Serving up stereotypes? How and when stereotype (in)congruity influences customer behavioral intentions toward ethnic restaurants

Drawing on schema congruity theory, this research introduces the concept of stereotype (in)congruity and investigates its impact on customers’ behavioral intentions in ethnic restaurants. Five experiments reveal that customers exhibit a higher purchase intention and intention to recommend when ethnic restaurants align with customer stereotypes compared to when they do not. Perceived authenticity serves as the process mechanism that explains the relationship between stereotype (in)congruity and behavioral intentions. Furthermore, the positive effect of stereotype congruity is stronger when customers have a lower preference for ethnic restaurants, face greater cultural distance, and visit ethnic restaurants operated outside of their culture of origin. This study enriches the literature on stereotypes in hospitality and offers managerial insights for ethnic restaurant operators.