Generational Differences in Personalized Dining Experiences: Implications For Foodservice Management

Abstract

Personalization is no longer just a marketing trend but rather an essential operational practice within the food service industry; however, there does not appear to be consensus on what constitutes a “personalized” experience. This paper investigates how restaurant and hotel food and beverage (F & B) operators conceptualize personalization through the framework of generational cohort differences. Through the use of peer-reviewed literature in hospitality, consumer behavior, and food science along with recent industry data, this paper assesses how Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z perceive, anticipate, and respond to personalized dining experiences. The findings indicate that personalization can be viewed as a collection of separate behavioral elements, including when a server remembers the previous orders of a repeat patron or when an algorithm recommends a meal item prior to the guest opening their menu and also that each generational cohort responds differently to these behaviors due to differing underlying motivations. The paper will conclude by providing practical recommendations to food service operators looking to develop generationally informed approaches to personalization while at the same time identifying areas in need of future empirical research based on the existing literature.