ 51 ] who indicated that the majority of the consumers of Samgyeopsal in the Philippines have low budgets and are between 15–35 years old.

3.2 Questionnaire

Table 2 presents the constructs that were used to create this study’s questionnaire that can assess the various factors influencing consumers’ intentions to eat Samgyeopsal or Korean BBQ in the Philippines. Following the study of Ong et al. [ 22 , 43 ], a 5-point Likert scale was used to measure all of the latent constructs using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The questionnaire consisted of eleven sections: (1) Consent of the Respondents (2) Demographic Information (gender, age, monthly salary/allowance, and health insurance). (3) Hedonic Motivation, (4) Utilitarian, (5) Korean Influence, (6) Attitude, (7) Subjective Norms, (8) Perceived Behavioral Control, (9) COVID-19 Safety Protocols, (10) Intention, and (11) Actual Behavior. A total of 54 questions were developed for this study and adapted from different studies. Prior to the distribution and apart from the approval of the Ethics Committee, the questionnaire was subjected to preliminary assessment considering 150 respondents. The overall results showed acceptable findings (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.70, Hair [ 52 ]). To which, the full questionnaire was utilized for distribution and data collection.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.t002

3.3 Structural equation modeling

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is a combination of statistical techniques for calculating and analyzing the correlations between observable and latent variables. It investigates linear causal links between variables while taking measurement error into account [ 70 ]. The correlations between grandparenting practices, food insecurity, and childhood depression were investigated using SEM [ 71 ]. Cunha et al. [ 72 ] conducted a study on the differences between observed and self-reported food safety practices by using SEM since it compensates for the model’s complexity and may corroborate the distinction between observed and self-reported behaviors. SEM investigates the possible mechanisms through which information and perceptions influence behavior [ 73 ]. Hence, this study utilized SEM to evaluate the factors that influence consumers’ intention to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines by utilizing the extended theory of planned behavior.

3.4 Random Forest Classifier

Random Forest Classifier (RFC) is a type of decision tree that produces higher accuracy in classifying factors [ 74 ]. This type of algorithm has several advantages such as easy interpretation and data processing. Moreover, the interpretation of the result is also considered to be uncomplicated [ 75 ]. Different studies regarding human behavior utilized RFC to classify the different factors considered [ 74 , 76 , 77 ]. Compared to other machine learning tools, the RFC provides a higher accuracy rate and easier optimization, processing, and analysis. It was also established that RFC shows only the highly significant factors affecting a subject matter. German et al. [ 50 ] explained that mostly, RFC can suffice as support for SEM analysis since it provides insight into the significant latent variables relating to the dependent variables which may be significant due to the relative indirect effects but may not be evident.

Similarly, German et al. [ 50 ] showed the accuracy rates of different machine learning tools. To which, neural networks may provide better accuracy rates, but would have higher standard deviation compared to RFC which shows the consistent output. In addition, Chen et al. [ 74 ] expounded on the efficiency compared to other advanced machine learning tools that may also provide higher accuracy rates, but are more complicated those present almost similar findings. Thus, this study considered the utilization of RFC to predict factors that significantly affect the actual behaviour of consumers in eating Samgyeopsal in the Philippines.

Before running the RFC, data cleaning using correlation analysis was done for the 1014 responses collected. Only significant values (p-value < 0.05) and high correlation (> 0.20) were considered for the 54,756 data. Following this was data aggregation and data normalization. In utilizing RFC, different training and testing ratio (60:40, 70:30, 80:20, 90:10) were utilized. To which, criterion (gini and entropy) and splitter (best and random) were utilized following the study of Yang and Zhou [ 77 ]. A total of 9,600 runs were done for the optimization process using Python 3.8.

Fig 3 represents the initial SEM for consumers’ intention to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines. Utilizing AMOS 25 for a factor-based model, the indicators were visually inspected for values below the 0.5 threshold. According to Ong et al. [ 49 ] and Hair [ 52 ], the removal of non-significant latent and indicators below 0.5 may be done to increase the model fit. As seen in Fig 3 , SN2 and AB3 were below 0.5, therefore, were removed.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.g003

From the initial SEM, the latent were all significant. Fig 4 represents the final SEM for consumers’ intention to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines with significant latent variables and indicators. Presented in Table 3 are the descriptive statistics of the factor loading. It could be seen that the final factor loading had values greater than 0.50.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.g004

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.t003

Table 4 represents the parameters for model fit. The threshold for the acceptable range was adopted from different studies [ 78 , 79 ]. The minimum cut-off value is greater than 0.80 for IFI, TLI, CFI, GFI, and AGFI [ 78 ] and less than 0.07 for RMSEA [ 79 ]. From which, the different values were greater than 0.80 and RMSEA presented 0.058. Ong et al. [ 22 ] and Hair [ 52 ] stated that when the model fit parameters were within range, then the SEM is considered acceptable.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.t004

The composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE), and Cronbach’s alpha are presented in Table 5 for the test of the internal validity and reliability of the constructs. Hair [ 52 ] stated that the values of CR and Cronbach’s alpha should be greater than 0.70, while the AVE should be greater than 0.50 to present validity and reliability among the constructs. Lastly, setting an acceptable Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) value of 5, all the variables were seen to be below the threshold which presents further acceptability. As seen in Table 5 , all the latent possessed values greater than the threshold which indicates internal validity and reliability.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.t005

The Common Method Bias (CMB) was run using SPSS 25. The CMB utilizing Harman’s Single Factor should be below 50% to determine any bias among the constructs [ 43 ]. From the results, it was seen that the CMB had a 35.505% value, which is considered acceptable. Moreover, Garger et al. [ 80 ] that when CMB is not present, no single source bias would be evident. Lastly, Table 6 presents the direct, indirect, and total effects of the model. It could be seen that all hypotheses are significant.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.t006

The summary of 9,600 runs of RFC results is presented in Table 7 . Analyzing using Analysis of Variance, the 92% accuracy of prediction from ‘gini’ criterion and ‘best’ splitter showed the optimum result. Similar to the results of Yang and Zhou [ 77 ]. Utilizing the 80:20 training and testing ratio, the result showed a 0.00 standard deviation. High accuracy of 92% is considered to be acceptable and could be utilized for classification on predicting the actual behavior to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines [ 74 ].

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.t007

Fig 5 presents the Optimum Decision Tree by Random Forest Classifier. It could be deduced that utilitarian motivation (X 1 ) predicts the actual behavior of east Samgyeopsal in the Philippines. X 1 would lead to hedonic motivation (X 0 ) which would consider X 1 or Korean influence (X 2 ). If X 1 was satisfied, it would also consider attitude which would lead to very high actual behavior to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines. If X 2 would be considered, it will lead to high actual behavior to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines. This dictates that both utilitarian and hedonic motivation together with Korean influence and attitude predicts high to very high actual behavior to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286077.g005

5. Discussion

Over the past years, Samgyeopsal has been one of the most popular social and dining activities in the Philippines. In this study, the SEM tool and RFC were utilized to examine the causal relationships between hedonic motivation (HM), utilitarian (U), Korean influence (KI), attitude (A), subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), COVID-19 safety protocols (CSP), intention (I), and actual behavior (AB) in eating Samgyeopsal in the Philippines. An online survey was administered for this study with a total of 1,014 respondents.

The SEM results, it indicated that A had the highest significant direct effect on I (β = 0.722; p = 0.002). Based on the indicators, it was seen that Samgyeopsal restaurants were the primary choice among consumers, eating at Samgyeopsal lifted a person’s mood, there is a sense of relief, and there was an overall great experience when dining. Dunn et al. [ 68 ] suggested that positive moods and emotions may be orthogonal to their negative counterparts. This may be a critical factor to consider when recognizing that people may experience uncertainty within the affective component of their attitudes towards meals. This supports the significance of A to I. Emotions when eating Samgyeopsal were identified as major factors that influenced the intention to eat Samgyeopsal. This is found to be consistent with previous research suggesting that people’s attitudes have a major impact on their behavioral intentions [ 81 ].

Second, HM was found to have a significant effect on A (β = 0.633 and p = 0.001). Several key indicators under HM include feeling better, feeling enjoyment, pleasure, excitement, and happiness after eating Samgyeopsal which led to a positive A. These findings were supported by Ettis and Haddad [ 82 ] who also mentioned that HM is the key toenhancing the positive A. Similarly, Schuitema et al. [ 83 ] also highlighted the importance of HM towards positive A. It shows that positive A is linked to a higher expectation of hedonic incentives, according to other supporting studies.

Subsequently, UM was also found to have a significant effect on A (β = 0.695 and p = 0.003). After consuming Samgyeopsal, several signs related to UM, such as satisfying the needs, accomplishment, and functionality, were discovered to be crucial markers that contributed to a positive attitude. Ong et al. [ 22 ] backed up these findings, saying that UM is the key to improving one’s good attitude. Similarly, Aderonke [ 84 ] emphasized the significance of utility towards A. It demonstrates that A and perceived utility have a consistent and significant relationship with each other.

Fourth, I was found to have a significant direct effect to AB (β = 0.716; p = 0.003). Multiple factors under I such as continuing to eat Samgyeopsal, wanting to eat Samgyeopsal in the future, and recommending Samgyeopsal to others were identified as key indicators that resulted in positive AB. These findings were supported by Prasetyo et al. [ 85 ] who mentioned that people’s willingness to follow leads to healthy behavior. In addition, Eren and Gauld [ 86 ] specified the importance of I since it was found to be the only significant predictor of AB.

Fifth, KI had a significant direct effect on SN (β = 0.408; p = 0.001) and PBC (β: 0.190; p = 0.002). Indicators such as the influence of Korean trendy dramas, pop music, and Korean culture emphasized that the consumption of these media certainly influences a customer’s decision-making process. Moreover, KI shows to have a significant indirect effect to I (β = 0.229, p = 0.002) and AB (β = 0.164, p = 0.002). This finding suggests that KI is one of the most important considerations for I and AB. Thus, PBC (β = 0.229, p = 0.002), SN (β = 0.229, p = 0.002), and A (β = 0.229, p = 0.002) also led to having an indirect significant effect to AB.

Similar to the RFC results, HM, UV, A, and KI presented as significant factors that influenced actual behavior to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines. It could be deferred that the feeling of happiness, enjoyment, and functionality of eating Samgyeopsal would lead to a positive AB. Moreover, the influence of Korean pop, culture, and drama led to positive AB. These influences would have a positive attitude among consumers when it comes to the overall great experience, leaving them to continuously consume Samgyeopsal despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consequently, the SEM results also showed that SN had a significant direct effect on I (β = 0.312; p = 0.003). This indicates that the increasing trend of eating Samgyeopsal and the preference of the people surrounding them greatly impact their overall intention to eat Samgyeopsal as well. These findings have been corroborated by Jain [ 87 ] wherein it was discussed how SN and PBC were positively linked to luxury purchase intentions. Likewise, the results in the study of Ong et al. [ 7 ] showed that SN is the key motivator of purchase intention in relation to foods.

It was also found that PBC had significant effects on I (β = 0.154; p = 0.002). It implies that factors such as perceived confidence and financial capability are key predictors which lead to one’s definite intention to eat Samgyeopsal. The findings were consistent with previous research, which found that Koreans make extensive efforts to experience Yak-sun food, emphasizing that PBC is a significant and the strongest predictor of consumers’ behavioral intention to buy Yak-sun food [ 88 ]. Accordingly, Ong et al. [ 7 ] highlighted the significance of PBC as a more significant predictor of behavioral intention than any other construct.

Lastly, using the demographic factors as latent variables, only the frequency of Samgyeopsal consumption was seen to be significant. Other demographic factors were insignificant (p-value > 0.05). The frequency showed a significant direct effect on AB (β = 0.136; p = 0.001). Di Crosta et al. [ 89 ] explained that the frequency of consumption, especially in the pandemic era negates purchasing intention and the actual behavior of consumers. Most of which spend only on necessities. However, their results also explained that the consumption of unnecessary products would still depend on their economic capabilities. Rodrigues et al. [ 90 ] presented how demographic factors affect impulse consumption behavior, but when it comes to food consumption such as Samgyeopsal, this study has presented that age and monthly salary/allowance had no significant differences. From the descriptive statistics results, most of the consumers eat Samgyeopsal at least once (68.7%), twice (21.3%), or thrice (6.50%) a week. Despite the constant consumption, Liu [ 91 ] expounded on a possible cutback on indulgence. Thus, marketers may strategize on this effect by changing up schemes for Samgyeopsal consumption to reduce distaste for eating among consumers.

5.1 Recommendation

The extended TPB utilized in this study considered factors such as hedonic and utilitarian motivation, COVID-19 safety protocol, and Korean influence. Based on the results, all the latent considered were deemed to be significant. This study presents that the cultural influence and motivations have a significant effect on consumers’ intention to eat in Samgyeopsal restaurants. The framework utilized may be considered in other cuisine and restaurant that have been influenced by other cultures. In addition, the utilization of RFC showed high accuracy of classification to predict factors that greatly influence different latent. Following the discussion of Fan et al. [ 92 ], some factors may have lower significance due to the causal relationship present in the SEM. Thus, integrating the method with machine learning algorithm such as RFC could be done to determine the factors that greatly contribute to the relationship considered.

5.2 Practical implication

With the exponential increase of Samgyeopsal restaurants in the Philippines and with the surge of branches opening, this study was able to deduce that hedonic and utilitarian motivation, attitude, and Korean influence led to very high actual behavior to eat in Samgyeopsal restaurants in the Philippines. The feeling of happiness and enjoyment, pleasant environment, and functionality should be taken into consideration by restaurateurs. The setting of ambiance to Korean culture, playing of Korean music, and continuous offering of unlimited food at an affordable price may be capitalized on. Business strategies could be created with these indicators to promote the consumption of Samgyeopsal. Moreover, creating promotions for mass events and gatherings may be done right after the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance profitability and marketing.

5.3 Limitations

Despite the strength of the findings, there are still limitations being considered in this study. First, the study considered collecting the responses through a self-administered survey online. Further results and factors may be evident if an interview was conducted along with the survey. Second, this study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results may be different when the respondents were able to consume Samgyeopsal with no restrictions set by the pandemic. In addition, another perspective of the findings would be evident if the distribution of demographic characteristics were identified. Due to the strict lockdown implementation, the study was only able to collect the data utilizing an online survey. Lastly, further classification using conjoint analysis and K-Means clustering for market segmentation may be done to classify the respondents of this study. To which, business strategies and target consumers may be highlighted.

6. Conclusion

The increase of Samgyeopsal restaurants has become evident in the past years with a lot of branches opening in different areas of the Philippines. This study aimed to determine the factors of affection intention to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this study considered extending the TPB and analyzed using SEM and RFC to classify the different factors affecting actual behavior to consume Samgyeopsal.

Based on the RFC results, hedonic and utilitarian motivation, Korean influence, and attitude led to very high actual behavior. Moreover, SEM also indicated that the constructs of TPB and the COVID-19 safety protocol were significant factors that affected the actual behavior to eat Samgyeopsal in the Philippines. Business strategies may be created based on the indicators presented in the result of this study. The results of this study would be beneficial to Korean BBQ restaurateurs and the further development of their marketing strategies even in other countries. Finally, the model construct of this study can be extended and applied in evaluating the consumers’ eating intentions toward other varieties of food or cuisines worldwide.

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• 48. Agency EP. Indoor Air and Coronavirus (COVID-19): Environmental Protection Agency; n.d. [cited 2021 october 1]. Available from: https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/indoor-air-and-coronavirus-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR2q6z0QqxZ-ebzxswbgmcX9lrfMNFRhiwbrh31PcHqKQBgsylA_2KodUKw .

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UX Case Study- Chinese Restaurant Mobile Website

By: Tingyu Zhang

Date: April 21, 2024

My Design-Wire Frame-Improved Food Mobile App:

Created via Canva

Old  YiFan Food Mobile Website :

Project Background

The purpose of this case study is to showcase how an old-fashioned and not user-friendly food mobile website was re-designed and developed as a completely user-centric and modern web application using contemporary design practices.

YiFan is a Chinese food restaurant nestled in the heart of Johns Creek in Atlanta that offers fusion cuisine. It offers a pick-up food ordering service through the website https://qmenu.us/#/yifan/menu/1645135062215 . 

I intended to test if this mobile website is accessible and user-friendly and lets Chinese users and a few American Chinese food lovers order meals from the food website on their mobile phones quickly and easily at their convenience.

The previous website was outdated and was not too easy to use. After I scanned the website and interviewed some Chinese customers who visit the online food ordering websites on a regular basis, these problems were also verified by Kai who has very insightful ideas about UX and can provide some innovative ideas about the user-friendliness of Chinese food ordering website, although she is a vegetarian and there are only a few vegetarian meals on the website.

Kai said, “The website isn’t that easy. The categories are really random. We’ll have to scroll all the way down to get to what we want. And even in the feature items, it’s really random and like you can have dinner or rice. You’re not able to click to get to a shortcut like click to go to seafood, click to go to meat, or click to go to vegetarian options. Also, it’s not a search function. The only thing you can do is to pick the location of where the menu is or what the menu is. The cart was okay. The navigation for that was pretty easy.”

• To build a new website with a completely new and modern design.
• To give users easy access to what they want at first sight such as the food name, description, price, and allergic items.
• To help the restaurant retain the trust of their clients and show that they actually care what customers want like coupon information and search history by adopting the new design.
• To help users save time by searching easily and by requiring less input.

Usability test：

I recruited 4 participants to understand their user experience of ordering dishes for Chinese New Year on the original website and they all have some experience with ordering Chinese food via other online platforms. I recorded the process of how they ordered their favorite 5 dishes from the website and conducted face-to-face interviews with them using 15 questions in 20 minutes.

The participants included 1 friend, my husband,1 schoolmate at Georgia State University, and 1 student at Boston University.

• To truly understand the needs, behaviors, and motivations of the users I’m designing for, my research identified 2 pain points:

1). Ease of Use

• I used Zoom & Tencent Meetings to record them how to use the website to order their favorite 5 dishes for the Lunar Chinese New Year’s Eve in 10 minutes！

Before the usability test：

I told them these instructions clearly and asked them to think aloud while doing the tasks. The think-aloud technique was used to extract information about the users’ thought processes during the task.

“ Please take 10 minutes to order your favorite 5 Chinese dishes for Lunar New Year’s Eve on this food ordering website. You need to log in to the website using the Chrome search engine on your laptop. But you need to click toggle device toolbar mode (Ctrl+Shift+M) so it can show the mobile menu mode on your laptop, as it is convenient for me to see how you click and scroll down the menu with the recorder. This is for my user experience research need instead of for commercial use.”

• You don’t have to go through the full process of buying them. Just order 5 dishes and put them in the shopping cart then cancel.
• When you browse the website, feel free to speak out loud about your positive or negative feelings towards any button, image, tag, or any other design element on the website, which will be helpful for my research.”

During the usability test:

Task Time and Completion outcome:

The average task time of 4 participants, the number of problems per task on average, and the task completion of the 4 participants are described in the following table.

After finishing the task of ordering the dishes:

I evaluated the usability of the website by interviewing each of them with these questions and made a summary of their opinions.

Interview Questionnaire:

 2 background questions +13 interview questions

Background questions:

• What is your preferred flavor (You could choose multiple options: Sweet, Spicy, Savory, Other)?
• How often do you order Chinese food online? (Options: Once a month, Once two weeks, Once a week, Twice a week, Three or Four Times a week, More than four times a week, or Others.）

A. Overall website aesthetic

• Do you think the main color of the food website is visually appealing?
• Do you think the fonts are big enough to see?
• Is each photo large enough to see?
• Do you think it is well-organized？

B． Item selection

• Could you tell from each title what the ingredients of the dish would be? How spicy, sweet, or savory it would be?
• How did you choose the dishes you chose? (Options: Image, Title, Description, Other.)
• Can you find your or your family member’s favorite dish quickly？

  C．Checkout process

• Do you think it is easy for you to put the dishes in the cart and be ready to check out？
• What do you care about most in the checkout process?

D. Overall evaluation

• Could you rate it on a scale from 1 to 10? How much do you like the food delivery website?
• Do you think it is user-friendly?
• What challenges do you face in the ordering process? How does this make you feel?
• How do you think the website can be improved in web design and interaction?   

Based on the usability test answers, the strengths of the website were:

• The website is somewhat easy to use and follow. The rating from 4 users on average is 6.8 which means it can meet basic users’ need for ordering dishes. (2 females give ratings of 8 and 8.8 respectively, while 2 males having experience with website setup give ratings of 5 and 5.5 respectively.)
• The color of the food website is generally visually appealing despite that the white background with red logos lacks innovation.
• It is very convenient for all the participants to put the dishes in the cart and click on the checkout button.
• Most of them can find their 5 favorite dishes on the website in 10 min, although 1 person uses more than 10 minutes and complains the menu lacks any vegetable dishes and ones for vegetarians and vegans.

  The main problems of the website were:

• The website is not so easy to navigate and users cannot find dishes very quickly without the help of a moderator. On average, they need to spend 7 minutes and 57 seconds to find 5 dishes, because the users cannot find the grey “category” button on the bottom of the main page very easily.
• Some food titles are too complicated for most users (3/4) to comprehend because there are some very difficult and are Chinese words to recognize and pronounce like “燎” in the title of Stir-Fry Abalone with Asparagus.
• Some Chinese and English fonts are big enough to see but for some Chinese food descriptions are too small to read and the price tags are not obvious to see at all.
• Food pictures and Chinese/English fonts are not very placed in an orderly arrangement.
• Although the food description in the smaller fond helps to some extent, some information like the weight and size of the crabs is missing in Pepper Dungeness Crab. And not all the dish has detailed food descriptions. For instance, in Stir-Fry Abalone with Asparagus, there are no labels about the weight of the main ingredients of abalone and clients cannot know whether it is spicy or contains any allergic food ingredients.
• Some food photos are not large enough to see as they are not panoramic views of the food and most of them are not authentic food they made (just downloaded from other food websites.) 
• Half of the participants say they cannot find their favorite dish so quickly due to a lack of searching tools and no clear category button on the website. So it is not so well-organized and user-friendly.
• In Featured Items, there are two repeated pictures of the rice.

Improvement needed for the food Mobile Web according to users’ feedback

• Add breaking up of appetizers (cold Chinese dishes), entrees (main dishes), side dishes, desserts, soup, salad, vegetarian food, vegan food, gluten-free, and halal food on a category on the top of the home page.
• Add distance between the pick-up spot and the client.
• Add on-site search and search filtering options like recommended dishes,  recently viewed dishes, and most sold dishes！
• Change some Chinese food titles to easy ones without any complicated Chinese characters.
• Put Chinese and English fonts in two different rows to make them clearer and put the food pictures just on the left side below each tile. 
• In terms of texts, only make the food name and the price bolder and obvious to see. The price should be in red rather than the package information as some users care about the prices of the dishes the most！
• Make detailed food ingredient descriptions clearer and show the weight, size, or number of the meat or seafood ingredients clearly. For instance, in Pepper Dungeness Crab, add descriptions about the weight and size of the crabs and add flavor descriptions to let users know whether it is spicy or contains any allergic food source.
• Invite some professional photographers to take delicate panoramic food photos made by YiFan restaurant to replace some fake ones from other food websites. Users may first pay attention to the food pictures and then to the titles as a picture is worth a thousand words.  Make sure that the food images are real otherwise the dishes may disappoint the clients after being served.  For instance, the Red Kidney Beans Chestnut& Stewed Duck Pot photo should have shown the full view of the duck. The image should have been more visually appealing taken by photographers who should have placed the dish on the beautiful tablecloth and used bright lighting. Clear and fantastic pictures can enhance clients’ appetite and help them to order the dishes more quickly. In addition, the first picture on the top of the menu should be a real photo of the fantastic restaurant environment of YiFan instead of a chicken picture from another restaurant.
• In Featured Items, delete repeated pictures of the rice and add more popular vegetable dishes.
• Add typical Chinese food like dumplings on the menu, because Chinese people have the custom of eating dumplings on Lunar New Year because the dumplings themselves look like money pouches and are said to represent fortune and prosperity in the coming year.
• Add coupon or discount information for the new user on the top of the menu to attract the first users.
• Add ratings next to the food title using the number from 1 to 5 or label how much percentage of people like it. Or add icons like Red Heart next to the dishes that are extremely popular as the users who see these tags may follow the trend to order the dishes.
• Add descriptions of flavor below the food titles (typical flavor: savory, spicy, sour, sweet).

Its overall online Mobile Website UX performance is mediocre. It can meet basic needs for users to find the main meat dishes for pick up! However, they cannot choose their favorite dishes in a short time and cannot meet their diverse needs such as food choices for appetizers, vegetables, and dumplings for the festival. Their UX is especially thwarted by usability issues related to unclear and not panoramic food pictures, poor navigation categories, and no searching tools.

I used Claude.ai to create my personas for the pick-up Chinese food ordering service website and made some improvements to the outdated website.

1 Chinese client (19-year-old female freshman who is a picky eater）

Name: Meimei

Demographics:

19 years old

Chinese international student

Freshman at Georgia Tech

Live in a campus dorm

Quick and convenient meals that fit into her busy student schedule

Consistent, familiar flavors that appeal to her picky preferences

Easy ordering and fast pick-up options close to campus

Find 2-3 go-to dishes she enjoys and can reliably reorder

Avoid veggies, spices, or ingredients that are too unfamiliar

Stick to affordable menu items that are filling but don’t break her budget

Pain points:

Feeling overwhelmed by large menus full of items she won’t try

Being unable to customize orders to her taste (e.g. no veggies)

Ordering something new that arrives but is unappetizing to her

1 Chinese client (a 25-year-old male worker who wants affordable dishes)

Name： Da Lee

25 years old

Works as an accountant

Lives alone in an apartment complex

Budget-friendly meal options under $15

Filling plates that satisfy hunger on a tight budget

Easy access to coupons and discounted combo plates

Find affordable go-to orders for quick dinners after work

Maximize quantities and nutrients per dollar spent

Discover new low-cost dishes by experimenting with the menu

Menu items that seem overpriced for portion size

Missing out on deals or coupons due to disorganization

Treating himself to pricier plates once in a while but feeling guilty about it

1 American female client who loves to eat sweet and fried Chinese food.

Name: Amy Thompson

32 years old

Works as a marketing manager

Lives alone downtown

Quick access to Americanized Chinese dishes

Convenient ordering of her fried favorites

Options for sugary desserts and appetizers

Satisfy cravings for bold, intense flavors

Discover new sweet, fried, or saucy menu items to try

Have meals delivered fast so she can relax after work

Pain Points:

Missing out on desserts or add-ons due to minimal menu browsing

Ordering dishes that are too spicy or intense for her comfort level

Based on the analysis of the personas, I decided to add one category that is Americanized Chinese food on the top of the menu to suit the needs of some Americans who are fans of Chinese food. Americanized Chinese food like sweet and sour pork has been adapted to the American palate and often features dishes that are sweeter, saltier, and greasier than authentic Chinese cuisine. This is because it has been tailored to American taste preferences, which tend to favor bold, strong flavors.

For the picky eater, I also add some food allergy icons as well as vegetarian or vegan icons beside the name of the dish. Food allergies and other types of food hypersensitivities affect millions of Americans and their families. Food allergies occur when the body’s immune system reacts to certain proteins in food. Food allergic reactions vary in severity from mild symptoms involving hives and lip swelling to severe, life-threatening symptoms, often called anaphylaxis, that may involve fatal respiratory problems and shock. While promising prevention and therapeutic strategies are being developed, food allergies currently cannot be cured. Early recognition and learning how to manage food allergies, including which foods to avoid, are important measures to prevent serious health consequences. To protect those with food allergies and other food hypersensitivities, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces regulations requiring companies to list ingredients on packaged foods and beverages. The FDA provides guidance to the food industry, consumers, and other stakeholders on the best ways to assess and manage allergen hazards in food. Congress passed the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA). This law identified eight foods as major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. At the time of FALCPA’s passage, the eight major allergens accounted for 90 percent of food allergies. Therefore, it is highly recommended that we need to design a new website with food allergy icons. In the new website that shows pork dumplings with celery,  I also use an icon of green celery to remind some picky eaters who may be allergic to celery.

Also, it needs to show the vegetarian icon to tell the customers which dish contains no meat, fish, or poultry.

I hope you enjoy reading through my case study. I am into cooking Chinese food and designing this wireframe of food mobile website. If you want to discuss anything related to this project, please let me know. It would be wonderful to know your suggestions and opinions. Thank you so much for your valuable time.

Works Cited

Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Applied. “Food Allergies.” U.S. Food And Drug Administration , 12 Apr. 2024, www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/food-allergies#:~:text=of%20imported%20products.-,Major%20Food%20Allergens,peanuts%2C%20wheat%2C%20and%20soybeans.

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