FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENTS’ DINING CHOICES IN CAMPUS CAFETERIAS: EVIDENCE FROM A MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1145034Keywords:
Ambience, Campus Cafeterias, Food Price, Food Quality, Service Quality, Students’ Dining ChoicesAbstract
Campus cafeterias play an important role in supporting students’ daily routines, yet students’ dining choices are shaped by more than food availability alone. This study examines factors influencing students’ dining choices in campus cafeterias by focusing on four key determinants: ambience, food price, food quality, and service quality. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed using a structured questionnaire distributed to students at a Malaysian public university. A total of 368 valid responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings show that ambience, food price, food quality, and service quality were significantly related to students’ dining choices and emerged as significant predictors in the regression analysis. Among these factors, service quality recorded the strongest predictive effect, followed by food quality, food price, and ambience. These results suggest that students place considerable importance on friendly, responsive, and respectful service, as well as food that is appealing, varied, and perceived as worth the price paid. Although ambience recorded the lowest predictive strength, aspects such as cleanliness, seating comfort, noise level, and lighting remain relevant in shaping students’ overall dining experience. This study contributes to the growing literature on university foodservice by providing empirical evidence on the determinants of students’ dining choices within a Malaysian public university context, where affordability, service experience, and food quality are important considerations in students’ daily campus life. Practically, the findings offer useful insights for campus cafeteria operators and university administrators in improving foodservice quality, strengthening student satisfaction, and encouraging continued patronage of campus cafeterias.
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