The impact of nostalgia triggers on emotional responses and revisit intentions in luxury restaurants: The moderating role of hiatus

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to (1) examine the triggers of patrons’ nostalgia and (2) examine how the nostalgia triggers induce patrons’ emotional responses, thus influencing revisit intentions. Based on a literature review, 20 triggers that induce nostalgia were derived. The empirical data utilized in this study was collected from 438 luxury restaurant patrons who had visited a luxury restaurant more than 60 days prior to responding to the survey. The initial responses were then examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The EFA results indicated that patrons’ nostalgia is induced by four factors: ‘food’, ‘event’, ‘environment’, and ‘staff’. Subsequent data analysis revealed that all four triggers of personal nostalgia bear a significant impact on inducing patrons’ pleasurable responses. Moreover, it was revealed that hiatus plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between nostalgia and patron's pleasurable responses. In other words, as time elapses following a restaurant visit, nostalgia triggers leads to higher levels of pleasurable responses regarding their experiences in the restaurant. Finally, such pleasurable responses lead to revisit intentions. Based on these findings, possible interpretations and managerial implications are suggested in the latter part of the study.