Ambience and social interaction effects on customer patronage of traditional coffeehouses: Insights from kopitiams
Abstract
Traditional coffeehouses, such as kopitiams, face intense competition from contemporary coffeehouses, such as artisanal cafés and coffeehouse chains. This paper sought to encourage customer patronage of traditional coffeehouses by considering socioenvironmental factors. Specifically, this paper examined the effects of ambience and social interactions on customer patronage of traditional coffeehouses. A sample of 363 participants, who were patrons of kopitiams, participated in this study. In general, the results of the study showed that ambience and social interactions significantly and positively shaped customers’ intentions to patronize traditional coffeehouses. A detailed scrutiny of the main and interaction effects revealed that traditional coffeehouse operators should focus on two ambient conditions to encourage customer patronage: cleanliness and furnishings. Further, the results emphasized that traditional coffeehouse operators need to maintain the quality of coffeehouse furnishings, as patronage decreases as the condition deteriorates, as a result of customers using the furnishings over time in their interactions with other customers.
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Ambience has repeatedly been shown to influence how customers perceive and patronize an establishment.
“ambience has repeatedly been shown to influence how customers perceive and ultimately patronize an establishment, since the physical and social setting of a venue shapes mood and comfort well before food is served (Lim et al., 2020)”
From Restaurant Service Quality in Relation to Customer Satisfaction (2026) · cites this paper as Lim et al., 2020
Cites
Maslow, A. H. (1943) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/h0054346 · Cited by 21,563 · cited 3× · see citing works
“In addition to satisfying humans’ basic physiological needs for food and water (Maslow, 1943), coffeehouses can also satisfy humans’ higher level needs; however, the needs being met may differ according to the type of coffeehouse being operated by restaurateurs.”
BackgroundInfluentialKim, J.-H. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.11.004 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
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Restaurant Service Quality in Relation to Customer Satisfaction
Cabanday, F., & Estrosas, J. L. (2026) · The International Review of Multidisciplinary Research · doi:10.67167/vertex.656
“Ambience pertains to the sensory and atmospheric qualities of the restaurant environment — lighting, music, spatial layout, and overall comfort — that shape a diner's mood before, during, and after the meal (Lim et al., 2020).”
Influential
- Authors
- Lim, W. M., Jee, T. W., Loh, K. S., & Chai, E. G. C.-F.
- Affiliations
- Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus (MY)
- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (MY)
- Corresponding author
- Lim, Weng Marc
- Venue
- Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2019-04-17
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 182-201
- ISSN
- 1936-8623 (ISSN-L)
- 1936-8631
- OpenAlex
- W2939316692
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 6
- FWCI
- 3.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management (publishedVersion)
- Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Otago
- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Retail Behavior Studies
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Customer Service Quality and Loyalty
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior and Marketing Influence
- Keywords
- kopitiam, customer patronage, ambience, social interaction, cleanliness, furnishings, patronage intention, socio-environmental factors
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