Geographical distribution of catering venues and importance of geographical factor for customer satisfaction

Abstract

To date Russian market of catering services is experiencing serious difficulty: there is a significant fall in visitors’ inflow in all market segments, except the fast-food segment. The decline in the number of visits is mostly caused by the economic downturn in the country which brings about the decline in population real income. As a result, there is a growing tendency for budget saving, switching to cheaper substitutes, or even abandoning the consumption of certain goods, such as visiting traditional restaurants. This leads to shrinking catering venues. But despite the hard times, some restaurateurs continue to open new venues, many of which are becoming successful. All successful institutions have much in common: specialized or unusual concept of the venue or advantageous location, with most new restaurants being opened in the centre of Moscow. The author finds it important to correlate the restaurant’s location with the system of visitor’s satisfaction. As a result, the author segments the consumers by the location factor and reveals the reverse dependence in restaurant location and place of residence.