Effects of COVID-19 on preferences for private dining facilities in restaurants

The present research investigates the effects of the perceived threat of COVID-19 and the salience of the virus on consumers' preference for private dining facilities. Integrating the theories about the psychology of risk with research on preference for private dining, we predict that the prominence of the virus systematically increases preference for private dining facilities. Four studies (N = 812) consistently support our prediction. Consumers who perceive the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic to be high (vs. low) evaluate the private dining restaurant (Study 1) and the private dining table (Study 2) highly. Moreover, two experiments showed that the salience of the virus generates a preference for the private (vs. non-private) dining table (Study 3) and for the restaurant with private rooms (Study 4). This research provides a strategy for the restaurant industry to recover from the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.