The effects of gastronomy 4.0 applications on consumer's food and beverage purchase intentions: Examining the technology acceptance model

In the food and beverage industry, the revolution offered by Industry 4.0, which includes technologies such as the Internet of Things, three-dimensional foods, cloud computing, big data, augmented reality, imaging systems, automation, cybersecurity, and robot technologies, is referred to as Gastronomy 4.0. Applications related to these technologies are becoming more and more common in the industry. Determining what these ever-evolving and changing technologies mean for consumers is of great importance. In line with this, the research aims to assess the impact of Gastronomy 4.0 applications on consumers' food and beverage purchasing tendencies using the Technology Acceptance Model. In this direction, the survey technique, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the research. The data were collected from 481 consumers in restaurants in Eskişehir using at least one of the Gastronomy 4.0 elements, by survey technique. The collected data were subjected to demographic analysis, validity and reliability, explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzes. The results of the analysis indicate that Gastronomy 4.0 applications, including 3D printers, augmented reality, cloud computing technologies, and robot technologies, have a significant impact on the technology acceptance model. Furthermore, augmented reality and robot technology dimensions have a significant effect on purchase intention, and the technology acceptance model significantly influences purchase intention. The research also revealed a partial mediation effect for augmented reality and robot technology dimensions within the context of Gastronomy 4.0 applications.