From restaurant quality to Gen Z diner satisfaction in ethnic dining: Insights from linear and configurational approaches

This study investigates the dynamic relationships among restaurant quality (food, service, and environment), price fairness, authenticity, and customer satisfaction in ethnic dining, using an integrated symmetric and asymmetric analytical approach. It also examines the moderating role of perceived authenticity, a critical yet underexplored factor in hospitality research. Data were collected from 342 Gen Z diners in Vietnam. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), combined importance-performance map analysis (cIPMA), and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were employed to investigate both linear effects and configurational relationships among variables. Food quality, service quality, and environment quality significantly influence perceived price fairness and customer satisfaction. Perceived authenticity weakens the direct effect of food quality on satisfaction. The fsQCA further shows that food quality, service quality, and authenticity are core conditions for customer satisfaction, whereas environment quality and price fairness play peripheral roles. Although no single factor is a necessary condition, distinct combinations of these factors produce six alternative pathways to satisfaction. Notably, satisfaction can also arise from the singular presence of perceived authenticity, food quality, or service quality. The findings of the current study advances theory by uncovering the paradoxical role of authenticity (both constraining and enabling satisfaction) and demonstrating multiple, equifinal pathways to satisfaction. Besides, the study also highlights the necessity of adopting configurational approaches to better capture the complexity of customer satisfaction in dining service contexts.