Transparency that sells: the impact of anti–pre-made dishes attitude disclosure on restaurant patronage intentions

Introduction Although industrially produced pre-made (PMDs) offer convenience, their use in restaurants may conflict with consumers’ expectations of freshness and culinary craftsmanship. Drawing on signaling theory and expectancy violation theory, this study examines how restaurants’ disclosure of an anti-PMD stance influences patronage dishes through perceived moral authenticity and perceived risk, and whether these effects depend on operational transparency. Methods Four between-subjects scenario experiments were conducted in casual-restaurant contexts involving offline dining and online food delivery. Two single-factor experiments examined the effects of anti-PMD disclosure (presence versus absence), while two 2 × 2 factorial experiments further manipulated operational transparency (closed versus open kitchens). The hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance, bootstrap mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis. Results Anti-PMD disclosure increased patronage intention and perceived moral authenticity while reducing perceived food-related risk. Perceived moral authenticity and perceived risk mediated the relationship between disclosure and patronage intention. Operational transparency moderated these relationships: disclosure significantly influenced patronage intention and both mediators in closed-kitchen settings, whereas these effects were not significant in open-kitchen settings. The indirect effects through both mediators were also significant in closed-kitchen settings but not in open-kitchen settings. Discussion These findings clarify how food-preparation information and operational transparency jointly shape the psychological evaluations underlying consumers’ food-provider choice intentions. They extend research on PMDs and restaurant authenticity by identifying perceived moral authenticity and perceived risk as two explanatory pathways. For casual restaurants that do not use PMDs, communicating this stance may support consumers’ dining decisions, particularly when food preparation is not directly observable.