ABSTRACT
190The purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying key dimensions of service quality in restaurants. Service quality items pertaining to the restaurants are extracted from extensive review of literature including the consideration of unique factors from Indian cultural orientation. The study was conducted in New Delhi and its adjoining cities wherein the restaurant customers were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to bring out the underlying dimensions of service quality. The dimensions extracted are cultural orientation, aesthetics, ambient settings, empathy, privacy and entertainment, first Impression, reliability, and responsiveness. The Indian market is contextually different in contrast to various other countries where such research studies have been widely carried out. Hence, this study provides departure from previous studies and presents greater insight into the service quality factors as perceived by the consumers in India. This will help the restaurant managers to ponder on the factors, which are more pertinent for the Indian markets. Importantly, this study attempts to test the variables pertaining to cultural orientation from the Indian context as dimensions of the restaurant service quality and hence attempts to create a more suitable scale for the Indian market.
