Digital Technologies and Perceived Service Quality in German Restaurants: An Empirical Study of Guest Acceptance and Technology-Specific Preferences

This study investigates how restaurant guests in Germany evaluate digital service technologies and examines whether perceived digital service quality contributes to overall perceived service quality. Drawing on SERVQUAL, DINESERV, the Technology Acceptance Model, and self-service technology research, a quantitative cross-sectional online survey was conducted with N = 235 restaurant guests across Germany. Seven digital touchpoints along the restaurant customer journey were assessed, ranging from online reservation and contactless payment to chatbots and service robots. Data were analyzed using Spearman rank-order correlations, hierarchical linear regression, and Welch-corrected one-way ANOVAs. Results show that contactless payment and online reservation are the most frequently used and most positively evaluated digital services, whereas chatbots and service robots are rarely used and broadly rejected. Perceived digital service quality was significantly and positively associated with overall service quality (ρ = 0.32, p < 0.01), perceived experience improvement (ρ = 0.39, p < 0.01), and recommendation intention (ρ = 0.24, p < 0.01). Quality perceptions were stable across demographic subgroups, while general digital attitudes varied by gender and technology affinity. The findings suggest that restaurant operators should prioritize investment in transactional digital tools while maintaining human service as the experiential core of the dining experience, as digital technologies function as complements to rather than substitutes for personal service.