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Journal of Foodservice Business Research

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The Adoption of Restaurant-Based E-Service

Celeste K. Mozeik a; Srikanth Beldona b; Cihan Cobanoglu b;Ali Poorani b a Delaware Technical & Community College, Wilmington, DE b University of Delaware, Newark, DE Online publication date: 18 December 2009

To cite this Article Mozeik, Celeste K. , Beldona, Srikanth , Cobanoglu, Cihan andPoorani, Ali(2009) 'The Adoption of

Restaurant-Based E-Service', Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 12: 3, 247 265 To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/15378020903158525 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15378020903158525

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Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 12:247265, 2009 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1537-8020 print/1537-8039 online DOI: 10.1080/15378020903158525

Journal 1537-8039 1537-8020 WFBR of Foodservice Business Research, Vol. 12, No. 3, July 2009: pp. 128 Research

The Adoption of Restaurant-Based E-Service

CELESTE K. MOZEIK
Delaware Technical & Community College, Wilmington, DE

C. K. Mozeik et al. Restaurant-Based E-Service

SRIKANTH BELDONA
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
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CIHAN COBANOGLU
University of Delaware, Newark, DE

ALI POORANI
University of Delaware, Newark, DE

Restaurant services are currently available through conventional Internet access through PCs, Macs and laptops. However, there is ongoing change at the customer end where the use of Web-ready mobile devices such as cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) is steadily increasing. This study evaluated the customer acceptance of restaurant e-services across two types of computing devices: (a) conventional lap/desk devices (PCs, laptops, Macs) and (b) mobile handhelds (Blackberries and Palm Pilots). Findings indicate that perceived ease of use with mobile handhelds is comparably more important toward the adoption of restaurant-based e-services as opposed to conventional lap/desk devices, where perceived usefulness was marginally more important. Findings are discussed within the context of the emerging mobile Internet and how restaurateurs need to better leverage this medium. KEYWORDS restaurant marketing, Internet, e-service, mobile commerce, technology adoption

Address correspondence to Cihan Cobanoglu, Ph.D., University of Delaware, 14 W. Main St., Raub Hall, Newark, DE 19716. E-mail: cihan@udel.edu 247

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INTRODUCTION
The use of online services to access information and leverage use of restaurants is steadily increasing (DiRoNA, 2006; Ebbin, 2006). This has been brought about by the recent growth in technologies that leverage consumer mobility, namely, mobile Internet and geospatial devices such as global positioning systems (GPS). The extension of the Internet and its applications to the mobile domain has significant implications for restaurants whose services depend mostly on meeting physiological needs that are often driven by impulsive or immediate informational search behaviors. Though the use of Internet-enabled mobile devices such as cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), Blackberries, Palm Pilots, and so on has steadily increased, little is known about the likelihood of customer adoption of mobile-based e-service and the usability of these technologies at large. The potential impact of wireless applications is already enormous and rapidly growing. The go anywhere coverage of mobile networks and the exponential growth of Internet-enabled mobile phones and PDAs make the mobile enterprise a viable, convenient, and cost-effective proposition for restaurants. Mobile applications have become especially valued in an age where time is precious and the weight attached to convenience is high (Scornavacca, Barnes, & Huff, 2001). They have distinctly different uses as opposed to traditional devices such as PCs, Macs, and laptops. An increasing trend is that users are becoming mobile (DeWaele, 2005; Sajai and Machiraju, 2001). By considering the current influx of mobile applications worldwide, the restaurateur may be able to take a more direct and continuous service role by providing customers with information they need when they need it and also by providing additional venues by which the customer can interact with the business (Granage, 2007; Murphy, Forrest, & Wotring, 1996). Cobanoglu (2002) describes the emerging implications of Internet technology as an evolving medium that offers restaurants limitless opportunities for e-commerce initiatives and for creating lasting relationships with customers. Although the mobile Internet appears to have much to offer as a mechanism of commerce, not much is known about consumers willingness to adopt wireless electronic media (Carlsson, Carlsson, & Walden, 2005) or about the factors that influence their adoption decisions and value perceptions of mobile services. The wireless mobile Internet poses many of the same questions raised at the introduction of the conventional Internet. Are customers ready for the delivery of restaurant-based electronic services (e-services) through mobile devices, let alone traditional Internet access devices such as PCs/Macs and laptops? If yes, what are the differences between mobile and conventional devices that eventually impact intentions to adopt services delivered through them? This study examines the current customer adoption of restaurant-based e-services through conventional lap/desk Internet access devices, such as

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PCs, laptops, and Macs, as well as mobile handheld Internet devices, such as PDAs, Blackberries, and Palm Pilots. The study sought to differentiate the relative importance of two significant antecedents of technology adoption, namely, perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) as outlined in the technology adoption model (Davis, 1989) across conventional lap/desk and mobile handheld Internet access devices. In addition, the study differentiates the relative importance of PU and PEOU across informational and transactional restaurant-based e-services across both conventional lap/desk and mobile handheld Internet access devices. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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RESTAURANT-BASED E-SERVICES
The understanding of e-services has progressed along with the evolution of technological capabilities. E-services are defined as interactive services that are delivered on the Internet using advanced telecommunications, information, and multimedia technologies (Boyer, Hallowell and Roth, 2002 p. 175). In a restaurant context, consumers can find assorted restaurant e-services, such as menus, maps and directions, online ordering for take-out and carry-out, and table reservations, among other seemingly inexhaustible Web communications. These services can be categorized as informational or transactional and are illustrated in Table 1.

Informational Services
To be successful, e-services need to identify and develop complementary features that enhance consumer value (Iqbal, Verma & Baran, 2003; Parasuraman, 2000) and provide viable alternatives to traditional service methods. Similarly, there is a need to understand how consumers trade off between traditional features and online-only features as a function of increasing e-service familiarity (Iqbal, et al, 2003). A large portion of the guest base wants to be able to find a restaurant and get directions to it online. If a restaurant does not have a Web site, it will lose out on this potential business (Layton, 2006;
TABLE 1 Categorization of Restaurant-Based E-Services Informational Transactional

Menus Locationmaps & directions Hours of operation Restaurant reviews Other dining details, such as banquets or catering Entertainment

Take-out and carry-out services Table reservations Gift certificates Ordering merchandise

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Panitz, 2000). Prospective guests respond best to sites that inform them quickly. Layton suggests that diners eat with their eyes and that Web sites should keep text to a minimum and ensure that important details like menus, location, hours of operation, and reviews are easy to find and quickly accessible. Also, Internet browsers can be turned into buyers by enabling online reservations either in real time or with an e-mail submission form (Panitz, 2000). Cutting through the clutter of Internet sites is going to be essential for operators and consumers of both conventional and mobile Web devices (Connolly, 2006; Gaw, 2000). Jeong, Oh, and Gregoire (2003) explored the role of online information and behavioral intention and emphasize the importance of information satisfaction with restaurant consumers. Information satisfaction is a strong determinant of behavioral intentions; thus restaurateurs must ensure that their Web sites satisfy consumers information needs if they expect any online transactions.

Transactional Services
Transactional services largely refer to the ability to place orders and make reservations online. They provide significant benefits, namely, convenience and perceived control over the ordering process (Liljander, van Riel, & Pura, 2002). OpenTable.com, a leader in the emerging online reservation business, has done research showing that 38% of people prefer online reservations to phone reservations, and 52% of the reservations made by their Web site brought diners to restaurants for the first time (NC SBTDC Restaurant Industry Study, 2005). Questions quickly arise: Under what circumstances are customers using or not using these online services? Are they using them when making travel or event bookings? What kinds of devices are they using to access them? Carlsson et al. (2005) affirm that mobile services support travelers. Their study showed that many travelers expressed the intention to increase their use these services as they become viable to them. When mobile services start to provide a valuable alternative to presently used routines and services, it is expected that they will have a profound impact on the e-service paradigm of the hospitality industry, including restaurants. In view of this impact, it is key to find some way to assess the value of mobile applications to prospective users and to gain an understanding of the factors that may delay the penetration of the mobile Internet on a larger scale for customers who would like to use restaurant e-services. The online restaurant reservation arena is not widely known to the general public, nor is it well defined, but it appears to be catching on nonetheless. The online reservation portal OpenTable.com fills 1 million dining seats monthly (Ross, 2006). Ross indicates that the volume of restaurants using OpenTables online seating technologyreputed to be the first of its

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kind in the marketincreased by more than 65% in 2005. Further evidence of the trend of online restaurant reservation services includes the following: Search Engines (Google) Restaurant Web sites Web site services and portals (OpenTable.com and similar enterprises); Dinner Broker.com, GuestBridge.com, and their strategic partner sites Travel Web site or tour sites (iseatz.com) Global distribution systems (CitySearch.com, GetThere.com) Other (mobile connections through PDAs or cell phones such as phonified.com)
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Prewitt (2005) comments, All of the fragmentation in Internet access to restaurant reservations makes the practice a remarkably unexamined commercial activity whose economic impact is difficult to measure, (p. 2). Online restaurant reservations are an area that seems to have more potential than the market has been ready for, despite the gripes of many restaurateurs about the technologys removal of the human element (Inge, 2002). Inge claims that reservation applications are probably best suited to markets where a critical mass of restaurants is represented, and in a format where availability can be checked for several at once. As more people become accustomed to booking flights and hotel rooms on the Internet, more restaurants could enable guests to make direct bookings online so that prospective guests know immediately whether or not a restaurant has availability. Inge (2002) mentions that widening the concept to include direct Internet booking of other guest-related activities (i.e., entertainment tickets, spa appointments, tee times) would also seem like a natural addition to this technology, as would associated developments in the mobile channel distribution of these allied e-services.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
There is noted academic research focused on examining the determinants of technology service adoption that can also be applied to the inclination to making use of restaurant multichannel e-services. The analysis of technology adoption processes of the past can be of much help to understanding current developments (Gordon & Gebauer, 2001). Some of this research draws its theoretical underpinnings from texts on the adoption and diffusion of innovations, where individuals perceptions about using an innovation are speculated to influence adoption behavior (Rogers, 1995). Parasuramans Model of Technology Readiness (2000) demonstrates that an individual with a high degree of optimism and innovativeness and a low degree of discomfort and insecurity is likely to be a lead user of new technologies. Moreover,

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Liljander et al. (2006) and Yen (2005) indicated that technology readiness is related to customer satisfaction with new technologies because a customer with a greater attitude, ability, and willingness to adopt new technology will be more likely to enjoy and express satisfaction than those with lower technology readiness. Studies have reported that customers often accept the use of new technologies but also commonly exhibit anxiety related to operation (Matthing, Kristensson, Gustafsson, & Parasuraman, 2006; Meuter, Ostrum, Roundtree & Bitner, 2000; Parasuraman, 2000; Yen, 2005). Parasuramans Technology Readiness Index also considers peoples inclination to embrace and use new technologies for accomplishing goals at home and at work (2000). Moreover, extensive studies focusing on the perceptions of, emotions toward, and usage of new technology demonstrate that people harbor both favorable and unfavorable views about technologybased products (Matthing et al., 2006). The social shaping of technology studies show that technology might be a social product patterned by the conditions of its creation and use (Williams & Edge, 1996). These authors put forward that every stage in the generation and implementation of new technologies involves a set of choices between different technical options; there are a range of social factors that affect which options are selected, thus influencing the fundamental nature of technologies and their social implications. They also imply that some technologies survive social shaping better than others and become more widespread. All of these theories support this research study on user adoption of restaurant e-services. Other significant theoretical models that attempt to explain the relationship between user attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and eventual system use include the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen & Madden, 1986), and the technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis, 1989). The theory of reasoned action has proved to be a useful framework for predicting and explaining human intentions and actions (McNeely, 2006). Of these frameworks mentioned, the TAM appears to be the most widely accepted among information systems researchers, perhaps because of the wealth of recent empirical support for it (Davis, 1989; Gefen & Straub, 2000; Pikkarainen, et al., 2004; Sandu & Corbitt, 2002; Venkatesh, 2000). TAM is an important paradigm indicating that consumers are influenced by how and when they will use new technology, most notably by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Daviss TAM model shows that perceived usefulness and ease of use are two factors that consistently influence user acceptance. Daviss studies have shown that, while both are necessary, perceived usefulness is the strongest determinant of user acceptance. If a technology is useful, the user will tolerate some difficulty to use it. But if the user does not find utility for the technologys use, the implementation is likely to fail. The vital aspects that determine any Web sites perceived ease of use are its information, features, and functionality (Beldona, Morrison, & OLeary, 2005). For example,

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when consumers need to drill down deeper for more information before making the purchase decision, the online service satisfaction rate is generally higher (Shankar, Smith, & Rangaswamy, 2000). Davis (1989) and Davis, Bagozzi, and Warshaw (1989) developed the TAM by applying the theory of reasoned action to technology acceptance. The TAM is therefore useful for understanding which factors affect the beliefs and attitudes of people who use technology as well as their intentions to use technology in the future. The TAM model was an appropriate framework for this study in particular because the goals were to (a) identify restaurant e-services that would support the use of the multichannel devices and (b) understand how these activities affect the future usage of these services by restaurant customers. Investigative studies suggest that the TAM model also applies to adoption of e-commerce and to Internet technology (Gefen, 1997; Sandu and Corbitt, 2002). Venkatesh (2000) postulates that there are multiple external factors that influence technology adoption: namely, control, intrinsic motivation, and emotion. The process of technology adoption may not provide detailed information on the user-technology interface that may affect the overall transition (Sandu & Corbitt, 2002).Sandu and Corbitt put forward the e-service adoption model (E-SAM), which is an adaptation of Daviss technology acceptance model. This model demonstrates that consumers react and adjust to emerging e-services by means of experience, motivation, frequency of use, and investment. According to DeLone and McKeans (1992) interpretation, system quality and information quality both affect user satisfaction. In addition, the amount of use can affect the degree of satisfaction either positively or negatively. As many other researchers have validated, ease of use and usefulness are critical precursors to system usage.

RESEARCH METHOD AND DESIGN

Since most applications of TAM have addressed technology in an organizational context, prior measures of usefulness have focused on work factors such as job productivity or performance. Restaurants will now apply these measures to a more customer-focused orientation.

Propositions
The research on consumer preferences toward information content remains rather limited. Deshpande and Zaltman (1987) suggest that information utility, information accuracy, and information timeliness are three broad dimensions describing the quality of online information content. It is critical that Web sites provide consumers with information that is of

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high quality as the number of discriminating Internet users continues to rise (Lindroos, 1997). In this study the authors are looking expressly at perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU). Perceived ease of use impacts usefulness to the extent that an application must be easy to use in order for people to use it and thus realize its usefulness. This relationship has been strongly supported by prior research (DeLone & McLean, 1992; Gefen & Straub, 2000; Sandu & Corbitt, 2002; Venkatesh, 2000). Thus, the following hypotheses suppose that the higher the PU and PEOU, the more likely the intention to adopt restaurant-based e-services, whether it is through conventional Internet access or mobile Internet access.
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H1: There will be markedly comparative differences in the relative importance of PEOU of conventional lap/desk and mobile handheld Internet access devices to behavioral intentions to adopt restaurant-based e-services. H2: There will be markedly comparative differences in the relative importance of PU of conventional lap/desk and mobile handheld Internet access devices to behavioral intentions to adopt restaurant-based e-services. H3: Through conventional lap/desk Internet access devices, there will be markedly comparative differences in the relative importance of PU to behavioral intentions to adopt between informational and transactional restaurant-based e-services. H4: Through mobile handheld Internet access devices, there will be markedly comparative differences in the relative importance of PEOU to behavioral intentions to adopt either informational or transactional restaurant-based e-service.

DATA AND MEASURES

The sample was randomly drawn from restaurants in the northern Delaware region. The choice of restaurants was dependent upon which allowed a researcher to unobtrusively approach customers to complete the survey while they were eating. From the 15 restaurants chosen from the yellow pages, 4 accepted the proposal to survey their customers. Permission to conduct the survey was obtained by calling restaurant owners and managers. Some of the owners and management felt that it might take away from future business and declined. All data were collected in a 4-week period. This sample is a generalizable example that has external validity and can be used as a representative broad view of restaurant customers in a suburbanmetropolitan area.

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Restaurant customers were asked to participate in a self-administered paper survey. A total of 223 completed surveys were collected, with only 7 people declining to complete the survey overall, thus giving a 97% response rate. The paper survey was personally administered at each establishment during one dinner service period. The respondents comprised typical restaurant customers in Delaware and were 18 years of age or older. All respondents were approached and given the opportunity to decline. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to measure the various constructs depicted in the evolved research model. The questions could validate or invalidate the key constructs identified as significant factors leading to adoption of e-services. An extensive review of previous work was conducted to ensure reliability while operationalizing the research constructs, and items were chosen that validated previous research. The survey was divided into three parts. The first part asks about perception of Internet usage in terms of perceived usefulness as well as perceived ease of use. The ease of use was related to Internet restaurant services with traditional nonmobile computers and with mobile computing devices. In the second section, the questions are directed toward behavioral intention of potential usage of restaurant services over the traditional and mobile Internet. The last section requests general information about respondent demographics. The survey captured a fair representation of areas specific to northern Delaware, which is also considered a large suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Table 2 provides specific details pertinent to the descriptive statistics of the
TABLE 2 Demographic Information of Sample F* Gender Female Male Age 1824 2534 3544 4554 5564 65 and above Income Less than $25,000 $25,001$50,000 $50,001$75,000 $75,001$100,000 $100,001$125,000 $125,001 and above 105 117 52 44 40 52 24 11 34 51 36 30 19 41 %* 48.0 52.0 23.0 20.0 18.0 23.0 11.0 5.0 15.0 23.0 16.0 14.0 9.0 18.0 Education Less than high school High school diploma Associate degree Bachelors degree Masters degree Occupation Professional Management Retired Student Construction Health care Sales Hospitality Administrative Homemaker Education Other No answer F* 37 73 32 49 32 39 22 21 19 18 15 14 14 12 11 8 13 17 %* 17.0 33.0 14.0 22.0 14.0 17.0 10.0 9.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 6.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

*: F = Frequency; % = Percent.

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sample. The gender distribution of the respondents was 48% men and 52% women. The absence of gender bias in this study is a very important feature to note, as it may indicate that there is a gender leveling of the Internet with respect to technology use and that the Internet may be becoming essentially gender neutral (Pew Internet Report, 2006). More than 40% participating in the survey were between the ages of 18 and 30. Fifty percent of the respondents had some college education. Some of the respondents were not willing to give their annual household income. Of the remaining respondents, 41% listed their total annual household income greater than $75,000 per year. All measures were adapted from previous studies specific to technology acceptance, namely, Davis et al. (1998), Venkatesh (2000), Gefen & Straub (2000), and McCloskey (2006). Measurements for consistency using reliability tests were conducted on the constructs used for the creation of the survey provided in the results reported in Table 3. Item-total correlations between each component and its own items and the reliability of each component were analyzed together with the Cronbachs (1951) Alpha for each of the constructs.

FINDINGS
Table 4 shows, as expected, that most of the respondents had used the Internet at some time in their lives. However, interestingly, nearly 39% of the respondents had used a GPS to find restaurant information, but only 24% had gone online to make a table reservation, which was less than the respondents who used a PDA with Internet access.

Multiple Regression Analysis

To evaluate the relative importance of PU and PEOU to behavioral intentions to adopt restaurant-based e-services through conventional lap/desk or mobile devices, a series of multiple regressions were chosen. While PU and PEOU served as the predictor variables across all models, the dependent variables were modeled on the objective of the specific analysis. Two rules are applied to determine the support (or lack of) toward as a markedly comparable difference: 1. The relative strengths of standardized coefficients (b) of PU and PEOU are used to assess comparable differences so as to seek support (or the lack of) pertinent to specific propositions as outlined earlier. If a coefficient is 2 times more (or less) than its comparable parameter in the other model, it is considered that there is a markedly comparable difference. 2. The relative importance of a parameter when compared with its adjoining parameter within the same model is also used as a benchmark to assess the validity of markedly comparable differences as outlined in the propositions.

Restaurant-Based E-Service TABLE 3 Constructs and Reliabilities Construct PEOU for conventional Internet access (PC/laptop/Mac) 1. Learning to operate a PC/laptop/Mac would be easy for me. 2. I would find it easy to make a PC/laptop/Mac do what I want it to do. 3. It would be easy for me to become skillful at using a PC/laptop/Mac. 4. I would find a PC/laptop/Mac easy to use. PEOU for mobile Internet access (PDA/cell phones, etc.) 1. Learning to operate a PDA/cell phone, etc. would be easy for me. 2. I would find it easy to make a PDA/cell phone, etc. do what I want it to do. 3. It would be easy for me to become skillful at using a PDA/cell phone, etc. 4. I would find a PDA/cell phone, etc. easy to use. PU for conventional Internet access (PC/laptop/Mac) 1. Using a PC/laptop/Mac would improve my performance in seeking information. 2. Using a PC/laptop/Mac would increase my productivity as a whole. 3. Using a PC/laptop/Mac would enhance my effectiveness as a whole. 4. I would find a PC/laptop/Mac useful anytime. PU for mobile Internet access (PDA/cell phones, etc.) 1. Using a PDA/cell phone, etc. would improve my performance in seeking information. 2. Using a PDA/cell phone, etc. would increase my productivity as a whole. 3. Using a PDA/cell phone, etc. would enhance my effectiveness as a whole. 4. I would find a PDA/cell phone, etc. useful anytime. Behavioral intention to adopt Internet restaurant services via conventional Internet access (PC, laptop, Mac) 1. Restaurant menus are available through Internet access from your PC/laptop/Mac. How would you rate your potential use of it?(I) 2. Restaurant maps and directions are available through Internet access from your PC/laptop/Mac. How would you rate your potential use of it? (I) 3. Table reservations at restaurants can be placed through Internet access from you PC/laptop/Mac. How would you rate your potential use of it? (T) 4. Take-out orders at restaurants can be placed through Internet access from your PC/laptop/Mac. How would you rate your potential use of it? (T) Behavioral intention to adopt Internet restaurant services via mobile Internet access (PDA, cell phones, etc.) 1. Assuming that restaurant menus are available for access through your PDA/cell phone, etc., how would you rate your potential use of it? (I) 2. Assuming that maps and directions to restaurant locations are available from your PDA/cell phone, etc., how would you rate your potential use of it? (I) 3. Assuming that table reservations at restaurants can be placed through your PDA/cell phone, etc., how would your rate your potential use of it? (T) 4. Maps and directions to restaurant locations can be accessed through your GPS. How would you rate your potential use of it? (T)

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Reliability alpha

0.86

0.95

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0.87

0.97

0.90

0.94

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Used the Internet 96%

Used a GPS to find restaurant information 39%

Used a PDA with Internet access 27%

Went online to make a table reservation 24%

TABLE 5 Multiple Regression-Dependent Variable: Behavioral IntentionConventional Lap/Desk Independent variable

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Standardized beta (b) 0.28*** 0.19*

PU (lap/desk) PEOU (lap/desk)

Adjusted R2 = 0.18, F = 25.582, p < 0.000.

Therefore, to summarize the above two arguments, if PEOU is 2 times greater in strength (in model A) compared to PEOU in the comparable model (model B), and if it is greater than PU in the same model (model A) as opposed to the alternative model (model B), it can be said that there is a markedly comparable difference in PEOU in model A as opposed to model B.1 The above rules are underpinned by the compliance of assumptions as outlined for multiple regressions. Hypotheses 1 and 2 indicated that there would be markedly comparable differences in the relative importance of PU and PEOU on behavioral intentions to adopt restaurant-based e-services across conventional lap/desk and mobile handheld Internet devices. Multiple regression findings are illustrated for the above two propositions in Tables 5 and 6. While Table 5 shows the regression model of PU and PEOU over BI in a lap/desk context, Table 6 shows the same for the mobile handheld context. Note the standardized coefficients of PU across the two models/tables. Notably, the PU coefficient for conventional lap/desk is marginally higher (1.5 times greater) when compared with that for handhelds. Also, PU is relatively stronger than PEOU in the conventional lap/desk model as opposed to the mobile handheld model, where the opposite is true. This confirms that there are at least marginally comparable differences in perceived usefulness (PU) between the conventional lap/desk and mobile handheld models, which

1 Beta (b) is the average amount the dependent increases when the independent increases one standard deviation and other independent variables are held constant. If an independent variable has a beta weight of .5, this means that when other independents are held constant, the dependent variable will increase by half a standard deviation (.5 also).

Restaurant-Based E-Service TABLE 6 Multiple Regression-Dependent Variable: Behavioral IntentionMobile Handhelds Independent variable PU (PDA) PEOU (PDA) Standardized beta (b) 0.17* 0.45***

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Adjusted R2 0.33, F = 55.454, p < 0.000.

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in turn provides marginal support for H1. PU is marginally more important for conventional lap/desk devices as opposed to mobile handhelds. Hypothesis 2 proposed markedly comparable differences in PEOU between conventional lap/desk and mobile handhelds. In this case, PEOU is distinctively different. Standardized coefficient values indicate that PEOU for mobile handhelds (0.45) is more than 2 times greater than its counterpart in the conventional lap/desk model (0.19). Also, the PEOU coefficient value is distinctly greater in size when compared with PU in the mobile handheld model (0.17). Combined together, this is compelling support for H2. Here, PEOU is of relatively greater importance in mobile handhelds as opposed to conventional lap/desk devices. To evaluate support for H3 and H4, we separated informational and transactional services for both conventional lap/desk and mobile handhelds from the behavioral intentions measures. In Table 7, which outlines the measures, informational services for both conventional lap/desk and mobile handhelds are denoted as I, and those for transactional services as T8. H3 proposed that there would be markedly comparable differences through conventional lap/desk Internet access devices in the relative importance of PU and PEOU on behavioral intentions to adopt between informational and transactional restaurant-based e-services. Applying the same evaluation framework as outlined for H1 and H2, findings indicate that there are no markedly observable differences and thereby no support for H3. However, H4 (see Table 8) is completely supported because the coefficients

TABLE 7 Multiple Regressions-Behavioral Intention (BI): Conventional Lap/Desk Dependent variables Independent variables PU (lap/desk) PEOU (lap/desk) BI-Informational services (b) 0.27** 0.20* Adjusted R2 = 0.17, F = 24.210, p < 0.000 BI-Transactional services (b) 0.26** 0.16 Adjusted R2 = 0.14, F = 19.154, p < 0.000

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C. K. Mozeik et al. TABLE 8 Multiple Regression-Behavioral Intentions (BI): Mobile Handhelds Dependent variables Independent variable PU (PDA) PEOU (PDA) BI-Informational services (b) 0.14 0.47*** Adjusted R2 = 0.33, F = 55.454, p < 0.000 BI-Transactional services (b) 0.18* 0.38*** Adjusted R2 = 0.28, F = 42.364, p < 0.000

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for PEOU are twice as more as PU across both informational and transactional services.

IMPLICATIONS Theoretical Implications

Results indicate that perceived ease of use (PEOU) for successful adoption of restaurant-based e-services is markedly higher for mobile handhelds. Restaurateurs should focus on this parameter as they gear themselves toward the impending growth of the mobile Internet. Arguably, PU is of relatively lesser importance because of the nascent level of the technology. As the number of applications and the ubiquity of the mobile Internet are augmented, consumers are more likely to realize the usefulness of handhelds. From a theoretical standpoint, the study builds on the relative differences of two vital constructs (PEOU and PU) and distinguishes them using an emerging technology. Theoretically speaking, PU has always been a stronger and more reliable predictor of Internet technology adoption than PEOU (Davis, 1992). This difference has been ascribed to the varying importance of the task when it comes to PEOU (Gefen & Straub, 2000). However, studies specific to TAM do not address the context of the tasks when it comes to the actual intention to adopt. This study contributes to this body of literature because it singularly applies the intrinsic task of either searching or buying restaurant-based e-services. PEOU relates to assessments of the intrinsic characteristics of Internet technology, such as ease of use, ease of learning, flexibility, and interface clarity (Gefen & Straub, 2000). Simply put, use and access of restaurantbased services serves this larger intrinsic component of task orientation. Between traditional lap/desk and mobile handhelds, it shows that PEOU is more important. On the other hand, PU was more important with traditional lap/desk devices because it addresses more extrinsic aspects of task orientation such as task efficiency and effectiveness. Arguably, traditional lap/desk devices are significantly more associated with efficiency and effectiveness

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over mobile handhelds because they are more mature in the adoption spectrum. Mobile handhelds are still in a relatively early stage of adoption and are less mature. This study highlights this significant difference in predictability of PEOU and PU across two types of computing devices based on their relative aggregate adoption levels.

Practical Implications
Wireless handheld devices are yet to develop intuitive interfaces for dealing with complex levels of information. Therefore, the question to be asked is if a technology has matured enough so that there is perceived ease of use or perceived usefulness. Technologies that users find to be significant are becoming widespread, but some still need to mature. Nonetheless, the results signify the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for restaurateurs. On one side, they need to prepare for the emergence of the mobile Internet. Restaurant choice is often based on contingent factors that consumers apply based on the nature of available information to them. The mobile Web alters this process significantly by providing greater amounts information to enable the decision making. In other words, restaurateurs should exploit this potential by building easy to use applications that customers can leverage effectively. It was predicted that utility would motivate the customers use of mobile restaurant e-services, as the adapted TAM model shows. The time is without a doubt ripe for restaurants to take the mobile Internet seriously and subsequently take the lead in providing services across this channel, notwithstanding the enhanced growth of informational and transaction oriented restaurant e-services across the traditional Internet channel. There will be more demand for mobile services and applications with the advent of citywide Wi-Fi networks. This study argues that a growing number of consumers will be ready to try out accessing restaurant services via mobile devices. The results clearly suggest that the use of the Internet for services does not necessarily translate into successful use of wireless mobile services. The mobile experience is fundamentally different from the conventional Internet experience mobile devices must be easy to use for adoption levels to increase. Best practices must be outlined from a user-centered point of view to incorporate these factors into the development and deployment of mobile services to restaurant customers. Marketing geared toward the customer who may be interested in using mobile devices to access services will be necessary to attract more users. Another focus needs to be on empowering people who dont have hundreds of dollars to spend on high tech devices to access information when theyre away from home or out of the office. The implications for consumers in terms of availability of restaurant information will require continued attention and investigation (Chiang, 2006). One of the new hot applications will be for people traveling, where the

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mobile searches will be focused on local applications. Location-based services will become a great marketing tool for restaurants, local tourism and convention bureaus, destination marketing organizations, and hotels. Travel intermediaries will also benefit from being able to strategically link with restaurants that provide these convenient services. Wireless companies will thrive if they have a viable business model. The next wave of mobile success and adoption trends is dependent on creating sustainable restaurant services that offer real value in the migration process to mobile (DeWaele, 2005). This study signifies that restaurateurs explicitly need to take heed of the fact that consumers are ready for the mobile technologies to be mainstreamed. Mobile devices enable restaurant consumers to transport the technology environment anywhere, whether it is at home, at the office, or on the road. People in general are looking for ways to make their lives easier and this will drive the growth of an array of mobile services. The utility and effectiveness of the Web is not just an opportunity, it is a tactical necessity. It is time exploit the possibilities that the mobile industry can offer for the restaurant industry.

CONCLUSION & LIMITATIONS

The study is meant to understand the significant factors leading to the adoption of restaurant e-services and to determine whether consumers are ready to adapt to the mobile Internet. The study can be used by restaurateurs to understand their customers views and perspectives on the present usage and perceived utility of these services. This research will enable restaurants to leverage their e-services in the dynamic competitive marketplace in which find themselves. When services are made available via mobile devices, consumers will be one step closer to personalization, and this will offer them new freedoms. How restaurant Web sites are managed will be an important key to see if this observable fact will grow as the use of mobile devices does. Further research should include a larger geographic area, and a longitudinal study could be useful as a way to track how these Internet services are accepted over time.

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