CHARACTERISTICS, FOOD SAFETY PRACTICES AND SERVICE

QUALITY OF QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS

INTRODUCTION

People are much wiser in choosing the right food today. They are more

meticulous in buying goods for their family. They consider many things before they

spend their money. They are more likely to buy foods on a well-known brand that holds

the reputation in giving quality products. Many businessmen are venturing to food

industry, since it easy to return the investment they spent. Most of the businesses arising

nowadays are those in line with the quick service restaurant or fast food chain. Foods are

easily prepared and it does not require long cooking processes. Most of the foods in this

line of business are the easiest to prepare. Since foods are quick to produce, one thing that

needs to be considered is how the foods are safety prepared. Food safety is common to all

food business. It holds the reputation of every food company. It will surely give a positive

impression to customers if foods are safely prepared.

In line with the above purpose, the aim of this study is to determine the

characteristics, food safety practices and service quality of quick service restaurants in

Waltermart Dasmarinas City and the relationship of food safety and service quality.

Statement of the Problem

The study was conducted to determine characteristics, food safety practices and

service quality of quick service restaurants

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

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1. What is the characteristics of quick service restaurants?

2. What is the food safety practices implemented in quick service

restaurants?

3. What is the service quality of restaurants as perceived by customers?

4. What is the relationship of food safety practices and service quality as

perceived by customers?

Conceptual Framework

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of Characteristics, Food Safety Practices and Service

Qualityof Quick Service Restaurants
Figure 1 shows three independent variables; the restaurants characteristics, food

safety practices, and restaurants service quality. The arrow pertains to the relationship of

the three independent variables to the dependent variable which is food safety practices

and service quality of quick service restaurants.

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Importance of the study

This study helps to determine the restaurants characteristics, food safety practices

and service quality of quick service restaurants. The objectives of this study are to

determine the restaurants characteristics, food safety practices, and restaurants service

quality.

This also serve as a guide for restaurant owners and franchisees in determining

important food safety practices, and it will provide the readers and future researches the

insight as to the significance of this reference material to their related study.

To all the restaurants in the Philippines, it will serve as guiding principles in

implementing food safety practices.

For students, it will guide them the significance of food safety and service quality.

For successful restaurant owner, this study can be a source of information for

them to consistently deliver safe foods and become a reputable institution in the country.

For the future researchers that will benefit the information and background of this

study.

Objectives

The study was conducted to determine characteristics, food safety practices and

service quality of quick service restaurants.

Specifically, it aims to:

1. To determine the characteristics of quick service restaurants;

2. To determine the food safety practices implemented in every restaurants;

3. To determine the product quality of restaurants as perceived by managers;

and
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4. To determine the relationship of food safety practices and service quality

as perceived by customers.

Scope and limitation of the study

The study focused on characteristics, food safety practices and service quality of

quick service restaurant in Waltermart Dasmarinas City and the relationship of food

safety and service quality.

The researcher conducted his study in Waltermart Dasmarinas City. The most

target respondents are the manager of the restaurants to gather information on restaurant’s

characteristics and their food safety practices. On the other hand, customers are asked

thru to determine the service quality of restaurant thru the use of survey forms; the

researcher distributed 200 questionnaires and completely retrieves all forms. The

participant in determining the characteristics and food safety practices is one manager

from Jollibee, Mcdonalds, Greenwich and KFC. In determining the service quality of

restaurants, 50 customers per brand was choose to answer the survey form. This study

was limited to restaurants in Waltermart Dasmarinas City.

Definition of Terms

Food Borne Illness referred to as food poisoning.

Food Safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and

storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness.

Personal hygiene a set of practices performed for the preservation of health.

While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for
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different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between

different cultures, genders and etarian groups.

Product Quality refers toproduct's ability to fulfill the expectations and needs set

by the end user.

Tangibility is the attribute of being easily detectable with the senses.

Reliability the quality of being dependable or reliable.

Responsiveness involves responding with emotion to people and events.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

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As theoretical and conceptual background of this study, some related literature

and studies where reviewed and analyzed. These prove to be a strong foundation on

which the study was based.

Restaurants

Restaurant is an establishment where refreshments or meals are served to paying

guests. Though inns and taverns served simple fare to travelers for centuries, the first

modern restaurant where guests could order from a varied menu is thought to have

belonged to A. Boulanger, a soup vendor who opened his business in Paris in 1765. The

sign above his door advertised restoratives, or restaurants, referring to his soups and

broths. By 1804 Paris had more than 500 restaurants, and France soon became

internationally famous for its cuisine. Other European restaurants include the

Italian trattorie, taverns featuring local specialties; the German Weinstuben,informal

restaurants with a large wine selection; the Spanish tapas bars, which serve a wide variety

of appetizers; and the Public Homes of England. Asian restaurants include the Japanese

sushi bars and teahouses serving formal Kaiseki cuisine as well as the noodle shops of

China. Most U.S. restaurant innovations have revolved around speed. The cafeteria

originated in San Francisco during the 1849 gold rush; cafeterias feature self-service and

offer a variety of foods displayed on counters. The U.S. also pioneered fast-food

restaurants such as White Castle and McDonald's, usually operated as chains and offering

limited menus. (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia)

Early American taverns and inns resembled those of England. The White Horse

Tavern in Newport, R.I. claims to be the oldest.Fraunces Tavern in New York was a
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famous meeting place. The first modern restaurant in New York City was opened by John

and Peter Delmonico. The self-service restaurant, or cafeteria, was originated in the

United States by philanthropic organizations to help working women secure cheaper

meals. The idea was rapidly adopted by commercial restaurants, business organizations,

and schools. An outgrowth of the cafeteria was the automat, which first opened in 1902 in

Philadelphia and offered prepared food that was displayed behind small glass doors and

could be purchased by depositing coins into a slot, which opened the doors. Although the

last automat closed in 1991, the idea survives in the fully automated vending area, in

which prepackaged food and drinks are dispensed from coin-operated machines. In the

1920s and 30s, diners, quick, cheap eating places resembling railroad dining cars, became

popular places to eat. Car service restaurants, or drive-ins, first appeared in Florida during

the 1930s. The foods sold at lunch counters and drive-ins was called fast food:

hamburgers, hotdogs, French fries, and milk shakes. The franchising of fast-food

restaurants has led to a boom in these establishments, and today millions of people

throughout the world eat at fast-food chains such as McDonald's. Since World War II,

most major cities have experienced a proliferation of ethnic restaurants. (J.

Finkelstein, Dining Out (1989); R. L. Spang, The Invention of the Restaurant: Paris and

Modern Gastronomic Culture (2000); A. B. Trubek, Haute Cuisine: How the French

Invented the Culinary Profession (2000).

Eric Schlosser is the author who has written about the fast food industry and he

presents many of his findings in the book "Fast Food Nation". However, his book is not

merely an expose of the fast food industry but is even more a consideration of how the

fast food industry has shaped and defined American society in America and for other
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nations as America exports its fast food culture to others. Schlosser describes a great

deal of American culture to the fast food mentality, and he finds that globalization is

taking the fast food culture around the world at a rapid rate. Schlosser addresses a

number of specific issues related to food production and distribution. He connects the

social order of a society to the kind of food it eats and the way it eats that food, with

American society very much defined by the fast food culture that has developed.

Schlosser tends to represent the theory stressing the importance of interdependence

among all behavior patterns and institutions within a social system, as can be seen from

how he connects fast food to other social processes and institutions.The icon that

represents fast food culture for most people is McDonald's, though the fast food culture

developed long before the creation of that restaurant chain. Schlosser considers the

impact of such fast-food chains but also considers the primacy of the hamburger in the

American diet and some of the dangers it poses. McDonald's reliance on hamburger is a

questionable item for a steady diet in a more health conscious age, and interferes with

local customs and food in different parts of the world. Schlosser addresses this issue

from several perspectives, beginning with a consideration of how safe the meat really is,

not only on the basis of nutritional value but also on the basis of additives, preservatives,

diseases, and even potential radioactivity.

The restaurant as it is known today had its origin in the taverns, inns, traiteurs

(cook shops), and boarding houses of an earlier day. Those establishments offered food

service (along with alcoholic beverages or lodging) well before the appearance of the

modern restaurant, with its cook-to-order menu. Those early “ur-restaurants” (that is,
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primitive restaurants) existed in Paris and in other commercial cities in Europe (and

elsewhere) well before the eighteenth century (Kiefer, 2002).

Based on Kiefer (2002) Paris was the dominant commercial and cultural center at

the time of the emergence of the restaurant in Europe. Because Paris is widely cited as the

birthplace of the restaurant, I focus mostly on the development of restaurants

there.1Taverns made money principally from alcohol sales; inns and boarding houses

from renting rooms, as well as serving food. These institutions served a table d’hôte at

fixed hours and a set price (Kiefer, 2002).

Often the diners were a regular crowd who knew how to sit near the table’s center.

Meals could be intimidating to strangers, who sat at the common table with the regulars.

A quick hand was essential, as table service was family style,” and portioning was

competitive (Kiefer, 2002).

There was no possibility of choice in ordering—indeed, no ordering at all. One

ate what one could get from the common serving. Payment was for a place at the table,

rather than for dishes ordered or eaten. Regulars would sometimes be allowed to run a tab

and pay from time to time. Strangers would be quoted prices on the spot, inviting

bargaining and leading travelers to complain (reasonably) that they were being exploited.

Visitors reported uniformly low quality ,either because of lack of variety, poorly stored

food, or improper cooking. Unpredictable table companions were another cause for

concern ( Kiefer, 2002 ).

Dining times varied from establishment to establishment, meaning that travelers

would occasionally have to try several places to find a meal. Taverns—unlike roadhouses

—had a long tradition of charging for items ordered—and providing drinks to order. That
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concept was a necessary precursor to the modern-day restaurant. With economic growth,

the forces were in place to extend this concept to dining (Kiefer, 2002).

Restaurant Type

Restaurants can be broadly divided into two categories: fast-service and full-

service restaurants. Although previous research in customer behavior in restaurant

settings did not take restaurant type into account, restaurant type may have significant

impact on customers’pre-purchase beliefs and attitude as well as post-purchase

evaluations. Since customers hold different expectations and perceptions of their different

dining experiences in a different restaurant type, they may also have different selection

criteria when they decide where to dine-out according to the restaurant type (Kim &

Moon, 2009).

A particular reason to select one type of restaurant may be different from one to

select another type of restaurant. Overall, full-service restaurants are more likely to attract

hedonic customers who pay more attention to restaurant environments, whereas fast-

service restaurants tend to appeal utilitarian customers who value functional benefits

(Kim & Moon, 2009).

For instance, Lewis (1981) identified three distinct restaurant types

(family/popular, atmosphere, and gourmet restaurants) and compared the underlying

restaurant choice attributes. Quality of food was found to be the most important factor in

intention to go any of the restaurants. While the price was the second important factor in

family and atmosphere restaurants, menu variety appeared to be significant in gourmet

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restaurant. These results indicate that consumers use different criteria to select different

types of restaurants (Lewis, 1981)

Quick Service

The process of managing a quick- service restaurant also known as a fast food or

fast casual restaurant involve carefully balancing considerations that enable a business to

fill orders promptly and profitably. Internal factors affecting this balance involve the

inventory and staffing issues behind the mechanics of operating smoothly. External

factors can involve a restaurants position as a part of a chain or franchise and the

constraints and opportunities that come with such a management structure. In addition,

external market conditions such as a healthy or struggling economy can pose special

questions for quick-service restaurant management. (DevraGartenstein, n.d)

Casual Dining

Creating a restaurant that is relaxed and friendly. However it does not mean a

creating restaurant without sufficient care or thought. Just us with any style of restaurant

every decision you make must have a reason. We pay attention to details, flow, function,

the customer and the overall brand identity of the casual dining restaurant concept. The

defining factors include signature food menus, creative bar menus, and a beautiful design

that keeps them coming and always ties back to the brand identity and concept of the

casual dining establishment. (maxeyhasey, n.d)

Fine Dining
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The term Fine Dining brings to mind all kinds of images, from crisp white table

cloths to waiters in tuxedos. Fine dining, just as the name suggests, offers patrons the

finest in food, service and atmosphere. It is also the highest priced type of restaurant you

can operate. While you may bring in mucho bucks with a fine dining restaurant you will

also pay out more money than if you were running a more casual restaurant, such as a

diner or café. (LorriMealey, N.d)

Economics of Restaurant

Pressures leading to the creation of the restaurant—with its individual tables,

individual orders, flexible dining times convenient to the patrons, and payment by item

ordered—came from both those who demanded food away from home and from its

suppliers. From the diner’s point of view, the restaurant format offered a kind of privacy.

The diner could eat alone or with companions of his or her choosing. The table d’hôte

format is more social, but the mix of companions facing a stranger coming to an inn or

cook shop wasn’t always ideal for outsiders. More important, the diner in a restaurant

could order, eat, drink, and pay for only and exactly what she wished (Kiefer, 2002).

In contrast, in the table d’hôte format one ate what one could grab of what was

served. Finally, the restaurant patron could eat at the time of his convenience, rather than

when the host chose to serve the meal. Of course, the diner had to be willing to pay for

that privacy, convenience, and choice. Business travelers, informed and solvent, were

particularly attractive customers. Thus, this demand-side force was strongest where

incomes were high and commercial activity was lively (Kiefer, 2002).
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Supply-side pressures are also compelling. In the table d’hôte format, some diners

would be willing to pay more for more or better food, while others did not come to the

table at all because they did not want to pay for or eat so much. The restaurateur could

hope to increase profits by selling different items at different prices both to trenchermen

and to light eaters—in a rudimentary form of market segmentation. menus. The modern

menu is a device for segmenting the meal market. Steakhouses offer fish or pasta dishes

along with their signature meat items. (Kiefer, 2002).

Likewise, hamburger chains offer chicken as an alternative to their burgers. The

hungry traveler who does not really want a hamburger may be unwilling to buy a burger

at any price; certainly not at a premium. On the other hand, that person might pay a

premium for a chicken sandwich. The burger lover, though, will gladly pay top price for

the burger. By offering both items, the restaurateur sorts consumers into two groups,

namely, those willing to pay for chicken and those willing to pay a premium for the

burger(Kiefer, 2002).

The point of this type of segmentation from the consumer’s viewpoint is that both

groups are eating what they prefer. From the restaurateur’s viewpoint, diners are willingly

paying for the privilege to eat what they want. Market segmentation is a key to

profitability in restaurants, Just as it is in other retail businesses. With a restaurant format

the entrepreneur can sell diners what they want. Costs and prices are much higher in the

restaurant than in the roadhouse, but diners with high incomes are willing to pay a

premium to get what they want to eat without arm wrestling a stranger for the food. Of

course, market segmentation does not rule out the table d’hôte (Kieffer, 2002).
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Indeed, it is possible that efficient market segmentation leads to an institution with

a table d’hôte, as well as restaurant service at other tables. This coincidence of styles

occurred as restaurants were developed in Paris (Kieffer, 2002).

Ultimately, the forces of competition will engender the market segmentation that

consumer’s desire. A cook shop or inn that is the only place to eat away from home in a

village has flexibility in what it offers. However, competition forces suppliers to pay

attention to consumers’ desires (Kieffer, 2002).

As dining establishments proliferate within a town or city, they will find that they

must compete with each other for customers. Offering choice is one way to compete and

to boost market share and profits. The supply-side and demand-side forces are thus

reinforced by competitive pressures (Kieffer, 2002).

All in all, the economic forces promoting a shift from table d’hôte, operations to

restaurant service are likely to be strongest in large and growing cities, where incomes are

also large and growing. Growth is driven by commerce, and the flow of business travelers

into a commercial city provides a steady demand. At the end of the eighteenth century,

Paris was such a city. All that was needed was the idea of individual ordering and

payment according to the item ordered. Already present in taverns, this type of service

came next to cafés, and then to restaurants (Kieffer, 2002).

Food Handling

In household environment, pathogens have chances to move from raw meat to

human body through improper meat handling practices, such as cross-contamination,

improper storage and thawing, incorrect cooking temperature and time, and inappropriate
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treatment of leftover meat. The research surveyed 1200 rural households from China's 15

provinces and revealed that there were serious food safety risks involved in food handling

practices in rural households. Therefore it is critical that food safety intervention are

targeted to rural consumers. (Chen Hong, 2011).

Food borne diseases constitute a growing public health problem world-wide and a

significant cause of reduced economic activity. It is estimated that up to 70%

(WHO,2000) of diarrhoeal diseases may be caused by contaminated foods. Most food

borne diseases are attributed to food contamination through unhygienic food handling

practices, infected food handlers and lack of appropriate knowledge on food borne

diseases by food handlers. Very little research work and surveillance of food borne

diseases has been done in Africa and Kenya in Particular. The incidences of food borne

diseases are not easy to estimate in Kenya as most of them are lumped together when

recording, as diarrhoea diseases. This study sought to assess the food handling practices

and the prevalence of food borne study illness amongst the food handlers in Embu

Municipality. Both random and systemic sampling procedures were used to identify food

handlers to be included in the study as they attended routine medical examination. Stool

specimens were taken for microscopic analysis for ova and cysts; using Ritches modified

formal ether stool concentration method and culture for bacterial investigations.

Knowledge on food borne diseases, socio-demographic factors and food handling

practices were evaluated using pre-tested structured questionnaires. The results that food

borne illness and food handling practices were still a public health problem in Embu

Municipality, seventy (28.9%) of the food handlers wereinfected with Salmonella typhi

and ten (4.1) with Entamoebahistolytica. Significant differences (c² =6.86; p<0.05; df=1)
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were noted in the prevalence of Salmonella typhi among food handlers who were 30

years old and below and those above 30 years. Over 50% of the food handlers had high

knowledge and understanding of the food borne illnesses, their symptoms, causes and

preventive measures. Significant differences c²=9.26<0.05; df=1) were noted between

those with secondary education and above and those with primary education and below

on the knowledge of specific food borne illnesses.

Compliance with food handling practices and health measures as laid out in the

Public Health Act Cap 242 and the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act Cap 254

laws of Kenya was not satisfactory. About 42% of the food handlers had no valid medical

certificates, 21% without protective garments and even among those who had them,

(31.5%) were dirty. Among the cooks, 76.6% did not have head covers. Touching of

foods with bare hands was observed in 55.1% of the food handlers, while 42% did not

wash hands after touching raw foods. Most cashiers, (64%) were found handling food

after handling money without washing hands. Significant differences (c² =37.06;

p<0.001; df=1) were noted between those who washed hands before touching foods in

high and low class eating houses. Though most of the premises were provided with refuse

containers, the majority (71.9%) of the containers were without refuse covers. Food

borne illnesses and food handling practices are still a major threat to public health in

Embu Municipality. Measures should be undertaken by the Government to ensure

effective and efficient enforcement of the Public Health Act Cap. 242 and The Food

Drugs and Chemical substances Act Cap.254 and training of food handlers. Results of

this study will be useful to public health managers in their effort towards improvement of

public health. (Kariuki, John Gachuki, 2012).

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Food Handling Practices

Despite an increase in the number of food handlers receiving food hygiene

training, a high proportion of food poisoning outbreaks still occur as a result of poor food

handling practices. This paper uses elements of social cognitive theory to examine the

beliefs of food handlers towards food safety and to determine food handlers" self-

reported practices. Questionnaires were completed by 137 food handlers from 52 small to

medium-sized food businesses in Wales. Generally, food handlers were aware of the food

safety actions they should be carrying out but identified a number of barriers which

would prevent them from implementing these practices. These barriers included lack of

time, lack of staff and a lack of resources. Despite 95% of respondents receiving food

hygiene training, 63% admitted to sometimes not carrying out food safety behaviours. All

the food handlers also perceived their business to be of relatively low risk and yet all

businesses prepared high risk foods. This research highlights the need for training to be

based around a risk-based approach and demonstrates that behavioural change will not

occur merely as a result of training. Food safety practices will only be implemented given

adequate resources and an appropriate management culture (Clayton, DebbieGriffith,

Chris JPeters, A CPrice, P, 2002).

According to the World Health Organization industrialized countries are reporting

that the percentage of their population suffering from a foodborne disease each year is up

to 30%. Even if just a portion of that percentage is directly tied to unsafe food handling

practices restaurants must be keenly aware of their safe food handling practices. The FDA

reports that food being stored or cooked at improper temperatures & times was the

number one food safety problem restaurants are failing to address. This was followed by
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chemical contamination, equipment contamination, poor personal hygiene, and

inadequate cooking to round out the top 5 food handling food safety issues. This article

will address food handling challenges as they relate to each step from delivery to

consumption within a food establishment and detail specific solutions and tools to reduce

the chances of food contamination by poor food handling practices.

Food Safety

The basic food safetyconcept is this: food will not harm the consumer so long as

intended use guidelines are followed when it is prepared or eaten. Conversely, food is

potentially harmful whenever it has been exposed to hazardous agents and intended use

guidelines have not been followed.

Yiannas (2009)showed the first significant contribution on how to create

behavior-based food safety management system Food safety awareness is at an all time

high, new and emerging threats to the food supply are being recognized, and consumers

are eating more and more meals prepared outside of the home. Accordingly, retail and

foodservice establishments, as well as food producers at all levels of the food production

chain, have a growing responsibility to ensure that proper food safety and sanitation

practices are followed, thereby, safeguarding the health of their guests and customers.

Achieving food safety success in this changing environment requires going beyond

traditional training, testing, and inspectional approaches to managing risks. It requires a

better understanding of organizational culture and the human dimensions of food safety.

To improve the food safety performance of a retail or foodservice establishment, an

organization with thousands of employees, or a local community, you must change the
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way people do things. You must change their behavior. In fact, simply put, food safety

equals behavior. The importance of organizational culture, human behavior, and systems

thinking is well documented in the occupational safety and health fields. However,

significant contributions to the scientific literature on these topics are noticeably absent in

the field of food safety. This book is the first significant contribution on how to create a

behavior-based food safety management system (F.Yiannas, Food Safety Culture,2009

p.96).

Schmidt and Rodrick (2005) mentioned as with the beginning of the twentieth

century, when food safety standards and the therapeutic benefits of certain foods and

supplements first caught the public's attention, the dawn of the twenty-first century finds

a great social priority placed on the science of food safety. Approaching food safety from

retail, commercial, and institutional angles, this authoritative resource analyzes every step

of the food production process, from processing and packaging to handling and

distribution. Food safety defines real and perceived safety issues surrounding food,

providing scientifically non-biased perspectives on issues for professional and general

readers (Schmidt and Rodrick, Food Safety Handbook, 2005 p. 9).

According to Shaw (2012) Food safety is a modern concept. Remarkably, it is

only in the last 200 years that such concepts as foodborne germs, and the means of

combating them (such as antiseptics and refrigeration), have been popularize. Yet in the

21st Century, consumers in the developed world do not accept that the food which they

purchase and consume might carry a risk of making them ill – that our food should be

safe is something we all take for granted. Food safety is a multi-faceted subject, using

microbiology, chemistry, standards and regulations and risk management to address

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issues involving bacterial pathogens, chemical contaminants, natural toxicants, additive

safety, allergens and more.

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METHODOLOGY

This part of the study specifies the method of researched used, researched

design, respondents of the study, data collection, instrument used, validation, and

administration of the instrument, conducted semi structured interview, data representative

and reliability, description of the study, statistical treatment of data and analysis of the

gathered data.

Research Design

The study used descriptive survey method of research. A survey approached and

interviews were applied. The survey determine the characteristics of the quick service

restaurants, the different food safety practices followed and implemented to the

establishment, the service quality of restaurants and the relationship of food safety and

service quality. It describes the characteristics of each quick service restaurants. It

identifies the food safety practices and the restaurant service quality posses.

Time and Place

The study was conducted at Waltermart Dasmarinas City Quick Service

Restaurants from November 2012 to October 2013. The participants are the managers and

customers of each restaurant.

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Source of data

The researcher conducted a survey to each manager of Jollibee, Mcdonalds,

Greenwich and KFC to determine the restaurants characteristics and there food safety

practices. After completing the managers, the researcher distributed 200 questionnaire, 50

per brand and it was completely answered. Interview to three of the managers was also

conducted to support their restaurant characteristics and food safety practices.

Secondary data was also used in the study, the researcher went to National

Library, Dasmarinas City Library and Food Safety Book of KFC Philippines to gather

information for his related literature.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher presented three topics for his research study. His first proposed

title was approved by the school panel during their title defense. After a rigid and

thorough discussion with his thesis and technical adviser, the researcher came up with a

survey questionnaire to determine the food safety practices of quick service restaurant.

The researcher ensures that questions will answer all problems stated on his statement of

the problem. After finalizing the survey questionnaire, the researcher submitted all revise

survey forms to his adviser for in-depth correction after which it was finalized.

The researcher conducted his pre-test at Trece Martires City quick service

restaurants and distributed 20 survey questionnaire to customers of each brand and 1

survey questionnaire for manager per quick service restaurants. After collating all the

data, the researcher submitted his pre-test data to his adviser for the result and

interpretation of survey results. After generating the result of survey, a minor revision
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was made in the questionnaire of managers. The revise and final questionnaire was then

approved by his thesis adviser for post-test survey.

Same questionnaire was used to customers of each brand while the revise

questionnaire for manager was used for better capturing of data in line with the

restaurants characteristics. The researcher completed the copy of his survey and

distributed 50 questionnaires for customers per quick service restaurant at Waltermart

Dasmarinas City. The researcher continued his study thru interview to two of the brand

manager of quick service restaurants. After completing all the requirements for his post

test, the researcher summarizes all the data and submitted to his statistician for result and

interpretation.

Research Instrument

A survey questionnaire was the instrument to be used in the study. It will be

applied in tabulating the result as regards to the characteristics, food safety practices of

employees and service quality of quick service restaurants in Waltermart Dasmarinas

City. The 3-item question was constructed by the researcher with the assistance of

Adviser and technical critic.

Data Analysis

Different statistical methods such as frequency count and percentage was

used to present the characteristics of restaurant. Same method was used to determine the

food safety practices and service quality of each restaurant. Chi- square test will be used
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to identify the significant relationship of food handling practices and product quality as

perceived by customers.

The result of the evaluation from the respondents are collated, analyzed, and

interpreted according to its performance. The resulting data is interpreted quantitatively

on Table 1.

Table 1.Range of Mean Value of the Survey Result

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Numerical Rating Description

3.51 – 4.00 Highly Considered
2.51 – 3.50 Considered
1.51 – 2.50 Least Considered
1.00 – 1.50 Not Considered

Statistical Treatment of Data

The following formulas were utilized in presenting the characteristics of the

participants and to determine the academic standing of the participants.

The following formulas were utilized in presenting the characteristics of the

participants and to determine the academic standing of the participants.

Percentage:

Where:

P = percentage

F = frequency of the number of data values in population

N = total number of data sample population

Mean (Arithmetic Mean):

Where:

= is the mean and is read as X bar

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= is the sum of scores of measures

N = is the number of cases

The formula for Chi-Square is:

Where:
x ² = Chi-square coefficient

∑ = Summation

Oij = observed frequency

Eij = expected frequency