• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.1-15
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• 2021

Due to long-term social distancing due to the spread of COVID-19, business trends of restaurant companies are being implemented in accordance with the changed environment such as packaging and subscription. However, even in this environment, upscale restaurants are generating high profits by trying to differentiate themselves from existing restaurants by providing high-quality services with the best facilities. Therefore, this study describes how customers' experience of upscale restaurant service influences behavioral loyalty. That is, the purpose of this study is to determine the effect of service experience on cognitive satisfaction and emotional attachment, and to examine the causal role of cognitive satisfaction and emotional attachment by confirming the relationship between these constructs and relationship commitment and behavioral loyalty. To verify this, data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 300 consumers who recently used a upscale restaurant. Of the collected data, 275 copies(91.6%) were used for the final analysis, and inaccurate or erroneous data among 25 response sheets were excluded. In this study, the validity and reliability of the data were checked and the research hypothesis was verified by using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20 statistical package. Frequency analysis was performed to confirm the demographic characteristics of the respondent. Structural equation model analysis(SEM) was used to confirm the fit of the research model and to verify the research hypothesis. As a result of the research hypothesis analysis, it was found that service experience had a positive effect on cognitive satisfaction, and cognitive satisfaction had a positive effect on emotional attachment, relationship commitment, and behavioral loyalty. Also, it was found that emotional attachment had a positive effect on relationship commitment and behavioral loyalty, and relationship commitment had a positive effect on behavioral loyalty. However, service experience did not affect emotional attachment. With this study, marketers and managers of upscale restaurants such as hotel restaurants need to accurately select their target audience, understand their service needs, and then present the appropriate service to them. In addition, they should not only induce cognitive satisfaction by providing excellent service to their customers, but also identify moments of truth and present appropriate services so that satisfied customers can strengthen their emotional attachment. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the relationship with their firms by forming friendly relationships with customers who have high emotional attachment, and also to induce relationship commitment so that such customers have a strong sense of belonging and attachment to their firms.