Antecedents and Consequents of Customer Loyalty in the Food Service Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

Reshma S.

Abstract: Purpose: The food service industry operates in an intensely competitive landscape where customer loyalty is a critical determinant of long-term success. Despite a wealth of individual studies, the literature remains fragmented. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to consolidate existing research to provide a comprehensive and integrated framework of the key drivers (antecedents) and outcomes (consequents) of customer loyalty within this sector. Methodology: This research was conducted as a systematic literature review, adhering to the PRISMA protocol. A rigorous and replicable search strategy was employed to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to 2023 in major databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. After applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, a final corpus of 98 studies was selected for in-depth analysis and thematic synthesis to identify dominant themes and relationships. Key Findings: The analysis reveals that the antecedents of loyalty are multifaceted and can be categorised into four primary dimensions. First, Core Product Quality, encompassing food taste, safety, and consistency. Second, Service Experience, including employee responsiveness, reliability, and the physical environment. Third, Relationship Drivers, such as trust, emotional connection, and the perceived value of loyalty programs. Fourth, Corporate Factors, like brand image and perceived ethics. Regarding consequents, loyalty manifests not only as behavioural outcomes?namely repeat patronage, positive word-of-mouth, and reduced price sensitivity?but also contributes directly to financial performance through increased revenue and lower customer acquisition costs. Conclusions: This review synthesises a fragmented body of knowledge into a coherent framework, clarifying the complex interplay between service attributes, customer perception, and loyal behaviour. The findings provide managers with a verified checklist of strategic levers to foster deeper customer relationships. For researchers, the study identifies under-explored areas, such as the role of technology-enabled personalisation and sustainability practices in the post-pandemic era, suggesting critical avenues for future empirical work.

Keywords: Customer Loyalty, Food Service, Systematic Review, Antecedents, Consequents, Service Quality

How to Cite?: Reshma S., "Antecedents and Consequents of Customer Loyalty in the Food Service Industry: A Systematic Literature Review", Volume 14 Issue 12, December 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 2002-2007, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR251220181000, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR251220181000