Turizm Fakültesi / Faculty of Tourism

Adoptability of solo dining practices in restaurant businesses: a study from the perspective of diffusion of innovations and organizational readiness

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Adoptability of solo dining practices in restaurant businesses: a study from the perspective of diffusion of innovations and organizational readiness Sarıoğlan, Mehmet; Gürs, Batuhan Solo dining—eating alone in a public restaurant—has gained global visibility, yet most restaurants still design spaces and service flows exclusively around group parties. This monograph explains that gap by reframing solo dining as an innovation-adoption challenge rather than a mere consumer trend. Building on Rogers’s Diffusion of Innovations theory and the Organizational Readiness for Change (ORIC) framework, the authors develop a multi-construct survey instrument and administer it to 328 restaurant operators across seven Turkish provinces. The study tests how five perceived innovation characteristics (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, observability) and one context factor (spatial adequacy) predict two dimensions of readiness—change commitment and change efficacy—and, in turn, actual adaptation intent. Structural-equation modelling reveals that spatial adequacy and relative advantage are the strongest positive predictors of readiness (β =.42 and β =.35, respectively), whereas perceived complexity exerts a significant negative effect (β = −.29). Readiness accounts for 63 % of the variance in adaptation intent, underscoring its mediating role. Post-hoc multi-group tests show readiness scores differ by restaurant size and service style, indicating that solo-dining roll-outs must be context-specific. The book concludes with (i) a readiness-checklist, (ii) spatial layout templates that minimise seat wastage, and (iii) staff training guidelines to mitigate social discomfort for lone guests. By integrating innovation-diffusion theory with hospitality operations, this work offers the first empirically validated roadmap for restaurants seeking to pilot or scale solo-dining zones. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial International).

The impact of degenerative and regenerative business practices on consumer norms and preferences

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The impact of degenerative and regenerative business practices on consumer norms and preferences Gürs, Batuhan This study examines how consumers' intentions to purchase environmentally friendly products differ across regenerative and degenerative gastronomy business contexts. The proposed model includes Problem Awareness, Ascription of Responsibility, Personal Moral Norm, perceived Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility, Attitude towards the Use of Eco-Friendly Products, and Purchase Intention. Data were collected through an online survey of 394 consumers with gastronomy-related experience and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings suggest that Problem Awareness increases Ascription of Responsibility, which in turn strengthens Personal Moral Norm. While perceived Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility positively influences Attitude towards the Use of Eco-Friendly Products, both Personal Moral Norm and this attitude construct enhance Purchase Intention. However, some relationships were found to be significant only in the regenerative business context. In addition, the model explained substantially less variance in the degenerative context, particularly for Personal Moral Norm (R2 = 0.036) and Purchase Intention (R2 = 0.127). Overall, the results indicate that eco-friendly consumption is shaped not only by consumers’ moral and cognitive processes, but also by the environmental value-creation logic adopted by businesses.

Environmental variation in taste perception: an evaluation of basic tastes at sea level and 2200 m altitude using a trained sensory panel

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Environmental variation in taste perception: an evaluation of basic tastes at sea level and 2200 m altitude using a trained sensory panel Avcıkurt, Cevdet; Sarıoğlan, Mehmet; Dinç, Yakup; Gürs, Batuhan Taste perception is not determined solely by the chemical composition of food; it may also be shaped by environmental conditions. Previous research has suggested that hypobaric atmosphere, ambient noise, and temperature can influence gustatory perception. Rahne et al. (2018), for example, showed that hypobaric conditions may reduce gustatory sensitivity, while white noise may selectively impair sensitivity to sweet and sour tastes. Likewise, Green and Andrew (2017) demonstrated that temperature exerts stimulus- dependent effects on bitter taste perception. In addition, research on aircraft cabin environments has highlighted that reduced air pressure, low humidity, and background noise can weaken the overall tasting experience (Spence, 2017). Despite these findings, environmental influences on taste have largely been examined separately, and comparative field-based studies remain limited. This paper proposes a research design to examine whether basic taste perception varies across two distinct environmental settings: sea level and 2200 m altitude. The study will focus on the five basic tastes, namely sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, and will be conducted using a trained sensory panel. The research is structured in three stages. In the first stage, panelists will be selected and trained to recognize, discriminate, and rate the intensity of basic tastes. In the second stage, reference sensory evaluations will be carried out at sea level under standardized conditions. In the third stage, the same panelists will repeat the evaluations at 2200 m altitude, allowing for a direct comparison between the two environments. The proposed study is expected to contribute to the gastronomy literature by addressing taste perception within a real environmental context. By moving beyond laboratory-based or single-factor approaches, it offers a comparative sensory framework for understanding how altitude may influence taste perception under field conditions. The findings may provide useful implications for destination gastronomy, sensory product development, and the design of food and beverage experiences in high-altitude settings.

Quality characteristics of chicken meat marinated with antioxidant-rich fruit juices and powders

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Quality characteristics of chicken meat marinated with antioxidant-rich fruit juices and powders Savaş, Elif; Gürs, Batuhan This study investigated the effects of functional marinades prepared from pomegranate, kiwi, and pineapple juices and powders on the technological, textural, and antioxidant properties of chicken breast meat. Marinades served as functional alternatives to standard marination liquids containing water, oil, and salt. Physicochemical parameters (pH, moisture, water activity, color), texture profile analysis (TPA), and thermal behavior (by DSC) were evaluated. Cooking loss, cooking yield, marinade absorption, and marinade retention were also determined. Antioxidant capacity was assessed via total phenolic content, CUPRAC, and DPPH assays. Significant differences (p<0.05) were found among treatments for hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and resilience. Kiwi powder (KP) and pomegranate powder (PMP) yielded the highest hardness and resilience, indicating denser and more elastic protein matrices. Juice-based treatments resulted in softer textures due to dilution of enzymatic and phenolic activity. Marinades containing water increased protein denaturation temperatures, while acidic pomegranate and pineapple juices decreased L* values. Fruit-based marinades increased antioxidant capacity, particularly in powder form. Overall, both fruit type and physical form influenced meat quality. Powders enhanced structural integrity and elasticity, whereas juices acted as tenderizing and antioxidant agents. These results highlight the potential of fruit-derived marinades as natural, clean-label alternatives for improving texture, color, and oxidative stability in poultry products.