The role of chef competency in driving process innovation, product innovation, knowledge communication, and restaurant performance

Restaurants currently receive numerous government incentives for opening their businesses, as they can absorb labor and contribute to generating substantial taxes. The success of a restaurant business is achieved through product innovation and service processes provided to customers. The study aims to investigate the relationship between chef competence and restaurant performance, focusing on knowledge communication, restaurant menus, and process innovation. The results of data collection in the provinces of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java amounted to 115 restaurant businesses. Researchers collected data by direct distribution and using Google Forms. Data processing was conducted using SmartPLS 4 to address all research hypotheses. The results showed that chef competency has a significant impact on process innovation, product innovation, and communication of knowledge. Restaurants have implemented process innovations that have a significant impact on increasing product innovation by 0.357, knowledge communication by 0.316, and restaurant performance by 0.218. Restaurant innovation of product occurs, which cannot have a significant impact on communication of knowledge, but has a significant impact on restaurant performance by 0.322. The chef's ability to effectively communicate knowledge can have a significant impact on restaurant performance. The research results provide practical contributions for restaurant managers to maintain an environment that facilitates knowledge sharing between senior and junior chefs, thereby promoting menu and process innovation that meets restaurant standards.