2013-09-092007-02-022013-09-092006-05-012006-02-022007-02-02a2006E432/aghttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/31035Dissertation (MConsSc (Food Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Young adults are increasingly eating out in casual dining restaurants as a matter of simplifying their lives and seeking convenience and variety. Despite this, studies on satisfaction of young adults with the dining experience offered by casual dining restaurants have remained limited in both South Africa and abroad. Recent studies concerning customer satisfaction in the restaurant sector have investigated satisfaction in terms of service quality and customers’ future behavioural intentions, rather than the dining experience. Most of these studies have specifically focused on fast food operations. Based on this background, this study aimed at exploring and describing satisfaction of young adults regarding their dining experience in casual dining restaurants in Hatfield, Pretoria. To elicit answers to the aforesaid aim, three casual dining restaurants and 179 young adults were selected to participate in this study using convenience sampling. Data were collected from July to August 2005 using questionnaires and simple observations. The data were analysed using the statistical analysis software (SAS) package version 8.2 and descriptive statistics were employed to describe the findings. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the quality of the food (96%), service (94%) and ambience (99%) of the three participating restaurants. In aggregate terms, 95% of the respondents were satisfied with the entire dining experience offered by the participating restaurants. Owing to their satisfaction, the majority of respondents indicated that they would recommend the restaurants of this study to others (87%) and visit these restaurants again in future (80%). In addition, the findings showed that the motivations of the respondents for patronising the casual dining restaurants of this study were mainly to eat high quality food, provided in good ambience and rendered by good service. The results portrayed that the respondents considered quality of the food as the most important aspect of the dining experience, followed by the quality of service and ambience respectively. The results also showed that respondents suggested that the participating restaurants should improve on menu variety, portion sizes, menu design, empathy and signs to the restrooms in order to improve the quality of the dining experience offered. In addition, the respondents also posited that the participating restaurants should ensure that smoking and non-smoking customers dine separately. To yield maximum satisfaction of young adults as regard to dining, it is recommended that the participating restaurants should tailor their offerings based on the suggestions of the respondents, their motivations for eating out and the value they attach to each aspect of the dining experience, namely food, service and ambience. The study contributed to the current literature in the restaurant industry in South Africa, which may be useful to the participating restaurants, researchers and tertiary students in Hospitality Management.en© University of Pretoria 2006E432/UCTDDinnersConsumer satisfactionYoung adultsDining restaurantsDissertationhttp://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02022007-132733/