THE MEDIATING ROLE OF FIRM PRESTIGE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED QUALITY AND BEHAVIOUR INTENTION IN CUSTOMER CAFETERIA EXPERIENCES

. Customer experience is viewed from different perspectives as an economic, marketing, management, and competitive strategy. Regardless of the perspective, customer experience is a business strategy and a critical concept that plays a key role in firm success in the 21st century. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on customer experience as a way for companies to differentiate themselves and build strong relationships with their customers. This approach is based on the idea that companies can build emotional bonds with their customers by providing memorable and positive experiences, leading to greater loyalty, repeat business and positive word-of-mouth. To create these experiences, companies adopt a customer-centric approach that involves understanding their customers’ needs, preferences and behaviours and using this information to design and deliver experiences that exceed their expectations. This approach requires moving away from traditional product-centric or sales-oriented strategies and instead places the customer at the centre of the company's operations and decision-making processes. From a customer-centric perspective, meeting customer expectations in customer experiences is very important in shaping customer perceptions, attitudes and behaviours. From an experience-based perspective, a study was designed by taking into account the expectancy-affirmation theory, which is a psychological model that explains how customers evaluate their satisfaction with a product or service based on their expectations and perceptions of the experience, and a psychological theory that predicts that meeting customers’ expectations from their experiences may lead to a change in customer behaviour. The study examined the mediating role of firm prestige in the relationship between the perceived quality of customer experiences and customer behaviour intention. For this purpose, data were collected from 230 participants who had cafeteria experience through a questionnaire. The collected data were increased to 5000 by bootstrapping (derivative sampling) through the PLS-SEM algorithm. The study found that store prestige partially mediated the relationship between perceived experience quality and behavioural intention (customer satisfaction/loyalty) but did not mediate the relationship between food quality and behavioural intention (customer satisfaction/loyalty). The study also found that store prestige mediated the relationship between atmosphere quality and service quality, and behavioural intention (customer satisfaction/loyalty). Subsequently, cafeteria management policies should prioritise atmosphere and service quality. These factors directly impact the store's prestige, leading to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

beverage industry. For instance, the moderated role of customer emotions in the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Bloemer and de Ruyter, 1999) and the moderated role of brand image and customer satisfaction in the effect of customer experiences on customer loyalty (Jin et al., 2016).
Today, cafeterias have gained a critical place in the market. The cafeteria industry is highly competitive, making establishing a lasting presence in the market challenging. The study focused on identifying factors contributing to customer satisfaction and loyalty, which are crucial for maintaining a strong market presence in the cafeteria industry. It also examined how customer experiences, particularly store prestige, influence these behaviours. These findings provide practical insights for achieving long-term success in the market. The study aims to address a significant gap in the existing literature by exploring the mediating role of store prestige in the relationship between perceived quality and customer behavioural intentions in the food and beverage industry. To our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated this specific aspect. Therefore, this research is expected to make valuable theoretical contributions.
Based on the provided information, the study consists of several sections, including a literature review, research methodology, analysis, and conclusion. These sections are commonly included in research studies and provide a structured approach for investigating the research topic, gathering data, analysing findings, and concluding.
Literature Review. Perceived quality is defined as customers' subjective judgments about the superiority of products (Zeithaml, 1988). Apart from these definitions, Martens and Martens (2001) characterised quality as "the degree of excellence of an asset." From this point of view, it is possible to evaluate perceived quality as the cognitive reactions underlying customers' purchasing behaviours (Kumar et al., 2009). When product or service characteristics are considered, the degree of excellence in the customers' perceptions can be defined as the perceived quality. The perceived quality in the food industry is handled in three basic dimensions food quality, atmosphere quality, and service quality (Ribeiro and Prayag, 2019). Food quality is expressed as customers' evaluations of the overall performance of food. It is one of the critical factors affecting customer behaviour, such as loyalty, intention to visit the restaurant (Clark and Wood, 1999), brand coolness perception (Zhang et al., 2021), and customer satisfaction (Pettijohn et al., 1997), helping firm (Jeong and Jang, 2011). Previous studies have addressed food quality from different perspectives. Food quality consists of the product taste offered in restaurants, menu variety, portions adequacy, healthy product options (Ha and Jang, 2010), food freshness, food ingredients (Jiang et al., 2021), presentation, colour, temperature (Sulek and Hensley, 2004), etc. This study uses food quality, food portion, authenticity, temperature, taste, availability of healthy alternatives, freshness, and presentation dimensions. Another considerable dimension of perceived quality in the food industry is the atmosphere quality. The atmosphere is the physical features of the store that are used to attract customers to the store and to develop the store's image (Berman and Evans, 2010). According to a different definition, it is considered the design of the store environment that appeals to the customers' senses (Levy et al., 2012). The atmosphere quality can be defined as the perfection of the physical environment elements that affect our senses, such as smell, decor, comfort, cleanliness, design, and music (Ribeiro and Prayag, 2019). Another essential factor of perceived quality is service quality. The service is defined as "jobs, processes, and performances" in its shortest definition (Zeithaml and Bitner, 1996). Service quality is the difference between perceptions and expectations about the firm providing these services (Bolton and Drew, 1991). According to a different definition, service quality can be defined as the difference between customers' expectations for services and the basic service (Parasuraman et al., 1985).
Prestige is evaluated both individually and organizationally in the literature. In the personal sense, it is defined as "respect or honour offered to individuals as a social attitude." In organisational terms, it is the individuals showing this attitude toward honour and respect for organisations (Dawson, 1988). It is possible to reach many definitions related to the prestige concept from a marketing perspective. The prestige is mentioned together with the brand in many sources. Based on the brand, prestige is defined as the status and reputation of a brand (Stokburger-Sauer et al., 2012). In another definition, prestige is associated with positioning and is defined as a relatively high positioning of products associated with a brand (Steenkamp et al., 2003). Apart from brands, products also have prestige. In the prestige of the products, the evaluator is the customer. In customer-based and product-based evaluation, prestige is defined as the subjective customer judgments in the context of the product's social status (Dubois and Czellar, 2002). In addition, another prestige perspective, in which customers are subjective evaluators, is store prestige. This concept can be defined as the reputation or status of a store's name in the consumer's mind (Konuk, 2019). Prestige, in this respect, refers to tangible and intangible elements that provide social status to customers (Hwang and Hyun, 2012).
Customers are considered crucial actors for firms. In a customer-based approach, customer behaviours are critical for firms. Two of these behaviours are customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. In the study, these two dimensions were discussed. At the same time, reaching a single definition in the literature on customer satisfaction is impossible. Halstead et al. (1994) defined this concept as the emotional reaction that occurs due to specific standards in customers' perceptions before purchasing behaviour and meeting these standards after the purchase. In a similar definition in which customer costs are also taken into account, customer satisfaction is defined as the customer's reactions as a result of comparing customer expectations, gains from the product, and costs related to the product during the purchase and use of a product (Churchill and Surprenant, 1982). Another critical concept in customer behavioural intention is customer loyalty.
Customer loyalty is derived based on customers' positive attitudes towards a product. In this respect, customer loyalty includes customers repurchasing a product or service, recommending it to other customers (WOM), and not responding to competitors' marketing efforts (Szczepańska and Gawron, 2011). In short, customer loyalty is considered loyalty to a brand or firm (Oyman, 2002). In a different definition, customer loyalty is defined as customers continuing to buy from the firm, preferring this firm to others, and moving the firm's relationship forward. However, many firms offer similar products . Based on these definitions, customer satisfaction can be expressed as customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction due to meeting/not meeting the customer expectations after their product and service experiences. Customer loyalty can be defined as customers' preference for the firm in their future purchases, recommending the firm or its products to those around them, and establishing long-term relationships with the firm.
The literature review and theoretical framework formulated six hypotheses to examine the perceived quality, store prestige, and behavioural intention variables. These hypotheses are presented below. H1: Store prestige has a mediator role in the effect of food quality on customer satisfaction. H2: Store prestige has a mediator role in the effect of atmosphere quality on customer satisfaction. H3: Store prestige has a mediator role in the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction. H4: Store prestige has a mediator role in the effect of food quality on customer loyalty. H5: Store prestige has a mediator role in the effect of atmosphere quality on customer loyalty. H6: Store prestige has a mediator role in the effect of service quality on customer loyalty. Methodology and research methods. Three different scales were used during the questionnaire creation for the study. These are the scales of perception quality (food quality, atmosphere quality, service quality), store prestige, and behaviour intention (satisfaction, loyalty). Therefore, in the study, 38 questions, 32 Likerttype questions (1= Strongly disagree,… 5= Strongly agree), and 6 were demographic, were directed to the participants.  Table 1 shows the Likert-type questions asked to the participants and what dimensions these questions contain. The study questions were translated from English to Turkish with experts' support, and the Turkish version was applied to the participants. Accordingly, both the original (English) version and the adapted (Turkish) version are presented in Table 1.
As seen in Table 1, the food quality dimension consists of seven questions, the atmosphere quality dimension consists of six questions, the service quality dimension consists of nine questions, the store prestige dimension consists of three questions and the satisfaction dimension consists of three questions. The loyalty dimension consists of four questions.
Two hundred thirty people with different demographic characteristics participated in the study. Participants were selected by convenience sampling, and data were collected through a physical questionnaire. Cafeterias' customers in Kars were asked to answer questions based on their recent experience.

Satisfacti on Memnuni yet
ST26-I was happy with the dining experience at this restaurant/ Bu kafeyi deneyimlediğim için oldukça mutluyum.
Jin et al.
ST27-I was pleased with the dining experience at this restaurant/Bu kafedeki deneyimimden oldukça memnun kaldım. ST28-Overall I was satisfied with the dining experience at this restaurant/ Genel anlamda bu kafedeki deneyimim beni memnun etti.

Loyalty Sadakat
LOY29-I would like to come back to this restaurant in the future/ Gelecekte bu kafeye tekrar gelme niyetindeyim. LOY30-I would recommend this restaurant to my friends/ Bu kafeyi arkadaşlarıma önereceğim. LOY31-I would recommend this restaurant to others/ Bu kafeyi başkalarına önereceğim LOY32-I would say positive things about this restaurant to others/ Bu kafe hakkında aşkalarına olumlu şeyler söyleyeceğim Sources: developed by the author.
The demographic characteristics of the individuals participating in the study are presented in Table 2. While the average of two-thirds of the participants in the study was men, when the age distribution was examined, it was seen that the majority (91%) were between the ages of 18-33. In addition, while threequarters of the participants are single individuals on average, half have a monthly income of less than 6000 TL. On average, half of the participants have undergraduate education, while an average of one-third is composed of students. Sources: developed by the author.

Results.
In the first stage of the study, a pre-test was applied to 40 participants, and the reliability and validity of the answers were measured. In the next stage, the reliability coefficients were found to be sufficient, and it was decided to continue the data acquisition process. The PLS-SEM algorithm was used in the analysis phase of the study. A structural equation model was applied through this algorithm. The entire sample group consisting of 230 participants was drawn to 5000 samples using the bootstrapping method, and the analyses were carried out on this sample group. The SEM model includes a two-stage process. The first stage is confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the second is structural equation analysis (Anderson and Gerbing, 1988). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tests the coherence of the measurement model for analysis. This analysis aims to test the measurement model's validity and reliability. In the first stage of the process, Cronbach alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted, and Fornell-Larcker criteria were examined within the scope of convergent and discriminant validity. The data for these variables, specific to the study, are presented in Table 3.  Sources: developed by the author.
The first value examined within the scope of convergent and discriminant validity is the Alpha value. This value is expected to exceed 0.70 (Hair et al., 2013). When the study data are examined, it is seen that the alpha value meets this condition. Another significant value is CR. This value is expected to exceed 0.80 (Daskalakis and Mantas, 2008). The study data show that the necessary conditions for this value are met. Another critical value is the AVE. AVE value higher than 0.50 is expected. (Hair et al., 2013). The data in Table 3 proves that this condition is met. Another important criterion is the Fornell-Larcker criterion. According to these criteria, the values of each variable should be higher than the other variables (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). It is fixed in the table that these criteria are also met. Another essential condition is factor loads. Data on factor loads are presented in Table 4. Sources: developed by the author.
The factor loadings of the variables are given in Table 4. Hair et al. (2017) argue that factor loads should be above 0.708. When the table was examined, it was seen that the factor loads of all variables were higher than 0.708. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed that the measurement model met the necessary conditions, and the structural model stage was started. In the structural equation analysis stage, subjects such as t values, p values, mean and standard deviation related to the study were included. These values related to the study are presented in Table 5. When the study hypotheses were tested, it was determined that the store prestige did not have any mediating role on the effect of food quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. In addition, a substantial result of the study is that store prestige plays a mediating role in the effect of atmosphere quality and service quality on customer behaviour intention (satisfaction and loyalty). When the degree of effect is examined within the study hypotheses, It is seen that atmosphere quality is the leading perceived quality dimension that affects customer loyalty through store prestige. In this interaction, service quality takes second place. In customer satisfaction, another dimension of customer behaviour intention, the leading perceived quality factor in which the store prestige plays a mediating role is the atmosphere quality. In this interaction, service quality takes second place.
The study examines the perceived quality factors that affect the customer's behavioural intentions in the cafeteria industry through store prestige. In this respect, the perceived quality factors (atmosphere quality, service quality, and food quality) that create customer loyalty and customer satisfaction with the role of store prestige are examined. Evidence indicates that perceived quality significantly influences customer behavioural intention (Kumar and Grisaffe, 2004;Žabkar et al., 2010). As far as we have examined, no study has been found on the mediating role of store prestige in this effect. This aspect of the study is expected to contribute to the field significantly. The first of these contributions is that the store prestige plays a critical role in the effect of atmosphere quality on customer behaviour intention. The store atmosphere forms the basis of customer experiences in today's market conditions. This aspect of the experience is considered one of the significant determinants of customer satisfaction and plays an active role in customer preferences (Asmoro Kanthi et al., 2016). Many times beyond customer satisfaction, it has been considered a crucial factor that causes customers to recommend their product and service experiences to other customers (Dhurup et al., 2013). Direct effects will also play a supporting role in examining this indirect effect, which is the study's primary purpose. When the data related to the study are examined, it is seen that the atmosphere quality has a remarkable effect on the store prestige (p=0,000, t=4,612, x̄=0,435). The study concluded that store prestige is undeniably crucial in the relationship between atmosphere quality and customer loyalty (p=0.000, t=4.392, x̄=0.292) and the relationship between atmosphere quality and customer satisfaction (p=0.000, t=4.421, x̄=0.333). In the studies, much data has been reached that the store atmosphere has a serious aspect in creating customer loyalty and has an undeniable matter in customers' repurchase intentions (Ha and Jang, 2012;Soebandhi et al., 2020). In this respect, it is seen that the results of the study are consistent with previous studies. Another substantial contribution is that store prestige plays a critical role in the effect of service quality on behavioural intention. Service quality, which has a great place in marketing, has been associated with many concepts in the literature. These concepts are firm performance (Sampaio et al., 2019), loyalty (Famiyeh et al., 2018;Fida et al., 2020;Koay et al., 2022), satisfaction (Famiyeh et al., 2018;Fida et al., 2020;Koay et al., 2022), perceived value (Li and Shang, 2020;Tuncer et al., 2021;Uzir et al., 2021), purchase intention (Dapas et al., 2019;Naeem, 2019;Zarei et al., 2019), WOM (Alrwashdeh et al., 2020;Gholipour et al., 2018;Ifie et al., 2018), et al. The study examined the mediating effect of store prestige on the effect of service quality on customer behaviour intention. In addition to the direct effects in the literature, the study obtained some data to support the results. As a result of the analysis, it was seen that service quality significantly affects store prestige (p=0,001, t=3,193, x̄=0,257). In the case of indirect effects, it has been observed that store prestige plays a crucial role in the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction (p=0.002, t=3,108, x̄=0.197) and customer loyalty (p=0.002, t=3.050, x̄=0.173). The last contribution is that store prestige does not play a role in the effect of food quality on customer loyalty in the cafeteria industry. This result is supported by the fact that food quality does not directly affect store prestige (p=0.058, t=1.898, x̄=0.149). However, store prestige significantly affects customer satisfaction (p=0.000, t=22,693, x̄= 0.767) and customer loyalty (p=0.000, t=15.759, x̄= 0.672). Food quality is a substantial component that creates customer satisfaction in restaurants. Restaurants must pay attention to food quality to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat customers (Namkung and Jang, 2007). However, there are also studies where product quality does not affect customer behavioural intention (Jang and Namkung, 2009). According to the study's results, it can be said that different factors that support customer food quality have a role in this interaction.
Understanding customer behaviour is crucial for companies to thrive in the market. Customer satisfaction and loyalty are indeed key behaviours for businesses. Companies employ various strategies to cultivate happy and loyal customer relationships. The study's results significantly shape companies' strategic decision-making processes. The study's crucial findings indicate that perceived customer experience quality, specifically the atmosphere quality dimension, significantly influences store prestige. This, in turn, leads to increased customer loyalty and satisfaction. Another notable finding is the active role of service quality, as another dimension of perceived experience quality, in shaping store prestige and its notable impact on customer behaviour intentions. An interesting outcome of the study is that food quality does not significantly impact customer behaviour intentions through firm prestige. These results are expected to provide valuable insights for determining business strategies and guiding customer behaviour and store prestige. They are also crucial in economic growth, competitive advantage, market sustainability, and optimising customer experience journey for companies.
Conclusions. The study provides substantial clues to cafeteria managers regarding the factors affecting customer behaviour intentions. The basis of success in the cafeteria industry, one of the sectors where competition is at a high level in the service sector, is to understand customer behaviours and to evolve these behaviours in a way that creates value for the firm. In this respect, in the study aiming to investigate the factors affecting customer behavioural intention, perceived quality was used as the independent variable, and store prestige was used as a mediating variable. In the customer-based approach, firms' most critical customer behaviour components are customer satisfaction and loyalty. These variables are one of the factors that directly affect the firm's success. Examining the extent to which the perceived quality and store prestige issues affect the study's customer behaviour intention provides critical clues in the sectoral and scientific sense. The leading of these clues is that store prestige partially plays a mediating role in the interaction of perceived quality and customer behaviour intention. The most significant share in this interaction is atmospheric quality, one of the perceived quality dimensions. Because the substantial perceived quality dimension that affects customer behaviour intention through store prestige is atmosphere quality; in other words, in the cafeteria industry, atmosphere quality increases store prestige, and store prestige positively affects customer satisfaction and loyalty intentions. The quality dimension of the secondary matter regarding the study is service quality. Because it is seen that the increase in the service quality perception among customers also increases the store's prestige, this increase in the store prestige through service quality causes a remarkable increase in customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. A critical result of the study; Although store prestige is a critical factor in creating customer satisfaction and loyalty, store prestige does not have any mediator role in the relationship between food quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. This is the study's sample because it was conducted on firms serving both fast food and beverage in the service sector. It is seen that the food variety is relatively less in these establishments compared to fast food restaurants. Therefore, food quality does not affect the store's prestige and the customer behaviour intention through store prestige.
The study draws several conclusions that underscore the significance of atmosphere quality and service quality in the cafeteria industry. These quality factors, as perceived through customer experiences, directly influence their perceptions of store prestige and shape their behavioural intentions. The study provides valuable insights for companies regarding service design and excellence, offering critical policy recommendations to industry practitioners.
Expanding similar studies on customer experience quality factors that influence customer behaviour intentions in the cafeteria industry is a suggestion for future research. Such studies would make significant contributions to the field both theoretically and practically. Furthermore, considering the importance of store prestige in today's competitive environment and its significant impact on shaping customer behaviours, it is recommended that researchers conduct a more comprehensive investigation into the factors that contribute to store prestige. This would provide a deeper understanding of the topic and offer valuable insights for businesses. Moreover, while numerous studies have been conducted in the restaurant and fast-food industry, relatively fewer studies have focused on the cafeteria industry. Given the distinct characteristics of the cafeteria industry compared to these other sectors, conducting comprehensive studies specific to the cafeteria industry would contribute to the industry's development in dynamic market conditions and shed light on critical factors that shape the industry. Thus, filling the literature gap regarding the cafeteria industry's application area is a critical suggestion.
In addition to the above critical results, it is evident that there are various limitations regarding the study. Conducting the study only to firms located in a specific region constitutes the space constraint of the study. The cultural differences between regions and customer typologies may differ from region to region. Another constraint regarding the study is the constraint related to the sector. They were conducting the study on firms operating both as fast food restaurants and cafeterias to narrow the area where the study is carried out. From this point of view, carrying out similar studies in different sectors and different regions in the future will provide more comprehensive information.
Conflicts of Interest: The author declares no conflict of interest. Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the Corresponding author upon reasonable request. Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.