Research on Factors Affecting the Choice of Vegetarian Restaurants in Vietnam

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting customers' choice of vegetarian restaurants in Da Nang, Vietnam by surveying 118 people. We modified appropriately through evaluation by Cronbach’s Alpha tool, correlation, regression analysis, EFA exploratory factor analysis, qualitative research, and quantitative research. The results show that four factors of the analysis model affect the intention and behaviour of customers to choose a vegetarian restaurant: (1) Quality of food, (2) Service, (3) Location and (4) Ambience of the restaurant. Since then, the study proposes some implications for restaurant owners to understand their customers' behavioural needs, to successfully market and achieve customers loyalty.


Introduction
Vegetarianism was once thought to be the meal of monks and Buddhists or people with medical conditions that need to follow a strict diet. But when life became better with wealth and knowledge about nutrition, people changed their view, consider vegetarianism to be an excellent physical and spiritual treatment. This has paved the way for the development of the vegetarian restaurant industry (Benefits of eating vegetarian -VnExpress Health, 2004.) Vegetarianism, according to Buddhism, is a way to build good dharma, improve health, nourish the spirit, cherish life, and eradicate wrath and delusion in one's life. Vegetarian rice is becoming increasingly popular year to year, during the Vu Lan Festival, the full moon, and the first day of the year. Ordinary people are drawn to vegetarian cuisine because it is simple to prepare and reduces the risk of harmful diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure (Dwyer, 1994). Young people prefer vegetarian food since it is created from healthy ingredients, they have no fear of eating it every day and no worry about gaining weight. Vegetarian food waste decomposes quickly in the environment, so being a vegetarian can help conserve the environment in the current climate of rapidly changing conditions (Bacon & Krpan, 2018). Because of these significant aspects, vegetarian food and vegetarian dishes are becoming increasingly popular. As a result, vegetarian recipes have gotten richer, more imaginative, and skilfully mixed amongst ingredients, spices, and the chef's processing processes.
In recent years, people no longer limit vegetarian as basic ingredients such as tofu and vegetables but has been expanded to include beans, nuts, etc., five groups, as follows (Vilai.vn, 2021): • Group of vegetables, fruits, rice, legumes, nuts • Soybean products

• Mushrooms
• Vegetarian food imitation meat (vegetarian meats such as vegetarian chicken, vegetarian pork, vegetarian beef; vegetarian fish sauce, etc).

• Dairy products from animals and plants and eggs
Depending on the vegetarian habits, followers of vegetarian cuisine will combine ingredients delicately and create delicious dishes that are not inferior to meat dishes and still ensure full nutrients: starch, fat, protein, fibre, and minerals that are beneficial to the body.
Moreover, grasping the development trend of vegetarian food, many investors have built vegetarian restaurant chains in Danang. According to foody.vn (a popular food delivery app in Vietnam), there are currently 185 operating addresses serving people. In particular, the area near temples and shrines is always a prime location to attract the most potential customers. As a result, vegetarian restaurants near the temple always have a loyal and stable customer base and a great competitive advantage compared to others. One of the most famous vegetarian restaurants in Da Nang city is Thuy vegetarian restaurant located at 122 Hoang Dieu Street, Hai Chau district. Thuy vegetarian restaurant is a typical representative of a successful business for vegetarian restaurants near temples and shrines, the price is affordable, the quality of food is great. Therefore, Thuy's Vegetarian Restaurant is always featured at the top of the recommended vegetarian restaurants in Da Nang.
Besides the vegetarian restaurants for local people, we are also proud to introduce a few luxurious and delicious vegetarian restaurants to serve local customers and attract tourists such as Phuc An restaurant (547 Nguyen Tat Thanh), Moc Nhien restaurant (51 Nguyen Tri Phuong), ANs Vegetarian Cuisine (169F Trung Nu Vuong), etc. These restaurants are not necessarily close to areas with temples but tend to be in city centres. The style of cuisine in these restaurants is also more luxurious and sophisticated than other normal places, this is to satisfy and serve diners with high requirements. Therefore, the study of factors affecting the choice of vegetarian restaurants will provide the foundation for marketing strategies and development methods for the Food and Beverage industries.

Kind of vegetarian consumers and their motivations for using vegetarian food
A vegetarian diet is defined as the lack of meat from the diet, or more accurately, the absence of all animal products (Fraser, 2016). This definition splits vegetarian into subgroups: • Vegan: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products -as well as foods containing these items -are not allowed in these diets.
• Lacto vegetarians: Meat, fish, poultry, and eggs, as well as items containing them, are not allowed in these diets. Milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter are included.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarians: Meat, fish, and poultry are prohibited from the diet, however dairy products and eggs are permitted.
• Lacto -ovo -pisto vegetarian: Meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs are prohibited from the diet; however, fish is permitted. eggs are permitted.
According to Fraser's research, as a result, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in both animal and plant meals show similar patterns. This reminds us that any diet-related health consequences could also be due to the higher plant-food intake.
Concerns about animal welfare, health, ecology, and religion, according to recent thorough reviews, are the four most popular causes for people to adopt vegetarianism in descending order of prevalence (NGO et al., 2021). For instance, at the present time, people tend to take health issues seriously and avoid diseases thoroughly. Among the ways to protect our health, vegetarianism is one of the most useful and easy methods to follow with effective results for the long term. Numerous researches prove that pursuing a vegetarian diet is able to reduce the risks of diseases such as diabetes (Tonstad et al., 2013), blood pressure (Pettersen et al., 2012), obesity (Rosell et al., 2006), cholesterol in the blood (West and Hayes, 1968), etc.
Meanwhile, according to new YouGov statistics, (One in five Millennials has changed their diet to reduce their impact on the planet | YouGov, 2020) Millennials are more likely than other generations to indicate they have modified their diet to improve their mental health (30%) or lessen their environmental impact (20%). Including a survey performed by YouGov's Daily Agenda in 2019 (Daily Question | 08/08/2019| YouGov, 2019), more than one-fifth of young Americans would be expected to give up meat to reduce carbon production and reduce emissions. 23 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds and 22 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds indicated they would do the same.
Moreover, Fiona Dyer, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, illustrates that Millennials are driving the trend toward plant-based diets, as they are more inclined to consider the food source, animal welfare issues, and environmental consequences when making purchasing decisions (Rowland, 2018). This status proved that the young desire to follow nutritious diets but protect animal welfare and environmental footprints sustainably.
While the ethical and ecological reasons are supported by younger generations, individuals aged 41 to 60 are more in favor of the health explanation. (Pribis et al., 2010).

Theories on Customer Behavioural Intention:
Value perception is an important factor in customer satisfaction and behaviour. According to British Food Journal, "Exploring factors on customers' restaurant choice: an analysis of restaurant attributes", analysis model results show that the first thirteen restaurant attributes related to food taste, restaurant physical appearance and value, and nutrition information. Second, there are attributes associated with service quality and the physical environment. Third, attributes related to food safety, food variety, and restaurant atmosphere were assigned to the "Low priority" quadrant, indicating that, while restaurants' performance in these areas was rated low, customers did not consider these areas to be very important (Liu & Tse, 2018). Research on Big social data and customer decision making in vegetarian restaurants (Nilashi et al., 2021); Investigating Consumer Preferences in Choosing Vegetarian Restaurants Using Conjoint Analysis (Cheng et al., 2014); and a study on Understanding Vegetarian Customers (Choi et al., 2021) in conclude gave us the four mains of factors affect to restaurant attributes such as (1) atmosphere, (2) service, (3) food quality, (4) convenience. Further, research by  An Investigation into Restaurant Attributes; Survey of Preferences and Choice in Korean Cuisine of Foreigners who are Vegetarian by Lee et al., (2014) showed us the two additional factors on customer behavioural intention (5) ambience, (6) value, (7) brand image.

Research Model
Customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions are influenced by restaurant attributes . Four restaurant qualities (food, service, location, and ambience) were selected from a range of restaurant attributes discovered and verified from existing research.

Food quality
Food quality is the most important component of the restaurant experience (Namkung & Jang, 2007). Several previous research studies have studied the importance of food quality in restaurant environments; for instance, it was emphasized in the work of (Mattila, 2001) that food quality is an important factor in customer loyalty in casual-dining establishments. A study conducted by  found that food quality encompassed a range of factors, including presentation, tastiness, variety, and temperature.
Hypothesis 1: The food quality factor has a positive correlation with the decision of choosing vegetarian restaurants in Danang, Vietnam. When the quality of food is high, the restaurant brand awareness will increase in a good way to attract customers.

Service
Service quality was the only attribute to affect trust directly and indirectly, and its effect is stronger than that of any other attribute (Hyun, 2010). (Ha & Jang, 2010) also confirmed service as one of the most critical factors influencing customer satisfaction and future behaviors.
Hypothesis 2: The service factor has a positive correlation with the decision of choosing vegetarian restaurants in Danang, Vietnam. Although service quality is not a key factor, it affects the failure of customer loyalty. Hence, when the service quality is high, there will be more people interested in enjoying the restaurant's service.

Location
Customer behavior and satisfaction are influenced by the restaurant's location (Hyun, 2010). According to (Lim & Ya, 1997)), location convenience is one of the most essential assessment factors of restaurant service quality. Research by  has found that the location of the restaurant is a factor affecting the choice of customers.
Hypothesis 3: The location factor has a positive correlation with the decision of choosing vegetarian restaurants in Danang, Vietnam. The location factor has a positive correlation with the decision of choosing vegetarian restaurants in Danang, Vietnam. When the restaurant location brings customers convenience, the decision of choosing this restaurant will be high, and vice versa.

Ambience
Ambience refers to the surrounding environment and its overall quality, which includes cleanliness and comfort. Aspects of ambience, according to (Ryu & Jang, 2007), include interior design and décor; lighting; music; room temperature; dining room and restroom cleanliness; server form; scent; and environmental authenticity (Ryu & Jang, 2007).
Hypothesis 4: Restaurant-style significantly affects the choice of the restaurant of customers, when the ambience factor is high, customer decision in choosing a vegetarian restaurant is high, and vice versa.

Customer behavioral intention
The long-term intention of customers to use the service has a profound influence on the development of the business and is a bridge to maintain loyalty from consumers (Eskiler & Altunişik, 2021). This is demonstrated largely through customer experience through precedents of use. Satisfaction through service quality, enjoyment value received from businesses is the decisive factor (Understanding vegetarian customers: the effects of restaurant attributes on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions: Journal of Foodservice Business Research: Vol 0, No 0, 2021) (Choi et al., 2021). Satisfying customers, restaurants must satisfy their desires, and show them that they receive value beyond their expectations. Understanding customer behavioral needs can bring a good reputation to the restaurant (positive feedback and regular return). This is the sustainable development that business enterprises aim for (Kim & Choi, 2013). In conclusion, the factors affecting customer satisfaction should be prioritized and captured for long-term pursuit, this is the key to the necessary prosperity of vegetarian restaurants.
The quality of food is always a fundamental factor to build a successful restaurant, it may be overlooked in recent times when people focus on visual (diner decoration) and tactile elements (quality service). However, food quality is always the most important factor to determine the longevity of a restaurant. There are many restaurants that have succeeded in maintaining only this element and still existing for a long time. Therefore, being a food business (importantly vegetarian) focusing on the new culinary platform is a wise step in maintaining the brand.
Customers' emotions are largely influenced by the restaurant's decoration style, which has been experimentally proven through actual experiments. If a properly decorated restaurant space can evoke positive emotions in diners, it can satisfy their emotions when dining. The style of the restaurant is luxurious, or casual is also a way to shape the customers that the

International Journal of Community Service & Engagement
e-ISSN: 2746-4032 Vol. 2, No. 4, November 2021 restaurant is aiming for. Defining the target customer (who has a need for luxury or simple dining) will simplify the method of customer satisfaction of that restaurant. (Nusairat et al., 2020) The effect of the design of a restaurant on customer behavioral intentions. Besides, service quality is equally important, an example is given by the Bain & Co survey 80% of customer executives of 362 companies said that they have satisfied customers but only 8 % of customers agree with this conclusion. This proves that business establishments' grasp of service quality is completely subjective. This is an instance to satisfy the two factors of food and decoration but forgetting the quality of service can lead to the downside of restaurant customers losing the trust of customers. Although service quality is not a key factor, it can become a factor in losing customer loyalty (Nusairat et al., 2020).

The general research process:
• Qualitative research: Case studies and prior research publications were used to perform qualitative research. To find new or remove elements produced by the author in the proposed research model, calibrate the scale, associated ideas, and words in order to understand the features impacting the consumer's behavioral intention in the study model. e-ISSN: 2746-4032 Vol. 2, No. 4, November 2021 customers were performed using thorough questionnaires and a measurement scale for eighteen items based on a Likert 5-leveled scale to assess and test theoretical models and hypotheses. FQF2 I'm more and more interested in the nutritional level of the menu items (Sulek & Hensley, 2004) FQF3 Taste is considered as an important element of food in the dining experience  FQF4 Freshness of ingredients has been considered as an important quality indicator in restaurants  LOCATION FACTOR LF1 Convenient location is one of the most basic evaluation factors of restaurant quality (Lim & Ya, 1997) LF2 The location of the restaurant directly affects my comfort when using the service

CI2
Customer perceptions of value are influenced by both food and service quality (Nitiwanakul, 2014) CI3 A strong emphasis on the ambience is essential for improving favorable consumer decisions (Babin et al., 2005) 3.2 Analysis with SPSS 20.0 Using SPSS20, compare the reliability of the scale to the reliability of Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Following that, evaluate factors to reduce EFA and summary data by confirming the scale's compliance with observed variables and monitoring the KMO value, and determine the link between independent and dependent variables using correlation analysis. Finally, regression analysis and model suitability testing will be performed.

Sampling
The information for this study was gathered from primary sources. Beginning September 21, 2021, an online survey in the form of a questionnaire. The study's target demographic was e-ISSN: 2746-4032 Vol. 2, No. 4, November 2021 residents of Da Nang, both male and female, aged under 18 to over 40 years old with the aim of finding out about the behavior of choosing a vegetarian restaurant. The total sample size was 118 persons, 91 of whom were vegetarians. This is the official subject of this research.

Sample size
To establish the minimum sample size, the study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) approaches. EFA is a method for large sample sizes (N), with N = 50 as an acceptable absolute minimum. Hair et al. (2006) state that the sample size formula is N = 5*m, where N is the number of sample sizes; M is the number of measurement questions; and 5 is the minimal number of observations necessary to measure a variable.
In order to collect perspectives on customers' behavioral intents in choosing a vegetarian restaurant, this study utilized a sample size of N = 90 persons based on the above calculation and the number of questions.

Assessing the Reliability of the Scale (Cronbach's Alpha)
The scientific study used a sample size of N = 91, which was chosen using the sample evaluation method. The findings revealed that variables with a Cronbach's coefficient's alpha greater than 0.6. Following this, the investigation eliminated out no variable. Variables are used in the EFA analysis section.

Exploratory Factor Analysis EFA
The mentioned testing standards have been used: using the extracting method of Principal Axis Factoring with Verimax rotation. After examination, the KMO coefficient of 0.773 is larger than 0.5 and the Barlett test result with sig.=0.000 is less than 0.005. For Eigenvalues > 1, the total variance recovered is 69.461 percent > 50 percent, implying that 69.461 percent of data variances can be explained.
By all standards above, variables AF4, FQF3 and SF2 were eliminated. The EFA results show that the three observed variables are extracted into a dependent variable factor, with all of them having factor loading factor > 0.5 and a total extraction variance of 100 percent. Only the KMO number is 0.690 good in the Barlett's test, with significance level Sig. = 0.000, and the quantity Eigenvalue = 2.054 satisfies the condition. As a result, these detected factors are kept for further investigation.  -ISSN: 2746-4032 Vol. 2, No. 4, November 2021 Sig. ( Because the Sig significance level is less than 0.05, the correlation matrix in the table above shows a linear association between CI dependent variables and independent variables FQF, SF, LF, AF. As a result, it is suitable to apply these linear regression analysis variables.

Conclusion and Research Goals:
5.1 Summarizes the results, meanings, and implications.

Summary of research results
The percentage of men who are vegetarians is low (22 percent), owing to their belief that vegetarianism does not provide as many nutrients as meat consumption. Vegetarianism is practiced by the majority of married women, reflecting the diverse demand for vegetarian eateries.
Restaurant satisfaction and consumption habits are still being researched, but other elements such as decoration, service quality, and food safety have a direct impact.

Research implications
Create a research base for businesses and vegetarian restaurants to better understand the aspects that influence customers' purchasing decisions.
With the help of this study, we will be able to create programs to help people build and promote their own brands. Consider four influencing aspects (meal quality, service, location, and decoration style) that can be considered and implemented to a personal age building and promotion strategy.

Policy implications for businesses.
Focusing on store decoration for a small restaurant would result in inefficiency, because the most important aspect of vegetarian food is compassion. With the quality of the meal and the harsh service, they must project a positive image to everyone. Ignoring the fact that they are in a remote place, they have decided that decorating is the best option for them.
With more upmarket restaurants, more money can be spent on the diner's location and decorating. The importance of maintaining the quality of service and cuisine cannot be overstated, and it must always come first. It is not easier for large enterprises to pay a higher amount since maintaining a consistent balance between the four criteria is extremely difficult, and it takes a persistent spirit and management to keep it under control.

Recommendation
Solution for Food quality According to the research results, the factor "Food quality" has the most important impact on the choices of vegetarian restaurants in Danang. Therefore, restaurant managers should make freshness a priority, focus on ingredient quality control, pay attention to feature local and seasonal foods, and improve on food preparation techniques to ensure food quality.

Solution for Service
The results of the research show that the factor "Service" is also a very important factor in customer decision-making. This study proposes solutions that managers should make service as a core value in restaurants and rally staff around the customers. For example, building restaurant service standards in consistency so that staff can deliver excellent experiences to your guests; immediately respond to customers complaints and concerns to encourage feedback and bring changes.

Solution for Location
The factor "Location" of restaurants will have nearly as much of an impact on customer behavioural intention as the other factors. A wrong location can cause the loss of customers required to stay in business. Therefore, the manager needs to plan before finalizing the place for your restaurant. Considering on site locations such as front location, upper floor or rooftop, restaurant amenities, parking, popularity base and above all visibility and accessibility.

Solution for Ambience
The study showed that the factor "Ambience" also has a significant impact on many aspects of customers experiences in vegetarian restaurants. Every detail in restaurants contributes to the ambience. As a result, this solution is to ensure that the restaurant is clean, light sets the tone, music set the mood, colours help to stimulate the palette, and above all the guests are not crammed together.

Limitation
Limitation 1: Sampling errors occur with a small denominator. A few people responded to the survey questions with a random sample lead to the deviations of analysis so the results of the study will be limited.
Limitation 2: It is also difficult to find the literature review are used as the foundation for the researcher to build on to achieve research objectives. A lack of previous studies in the