‘No Rules, Just Right’ or is it? The Role of Themed Restaurants as Cultural Ambassadors

Abstract

After mass media, ethnic-themed restaurants are possibly the second most influential socialising agents of foreign cultures. Whereas the media often depicts foreign cultures in a stereotypical manner, the opportunity exists in the hospitality field to offer consumers a more detailed and accurate insight into a culture. Yet, is this what consumers really want? This paper addresses an important question: How do spaces of consumption affect the perception and representation of ‘authentic’ culture? To explore this, a four-stage, cross-cultural (ie Australia and United States) qualitative study was undertaken to examine the role the Outback Steakhouse chain of restaurants plays in representing Australian culture in the United States. Findings revealed that US subjects were more accepting of the restaurant environment where it matched the images of Australia perpetuated by the media. By contrast, Australian subjects indicated that the image this restaurant provides is a largely stereotypical, outdated, inaccurate representation of their culture. Research implications and recommendations from a marketing, hospitality, and tourism perspective are provided.