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Destination Restaurants’ Practices and the Production of Locality : The Case of Michelin Restaurants in China

Huang, Yuying ; Hall, C. Michael LU and Chen, Ning (2024) In Foods 13(12).
Abstract

Dining plays a pivotal role in the travel experience, with numerous studies identifying the significant impacts of restaurant attributes on tourists’ destination experiences and their sense of place. The identified attributes include the origin of food produce, menu design, the physical and social servicescape, and restaurant reputation, all of which have the potential to enhance customers’ sense of place. Therefore, based on theories of the production of locality, this study explores how destination restaurants “put place on the plate” and identifies how destination restaurants promote place. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the representatives of seventeen Michelin (one star, two stars, three stars, and Bib... (More)

Dining plays a pivotal role in the travel experience, with numerous studies identifying the significant impacts of restaurant attributes on tourists’ destination experiences and their sense of place. The identified attributes include the origin of food produce, menu design, the physical and social servicescape, and restaurant reputation, all of which have the potential to enhance customers’ sense of place. Therefore, based on theories of the production of locality, this study explores how destination restaurants “put place on the plate” and identifies how destination restaurants promote place. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the representatives of seventeen Michelin (one star, two stars, three stars, and Bib Gourmand)-awarded restaurants across Mainland China. The results reveal three primary strategies employed by destination restaurants in promoting place: forging partnerships with the local community to produce, present, and reproduce localities; leveraging local knowledge embedded in the local produce, recipes, cooking techniques, and local culture; and practicing translocality to introduce a regional cuisine to diverse and cosmopolitan consumers. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the way in which notions of locality and place are used by destination restaurants and the way in which this may promote not only restaurants but also regional culinary cultures and destination attractiveness.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
destination restaurant, food tourism, gastronomy tourism, local food, locality, Michelin Guide
in
Foods
volume
13
issue
12
article number
1838
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85197851676
  • pmid:38928780
ISSN
2304-8158
DOI
10.3390/foods13121838
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1e55e0c3-4a6d-43c4-8ea9-bdb74945b541
date added to LUP
2024-10-14 13:58:52
date last changed
2025-07-08 12:30:38
@article{1e55e0c3-4a6d-43c4-8ea9-bdb74945b541,
  abstract     = {{<p>Dining plays a pivotal role in the travel experience, with numerous studies identifying the significant impacts of restaurant attributes on tourists’ destination experiences and their sense of place. The identified attributes include the origin of food produce, menu design, the physical and social servicescape, and restaurant reputation, all of which have the potential to enhance customers’ sense of place. Therefore, based on theories of the production of locality, this study explores how destination restaurants “put place on the plate” and identifies how destination restaurants promote place. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the representatives of seventeen Michelin (one star, two stars, three stars, and Bib Gourmand)-awarded restaurants across Mainland China. The results reveal three primary strategies employed by destination restaurants in promoting place: forging partnerships with the local community to produce, present, and reproduce localities; leveraging local knowledge embedded in the local produce, recipes, cooking techniques, and local culture; and practicing translocality to introduce a regional cuisine to diverse and cosmopolitan consumers. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the way in which notions of locality and place are used by destination restaurants and the way in which this may promote not only restaurants but also regional culinary cultures and destination attractiveness.</p>}},
  author       = {{Huang, Yuying and Hall, C. Michael and Chen, Ning}},
  issn         = {{2304-8158}},
  keywords     = {{destination restaurant; food tourism; gastronomy tourism; local food; locality; Michelin Guide}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Foods}},
  title        = {{Destination Restaurants’ Practices and the Production of Locality : The Case of Michelin Restaurants in China}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/foods13121838}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/foods13121838}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}