Food Safety Practices and Dining Experience among Restaurants in Central Luzon Region towards the Development of Behavioral Intention Framework

Food safety practices and the dining experience are among the several factors that may influence the behavioral intentions of restaurant customers. This study aimed to measure the food safety practices, customer dining experience, and behavioral intention among DOT-accredited restaurants in Central Luzon. This paper also sought to determine the differences in the responses when grouped according to their demographic variables and determine the relationship between food safety practices and dining experience in the behavioral intention of customers. Descriptive and quantitative research methods were applied to determine the actual food safety practices, dining experience, and behavioral intention among 395 customers of DOT-accredited independent restaurants in Central Luzon. Adapted questionnaires underwent validity and reliability test. Weighted mean, analysis of variance, t-test, correlation matrix, and Pearson r were used as statistical tools. The findings revealed that customers are satisfied with the restaurant’s food safety practices and dining experience which makes their behavioral intention likely positive. This study also found that females are more likely to spread word of mouth. Generation Y, employed customers, those who visit once a month, and those who travel alone are more satisfied with the restaurant’s food safety practices and dining experience which positively affects their behavioral intention. Moreover, the study also revealed that food safety practices and dining experience have a significant relationship with behavioral intention. The behavioral intention framework was developed based on the result of the study. Keywords: Food Handling, Food Quality, Generation Y, Independent restaurants, Word of Mouth