Understanding fine dining restaurant dynamics in south Asia: A systematic review

Background: Globalization, urbanization, and economic development has had an influence on the dining out behaviour in general and fine dining in particular. The objective of this systematic review is identifying the factors affecting fine dining selection and to understand the fine dining restaurant dynamics. Methods: In the context of fine dining, both quantitative and qualitative studies conducted in South Asian countries—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—were included in this review. The review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and summarised using narrative synthesis. The search was conducted on Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE (PubMed) and Google Scholar. The two-stage screening was independently done by two authors in two stages (titles/abstracts, and full texts) for inclusion, with discrepancies resolved by involvement of a third reviewer. Data was extracted using a piloted form and the results are presented as a narrative summary and in tabular format. Results: Fourteen studies met the eligibility criteria after de-duplication and screening and were included in the review. These studies were conducted in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and were mostly quantitative in nature. The outcomes assessed in the studies were factors affecting decision to choose fine dine restaurant, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, willingness to pay, and food wastage. Conclusion: There is limited literature on types of evidence available related to fine dining in South Asia. The substantial gap extends to the methodological aspect and the outcomes assessed in the fine dining restaurant segment.