Assessment of Supplier-Related Operational Risks Using the Fuzzy Fine–Kinney Method: A Fast-Food Chain Case Study

Fast-food restaurants operate in dynamic and competitive environments where timing accuracy, process reliability, and supplier coordination determine service continuity and customer satisfaction. Their dependence on standardized, frequently repeated, and time-pressured delivery processes makes them highly vulnerable to operational disruptions. Therefore, the early detection, monitoring, and prioritization of supplier-related risks stand out as a critical necessity for fast-food enterprises. In this study, supplier-related operational risks in a fast-food chain restaurant operating in Manisa, Türkiye, were evaluated using the fuzzy Fine–Kinney method, and critical risk areas aimed at improving supply chain reliability were revealed through a field application. In the adopted approach, the systematic structure of the classical Fine–Kinney method was combined with the flexibility of fuzzy logic, which allows representing uncertainties in expert opinions and enables linguistic judgments to be transformed into quantitative expressions. Based on the evaluations obtained from employees directly involved in supply operations, delivery time mismatches, cold-chain violations, packaging and handling damages, communication deficiencies, and equipment malfunctions were identified as the most critical risk factors. The findings show that fast-food supply systems are highly sensitive to timing accuracy, coordination quality, and process consistency. The study reveals that the fuzzy Fine–Kinney method is a strong and adaptable tool for systematically analyzing and prioritizing risks under uncertainty, and additionally provides practical contributions for strengthening operational continuity, monitoring supplier performance, and improving risk-based decision-making processes in the fast-food sector.