Purpose

Drawing on signalling theory and focusing on independent restaurants, this study aims to investigate how business signals (transparency information and exposure) affect business transparency, food authenticity and, ultimately, purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a 2 × 2 between-subject experimental design, Study 1 examines the recipe and an internet-famous restaurant, and Study 2 assesses the food supply chain and a celebrity-owned restaurant. Analysis of covariance and PROCESS are used to analyse the data.

Findings

The results suggest that while revealing information on recipes and food supply chains positively affects business transparency, exposure has no significant impact. Additionally, secret recipes and revealed food supply chains contribute to higher food authenticity, whilst being a celebrity owner or internet-famous restaurant negatively affects food authenticity.

Research limitations/implications

Restaurant managers must be strategic and selective about the kinds of business signals they wish to reveal to customers. Secret recipes lead to higher food authenticity, whereas the revealed recipes and revealed food supply chains elicit higher business transparency. Independent restaurants should not rely on celebrity owners or seek internet fame, as neither type of exposure contributes to transparency or authenticity.

Originality/value

This study advances the theoretical understanding of signalling theory relating to the determinants of transparency and food authenticity in a hospitality context. Contrary to previous studies, it reveals that exposure, as a transparency signal, has no impact on either business transparency or food authenticity. It extends knowledge and understanding of different types of independent restaurants, especially internet-famous restaurants.

中文翻译：

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透明度、真实性和购买意向：中式独立餐厅

目的

本研究利用信号理论并专注于独立餐厅，旨在调查商业信号（透明度信息和曝光）如何影响商业透明度、食品真实性以及最终的购买意图。

设计/方法/方法

使用 2 × 2 的受试者间实验设计，研究 1 检查食谱和一家互联网知名餐厅，研究 2 评估食品供应链和一家名人拥有的餐厅。协方差分析和 PROCESS 用于分析数据。

发现

结果表明，虽然披露有关食谱和食品供应链的信息会对业务透明度产生积极影响，但曝光并没有显着影响。此外，秘密食谱和公开的食品供应链有助于提高食品的真实性，而成为名人老板或互联网名人餐厅会对食品的真实性产生负面影响。

研究限制/影响

餐厅经理必须对他们希望向顾客展示的商业信号类型进行战略性和选择性。秘方会带来更高的食品真实性，而公开的食谱和公开的食品供应链会带来更高的商业透明度。独立餐厅不应依赖名人老板或寻求互联网名声，因为这两种曝光都不会提高透明度或真实性。

原创性/价值

本研究促进了对与酒店环境中透明度和食品真实性的决定因素有关的信号理论的理论理解。与之前的研究相反，它揭示了作为透明度信号的曝光对商业透明度或食品真实性没有影响。它扩展了对不同类型的独立餐厅，尤其是互联网知名餐厅的知识和理解。