Physical Evidence and Customer Patronage of Restaurants in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the effect of physical evidence on customer patronage of restaurants in Akwa Ibom State. The cross-sectional survey research design was used to obtain the primary data. The target population of this study comprised customers of selected restaurants in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The sample size of 336 respondents was selected using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. Hypotheses were tested using simple linear regression model at 0.05 level of significance with p<0.05 indicating statistical significance. Data analyses were enhanced using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The simple linear regression results revealed that there is a positive significant effect of physical evidence-ambience, layout, and service staff on customer patronage of restaurants in Akwa Ibom State. It was concluded that physical evidence plays a crucial role in enhancing customers’ patronage, satisfaction and loyalty. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the operators of restaurant business should make ambience elements specific and use it as a major tool to have competitive advantage in the market. They should concentrate on providing ambience variables such as good lighting, music, scent, cleanliness, hygiene, etc. to create the desired atmosphere in the restaurants and influence customers’ experience and patronage. The operators of restaurant business should pay more attention to layout as a strategic arrangement of the restaurant space to provide for easy movement of employees and customers. Finally, the operators of restaurant business should improve on training their service staff on interpersonal relationship to develop interpersonal skills such as friendliness, attentiveness, sociability, and effective communication to enhance customers’ patronage, satisfaction and loyalty.