Too much time to seek, too little to risk: a socioemotional selectivity perspective on generational differences in ethnic restaurant intentions

Purpose This study investigates how intergenerational differences moderate local customers' intention to visit ethnic restaurants. It positions generational cohorts as perceiving unfamiliar ethnic restaurants either as opportunities for authentic experiences or as risks to be avoided. These differences are interpreted through the lens of socioemotional selectivity theory (SST), which explains how individuals prioritize goals differently depending on their perceived time horizons. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 885 Turkish participants and analyzed using PLS-SEM. The model was tested both on the full sample and separately for generations. Multi-group analysis (MGA) was employed to assess generational differences. Findings Risk perception, authenticity perception and attitudes toward ethnic food all predict intention to visit ethnic restaurants across generations. Notably, Gen X and Z seem to be counterparts, as Gen Xers are more impacted by risk perceptions and Gen Zers are more driven by authenticity. Aligning with SST, Gen X may choose experiences accordingly to their emotionally related goals, like comfort and familiarity. Conversely, Gen Z has more knowledge-related goals with their open-ended time perception, which led them to see ethnic restaurants as a medium of a new and educational experience. Gen Yers appeared as a middle ground between Gen X and Gen Z, balancing risk perception, attitudes and authenticity. This makes them a desirable and approachable market segment for ethnic restaurants. Originality/value This study pioneers segmenting ethnic restaurant customers by generational cohort and introduces SST to the context of food consumption. It highlights the opposing roles of risk and authenticity perceptions and demonstrates how generational perspectives shape consumer behavior in unfamiliar dining contexts. These insights contribute to both generational marketing strategies and introduce SST to ethnic restaurant literature.