International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality in Asia Pasific
Vol 8, No 3 (2025): October 2025

Taste Beyond the Trend: How Service Quality Drives Customer Loyalty in Malaysia’s Fast-Service F&B Sector

Jamin Kun Peng Xia (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Louis Yong Yu Lee (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Meenu Baliyan (ABES Institute of Technology, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201009, India)
Yeok Teng Chong (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Zhiheng Chen (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Cherry Lee Chee Chong (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Zheng Hung Chin (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Alif Aminullah (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Malangkuçeçwara, Malang, East Java 65142, Indonesia)
Sachin Kumar (Roorkee Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India)
Daisy Mui Hung Kee (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Oct 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty in Malaysia’s fast-service food and beverage (FB) sector, focusing on Mixue outlets. Guided by the SERVQUAL framework, the research aims to identify which service dimensions most strongly influence satisfaction and how these effects extend to customer loyalty. Data were collected through a survey of 99 Mixue customers, assessing five service quality dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and assurance, alongside satisfaction and loyalty indicators. Using regression analysis, the model explained 81.1% of the variance in satisfaction and 78.8% in loyalty. Tangibles (? = 0.208, p 0.01), reliability (? = 0.372, p 0.01), empathy (? = 0.280, p 0.01), and assurance (? = 0.220, p 0.05) significantly affected satisfaction, while only assurance directly influenced loyalty (? = 0.739, p 0.001). Satisfaction also positively affected loyalty (? = 0.275, p 0.05), confirming its mediating role. The findings highlight that while multiple service elements enhance satisfaction, loyalty is primarily driven by psychological trust and staff competence. These insights underscore the importance of assurance-based training, customer feedback monitoring, and standardized service accreditation to strengthen long-term loyalty in youth-oriented FB markets.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

IJTHAP

Publisher

Subject

Humanities

Description

IJTHAP aims to enhance theoretical development in the field of hospitality and tourism. In order to promote those innovations and fresh ideas, the journal alsso accepts conceptual research, book review, as well as essays of experience belongs to hospitality practitioners. The mission of IJTHAP is to ...