Food and Beverage Research
[BU Today] Is Today’s Minimum Wage an Honest Living Wage?
School of Hospitality Administration speaker series on Wednesday to address minimum wages, tipping, hospitality industry challenges At $15 an hour, the minimum wage in Massachusetts is one of the highest in the nation, trailing only New York, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., the state of Washington, and California. The minimum wage still languishes... More
[NPR Marketplace] Restaurant dinners are eating earlier than ever
What time are you sitting down for dinner these days? Thursday, restaurateur Danny Meyer, the brains behind Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, which operates a bunch of restaurants in New York City, tweeted an observation. He said: “When did a six o’clock dinner reservation become the new eight?“ Yes, More
To tip or not to tip? 3 reasons why tipping has gotten so out of control
It has become as much a part of our daily lives as getting our to-go coffee: the screen turn. It's the moment when you've ordered your coffee and the barista turns the payment screen toward you, with prompts asking you for a tip. Tipping is on the rise across the U.S. as... More
The BHR Brain Food Edition: December 2022
Food is often front and center of the Hospitality experience. The December issue of Boston Hospitality Review on “Brain Food,” edited by David Edwards, Ph.D., scientist, author, pioneering inventor, explores ways to rethink the food experience. “I had become fascinated with the potential of airborne sensory signals to reshape our experience... More
[GRID] Professor Sean Jung Discusses why Restaurants are cutting hours and closing early amid employee and customer crunch
Why you can’t get a table or a late-night bite to eat. Tough getting a reservation lately at your favorite restaurant — or any restaurant for that matter? Across the nation, restaurants are open fewer hours and closing earlier. Nearly 4 in 5 restaurants nationwide have reduced their hours since 2019. They’ve... More
[WalletHub] Professor Makarand Mody Shares his Insight on Best Foodie Cities in America
Americans today apply the term “foodie” to anyone who loves gourmet dining. But foodie culture isn’t limited to restaurants. Foodies enjoy discovering new and unique flavors wherever they can find them, including in their own kitchens and less prominent establishments like street food stalls. For these people, the experience of... More
[Vox] Professor Sean Jung Shares his Perspective on Where do restaurant “service fees” really go?
Service charges are making dining out more expensive, but that doesn’t mean your server sees that cash. Service charges have become commonplace for things like online delivery and concert tickets, but they’re increasingly showing up in unexpected places — namely restaurants. While there’s no formal data yet on how many restaurants... More
[BU Today] Professor Leora Lanz and Professor Jonathan Katz Share their Perspective on Why Dunkin’s Revamped Rewards Program Has Angered So Many Customers
SHA faculty on the pitfalls for companies that make changes to their loyalty programs Need a coffee? If you’re a New Englander, there’s a good chance you frequent one of the more than 4,200 Dunkin’s spread across the region. (There are more than 11,0000 worldwide). Those in the know have learned... More
To Cluster or Not to Cluster?: Understanding Geographic Clustering by Restaurant Segment
By: Sean Jung Abstract This study tested whether geographic clustering differs by restaurant segment due to the differences in consumers’ hedonic and utilitarian values by using Ripley’s K function and a Tobit model. This study found that higher priced restaurant segments have stronger clusters than lower priced restaurants, which implies that restaurants... More
Antecedents of Acceptance of Social Networking Sites in Retail Franchise and Restaurant Businesses
By: Michael Kwag, Ph.D. Abstract The paper examines the antecedents of acceptance of social networking sites in retail franchise and restaurant businesses. The success of retail franchise and restaurant business operators via social networking sites depends not only on organizational benefits but also on their behavioral intentions of using it. Three hundred... More