The determinants of local food consumption value at family-owned restaurants and their impact on tourist satisfaction and behavioural intentions

Purpose This study examined the role of family-owned restaurants in Penang as bridges between communities and tourists, analysing how consumption values – authenticity, sensory experience, hygiene, appearance and nutrition – influence satisfaction and eWOM. Using the S-O-R model, tourist satisfaction was positioned as a mediating mechanism linking local food values to behavioural outcomes such as loyalty and eWOM. Design/methodology/approach Study data were obtained from a survey of 329 international and domestic tourists who sampled local cuisine at family-owned restaurants in Penang Island, Malaysia. The study analysed the relationships between determinants of local food consumption, tourist satisfaction, and eWOM engagement using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings The findings indicate that while all determinants significantly enhanced tourist satisfaction, but only authenticity and sensory experience exerted a direct influence on eWOM, with the remaining factors contributing indirectly through the mediating effect of satisfaction. Practical implications The results offer valuable insights for strategic policy making, providing a pioneering technique to develop tourist satisfaction and the sustainability of gastronomy tourism. Originality/value This study advances gastronomy tourism research by refining the S-O-R model, establishing tourist satisfaction as a key mediator, and underscoring the influence of eWOM. The results contribute to a deeper theoretical understanding of tourist behaviour in food-related travel and provide a foundation for future research on sustainable culinary tourism. Moreover, the study highlights that despite extensive scholarship on family businesses, their role within tourism and hospitality remains underexplored.