Taste Over Looks: How Product and Store Attributes Drive Satisfaction and Loyalty among Generation Z Coffee Shop Consumers

Coffee shops targeting Generation Z increasingly compete on visually appealing beverages, on the assumption that this digitally native generation cares most about how products look. This study examined what actually satisfies Generation Z coffee shop customers and keeps them coming back, comparing the role of visual presentation with that of taste consistency, store ambience and value for money. A survey using a four-point Likert questionnaire was conducted in December 2025 among 87 undergraduate students at the Indralaya campus of Universitas Sriwijaya, Indonesia, who were selected by purposive sampling. The data were analysed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, the McNemar test, the Mann–Whitney U test, Cronbach’s alpha, Spearman’s rank correlation, multiple linear regression and bootstrapped mediation analysis with the PROCESS macro (Model 4). Respondents chose coffee shops mainly because the place was comfortable and conveniently located, whereas taste was mentioned far more often as a reason for being satisfied than as a reason for choosing a coffee shop. Although most respondents said that the presentation of a beverage matters to their satisfaction, the importance they attached to presentation was unrelated to how satisfied they actually were. Instead, satisfaction was driven mainly by consistent taste and, to a lesser extent, by a comfortable store environment. Satisfied customers were more willing to return and to recommend the coffee shop, and taste and ambience strengthened loyalty by first increasing satisfaction. Value for money did not raise satisfaction but directly encouraged customers to return. These findings challenge the assumption that visual appeal is decisive for Generation Z: whatever role presentation plays in attracting customers, consistent taste and a comfortable environment sustain their satisfaction, and fair prices bring them back.