ABSTRACT
In many, if not most parts of the world, people are consuming more meals outside of the home than ever before. This increase in consumption has been matched with an increase in restaurant provision ranging from fast food to fine dining establishments. Given the wealth of choice available to consumers, one could argue that to be successful a restaurant must be 110marketing oriented and offer products and services that satisfy customer needs and wants. Within food and beverage provision, a reasonable assumption might also be that consumer wants are reflective of their culinary taste. Or is it? The industry is full of savvy operators who have conquered both domestic and international markets with standardized branded restaurant concepts. The question therefore arises as to whether these operators have succeeded by shaping consumer demand, and hence taste, through the nature of their provision, or whether they are successful because they deliver menu products in line with consumer taste?
