Award Date

12-2010

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality Administration

Department

Hotel Administration

First Committee Member

Patrick Moreo, Chair

Second Committee Member

Jean Hertzman

Third Committee Member

Clark Kincaid

Graduate Faculty Representative

Lori Olafson

Number of Pages

117

Abstract

The research addresses a gap in the literature regarding the barbecue restaurant industry. Specifically, it examines whether barbecue restaurant operators have a thorough understanding of customer preferences. The research was a mixed methods study: four separate case studies were conducted of barbecue restaurants in specific areas of the United States, each of which represented one of the four major barbecue traditions. The case studies were used to create a model of success factor peculiar to barbecue restaurants.


The qualitative model was then tested by administering a survey to regular patrons of barbecue restaurants. Principal component analysis yielded a six-factor model explaining 68% of the variance. Patrons identified barbecue quality, convenience, side dishes, pork, alcoholic beverages, and tea as being important factors in restaurant selection. The model was further tested to determine whether customer attitudes differed in states with strong barbecue traditions and states without such a tradition. No significant differences were found.

Keywords

Barbecuing; Consumers' preferences; Factors; Restaurants; Success

Disciplines

Food and Beverage Management | Hospitality Administration and Management

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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