Influence of acculturation on dining-out behavior of Koreans living in the United States – an exploratory study

This exploratory study aimed to determine the role of acculturation on the dining-out behavior of Koreans living in the United States. Ethnic minorities are increasing in numbers and they represent a potentially lucrative market for the foodservice industry. To target this clientele, it is essential to determine their purchasing behaviors and the factors that influence their behavior in order to design suitable marketing strategies. The results of this study showed that scores on the acculturation scale correlated with the dining-out behavior of Koreans. Level of acculturation was related to length of stay in the United States, age, visa status and presence of children in the household which in turn influenced the dining-out behavior of Koreans. With the increasing cultural diversity of consumers, future studies investigating the relationship between acculturation and consumer behavior will continue to garner attention.