Sources of restaurant recommendations: how consumers in Germany and Switzerland perceive their importance in known and unknown areas

It is crucial for restaurants to know how to attract potential customers. Authentic recommendations from others play an important role in this regard. In this study, we examined eight potential sources of restaurant recommendations and their importance to potential guests. Based on a survey of 1,004 people in Germany and Switzerland, we collected information on the perceived importance of these sources, distinguishing between recommendations for areas that are known or unknown to potential guests. First, we examined the importance ratings of the respondents. Then, we examined how these ratings differed for known and unknown areas, as well as how they varied among people depending on their age, gender, education, income, and country. Finally, we analyzed the similarities in the ratings of the eight sources and clustered them into two groups using exploratory factor analysis. Our findings provide restaurant owners with a better understanding of how to attract new customers and can inform the development of more effective customer acquisition strategies.