I’ve just moved to Salt Lake City. Which is exciting but also nerve-racking because I, nor anyone I know, have ever lived here before. To me, one of the most challenging parts of being in a new location is figuring out which restaurants are actually good. Because being hungry, craving a specific type of food, and attempting to figure out which google suggestion to go with is always more stressful than it needs to be. It’s also worse when you have no personal contacts to reach out to for recommendations. Because while there are online reviews, trusting strangers online is always a gamble.
So after spending the day unpacking my things and arranging my apartment, I’m now absolutely famished and craving Italian. If I were back in NYC, I would know exactly where to go to get my fill of delicious carbs. But here in Salt Lake City, everything is still unknown. So finding the perfect Italian restaurant to satisfy my pasta craving will take some research. Here is how my consumer decision-making process went –
(Need Recognition) – I was hungry and craving Italian food. I specifically wanted pasta and lots of it. I also wanted a restaurant that offered take-out, as I still didn’t know anyone in Salt Lake City to invite out to dinner and didn’t want to dine out alone. I didn’t mind if the restaurant didn’t have a delivery option, as I have a car. And as a foodie, I’m always willing to spend extra money on potentially delicious food, so I was willing to spend up to 100 dollars on my dinner.
(Information Search) – After figuring out that I wanted Italian takeout for dinner, I turned to google. The first thing I googled was “best Italian restaurant in salt lake city”. Instantly google pulled up a list of suggestions, along with a google map so I could see where the restaurants were located, and different articles related to restaurant suggestions in Salt Lake City. I primarily scrolled through Google maps suggestions because I liked that it showed me where the restaurants were located + provided customer ratings and written reviews. As I searched google reviews, I only paid attention to restaurants that had 4.4+ ratings and over 500 reviews. While searching, I also realized I wanted a restaurant that offered online ordering, that way I didn’t have to go through the hassle of calling the restaurant to place my order. I then changed my google search to “best Italian restaurant in salt lake city order online” to make my search easier. I scrolled through the restaurants, checked out their online menus, and narrowed my search down to restaurants that fit all my wants.
(Evaluation of Alternatives) The first restaurant I found that fit all my needs was Per Noi Trattoria, which had a large and decently priced menu. But they only had a 4.4 rating with 742 reviews, so I decided to click on another restaurant, Tuccis Cucina Italiana, which had a 4.4 rating and 1.2k reviews. Tuccis Cucina Italiana also had a large menu selection with the
bonus of being more affordable than Per No Trattoria. The final restaurant that matched my criteria was Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. With a 4.4 star rating and 2.7k reviews on google, it was the best-rated restaurant that matched my criteria. With an extensive menu and reasonable prices, it was very tempting to order from them.
Ultimately I did not pick Olive Garden. As I realized I wanted a more “authentic” Italian meal. I chose Per Noi Trattoria, as I felt they were more authentic, had a great selection of items on their menu, and reasonable prices. The uploaded food pictures by customers also helped convince me to pick the restaurant, as all the food in the photos looked delicious.
What did you realize about the consumer decision-making process?
I realized how many things influenced my choices (from customer reviews to something as simple as the design of a website). I also realized how adding one additional variable can result in completely different suggestions. For example, the best Italian restaurant in SLC and the best Italian restaurant in SLC that offers takeout were not the same in my google search results.
How might your preferences compare to other consumers? Because the consumer decision-making process differs from person to person, my preferences can be completely different from others and result in dissimilar results. For example, another consumer might be content with having to call in to place their order. Or, someone might want a restaurant that offers delivery. Other consumers might want not care for takeout or delivery because they are planning to dine in. And another customer who wants to dine in might want a casual restaurant that doesn’t require reservations. Also preferences can differ by the price of the restaurants, whether it’s affordable, somewhere in the middle, or expensive.
