Cocreating food experience “delivered” from iconic local restaurants

Purpose: This study aims to explore an emerging phenomenon – gourmet meal kits delivered to out-of-towners from iconic local restaurants. This study explores the interplay of goal framing and basic needs and their effects on customer intentions. This study also examines the underlying mechanism of experience cocreation and the moderating effect of food involvement. Design/methodology/approach: This study develops a framework that combines the self-determination theory (SDT) and customer experience cocreation. Two online experimental studies involving 478 US consumers were conducted to examine the underlying mechanism of customers’ decision-making on purchasing gourmet meal kits (Study 1) and visiting destination restaurants after receiving the meal kit (Study 2). Findings: Intrinsic goal-framing leads to stronger intentions to purchase gourmet meal kits and to visit destination restaurants that sell meal kits. In contrast, extrinsic goal-framing enhances the positive influence of perceived relatedness and competence on behavioral intentions. The effects of goal framing and basic needs on behavioral intentions are moderated by food involvement and mediated by experience cocreation to varying degrees. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to empirically examine an emerging business model – delivering restaurants’ food experiences to out-of-towners. The study also expands the application of the SDT by incorporating customer cocreation as the underlying mechanism.