DINESCAPE Scale

What it measures

A restaurant-specific physical environment quality scale that moves beyond Bitner's (1992) general Servicescape framework to capture the six distinct dimensions of the dining atmosphere that matter most to restaurant customers. Facility Aesthetics captures the visual appeal of the interior design and décor; Ambience captures sensory atmospheric qualities including music, scent, and temperature; Lighting captures the intensity and colour of restaurant lighting; Employee Appearance captures the neatness and attractiveness of staff presentation; Layout captures the spatial arrangement and flow of the restaurant; Table Settings captures the quality and presentation of tableware, linen, and place settings. DINESCAPE dimensions are differentially important across restaurant segments — fine dining customers weight Facility Aesthetics and Table Settings most heavily, while casual diners prioritise Layout and Ambience.

Representative items

• The interior design of this restaurant is attractive. (Facility Aesthetics)
• The décor of this restaurant is elegant. (Facility Aesthetics)
• The music in this restaurant is pleasant. (Ambience)
• The lighting in this restaurant is just right for the occasion. (Lighting)
• Employees are well-groomed. (Employee Appearance)

Citation

Ryu, K., & Jang, S.C. (2008). DINESCAPE: A scale for customers' perception of dining environments. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 11(1), 2–22.