Abstract

Purpose: Consumers' experience of functional attributes is remembered, and the experience lowers the cost of consumers' input from their point of view and reduces uncertainty. It also plays an important role in consumers' positive emotions and responses. Accordingly, if information search costs are reduced in terms of the costs perceived by consumers about restaurants, a strategy differentiated from other companies can be established. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of functional congruence of restaurant stores on information search cost reduction, positive/negative emotions, and loyalty. Research Design, Data, and Methodology: This study investigated functional congruence, information search cost reduction, and positive/negative emotions. The structural relationship between loyalty was analyzed. To verify this, a research hypothesis was established based on previous studies and a research model was constructed. The questionnaire items were modified and used according to the current study, based on previous studies. The data were collected using the questionnaire method from 187 people who had dining out experience. Frequency analysis was performed to confirm demographic characteristics. Reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the collected data were verified. The research model was analyzed with a structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 4). Results: The findings show that functional congruence had significant positive effects on information search cost reduction and positive emotion, but no significant effect on negative emotion. Information search cost reduction had significant positive effects on positive emotion/negative emotion but did not significantly affect loyalty. Lastly, both positive and negative emotions had significant positive effects on loyalty. Conclusion: Based on transaction cost theory, this study found how functional congruence and information search cost reduction influence consumers' emotions. The functional attributes of restaurants were perceived by customers as information, thus uncertainty was decreased. Finally, appropriate management strategies and implications of functional congruence and information search cost in the restaurant were suggested.