Abstract:

Globalization and the internet era have resulted in an increase in curiosity about different cultures and in an expansion of cultural diversity concerning food choice. In this direction the number of ethnic restaurants which carry the role of making known a culture’s gastronomic identity through food, service rituals and atmosphere has increased around the world. As a result choosing a restaurant has become more challenging for customers. In the process of making a decision about which restaurant to go to, online reviews are seen to be vital and reliable sources of information due to the information given by other customers. Today consumers have the power of greatly impacting the promotional activities of restaurants. Therefore the importance of online reviews, especially for ethnic restaurants which are distinct from ordinary restaurants due to bearing the responsibility of promoting another culture, is considered non-negotiable. The aim of this study is to analyse customer reviews on the Zomato platform regarding Korean restaurants located in Istanbul. For the purpose of the study 510 Turkish and English reviews made between November 2013 - May 2022 regarding eleven different Korean restaurants based in Istanbul were analyzed and coded under six main themes and thirty-seven sub themes following qualitative research methods and content analysis techniques. In line with the findings, it was discovered that Korean restaurant customers gave importance to the taste of food and beverages, staff and service, facility, price, authenticity and menu related issues respectively.

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