The Relationship between Molecular Gastronomy and Competitive Advantage of Egyptian Restaurants from the Point Of View of Chefs by Using the Five Forces Model

Abstract

The restaurant industry is constantly looking for new food innovation techniques, such as molecular gastronomy "MG," to produce higher-quality foods and introduce new tools, products, and cooking methods. With a focus on food enjoyment, molecular gastronomy employs scientific methods to better understand the molecular, physicochemical changes that occur in foods during preparation and consumption. Using the five forces model, this study aims to investigate the relationship between molecular gastronomy and competitive advantage in Egyptian restaurants from the perspective of chefs. Five Forces "5F" model is a fantastic tool for analyzing restaurant industry competition, and it can be used to analyze competition based on Threat of New Entry, Threat of Substitution, Supplier Power, Customer Power, and Competitive Rivalry. Because of its popularity and large number of five-star restaurants, Cairo was chosen as a representative sample of the Egyptian five-star restaurant society. To achieve the research aim, a personal interview was designed and distributed with executive chefs of five-star restaurants who implement molecular gastronomy techniques in their restaurants. It is recommended that the restaurant has a set menu offering a variety of molecular gastronomy dishes; where customers can choose from, in order to relieve the pressure of work on the traditional menu.