Far Eastern Restaurant Customers’ Willingness to Pay a Price Premium (WTPP): Gastronomic Involvement as a Mediator

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

The study aims to determine the factors influencing customers’ willingness to pay a price premium at Far Eastern restaurants and examines whether gastronomic involvement mediates this relationship. Data were collected from 641 customers of Far Eastern restaurants in Turkey using a survey-based method with structured questionnaires. The proposed model was tested through partial least squares structural equation modeling. Among the factors, health value emerged as the most influential in fostering gastronomic involvement in Far Eastern cuisine, followed by the bandwagon effect, the Far Eastern chef image, and the snob effect. Gastronomic involvement was identified as a mediating factor between the antecedent variables (health value, chef image, bandwagon effect, and snob effect) and willingness to pay a price premium (WTPP). The findings provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners, highlighting key factors that drive customers’ willingness to pay a price premium for the Far Eastern culinary experience.