ABSTRACT

This study examined the effect of covid-19 regulations on choice of restaurants in Umuahia Abia state using five research objective; determine the effect of nose mask as a COVID-19 regulation on choice of restaurants in Umuahia; determine the effect of social distancing as a COVID-19 regulation on choice of restaurants in Umuahia; determine the effect of lockdown as a COVID-19 regulation on choice of restaurants in Umuahia; determine the effect of use of hand sanitizer regularly as a COVID-19 regulation on choice of restaurants in Umuahia.. Descriptive survey research design was used through administration of questionnaire to obtain information from the communities. Probability and Non-probability sampling technique was used to ascertain the population of the study. Purposive sampling was used to select five out of the ten autonomous communities from which 196 respondents was selected. The result found out that the demographic information of the respondents showed that 90 males (57.3%), majority of respondents are between the ages of 31 - 40 (21.7%), 73 were married (46.5%), majority of the customers visited restaurants in the study area amid COVID-19 regulations daily at (38.2) and majority (86%) of the respondents had formal education. The major findings showed that nose mask and lockdown as a COVID-19 regulation has significant effect on choice of restaurant and social distancing and use of hand sanitizer as a COVID-19 regulation has no significant effect on choice of restaurant in Umuahia metropolis. The study thus concludes that covid-19 regulations has a significant effect on customer’s choice of restaurants in the study area and recommended that hospitality businesses must focus on the guest experience and stage memorable experiences that stimulate all five senses and they must behave like hosts taking responsibility for the experience and creating lots of little surprises.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page                                                                                                                                i

Approval page                                                                                                                         ii

Declaration                                                                                                                              iii

Certification                                                                                                                            iv

Dedication                                                                                                                              v

Acknowledgements                                                                                                                vi

Table of content                                                                                                                      vii

List of tables                                                                                                                           x

Abstract                                             

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study                                                                                           1

1.2       Statement of Problem                                                                                                 3

1.3       Objectives of the Study                                                                                              4

1.4       Research Questions                                                                                                     4

1.5       Research Hypotheses                                                                                                  5

1.6       Significance of the Study                                                                                           5

1.7       Scope of the study                                                                                                      6

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1       CONCEPTUAL REVIEW                                                                                        7

2.1.1    COVID-19 Pandemic                                                                                                 7

2.1.2    Effect of Covid-19                                                                                                     11

2.1.2.1 Economic Effect                                                                                                         14

2.1.2.2 Health Effect                                                                                                              15

2.1.2.3 Social and Cultural Effect                                                                                          16

2.1.3    Effects on Restaurant Operation                                                                                17

2.1.4    Classification of Restaurants                                                                                      20

2.1.5    Criteria for Grading Restaurants                                                                                20

2.1.6    Types Of Restaurants                                                                                                 22

2.1.7    Choice of Restaurants                                                                                                 26

2.1.8    COVID-19 and Restaurant Operation                                                                                   31

2.1.9 Prevention and Control of COVID-19 Outbreak in Restaurants                                  33

2.1.10  Challenges faced by owners of hospitality establishments in enforcing

covid-19 regulations                                                                                                   34

2.1.11  COVID-19 Protocols and Regulations                                                                       35

2.1.11.1 Factors affecting choice of covid-19 regulations                                                     36

2.2       THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK                                                                             36

2.3       EMPIRICAL REVIEW                                                                                             38

2.4       Gap in Knowledge                                                                                                      40

2.5       Summary of Related Literature                                                                                  40

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1       Research Design                                                                                                         43

3.2       The Study Area                                                                                                           43

3.3       Population for the Study                                                                                            44

3.4       Sample and Sampling Techniques                                                                              44

3.5       Instrument for Data Collection                                                                                   45

3.6       Validation of Instrument                                                                                            45

3.7       Reliability of Instrument                                                                                             45

3.8       Data Collection Technique                                                                                         46

3.9       Method of Data Analysis                                                                                           46

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1       RESULTS                                                                                                                   47

4.1.2    Demographic Data of Respondents                                                                            48

4.1.3    Analysis of Research Questions                                                                                 49

4.1.4    Hypotheses Testing                                                                                                     57

4.2       Discussion of Findings                                                                                               59

4.3       Inferential Statistics and Hypotheses Testing                                                           56

4.3.1    Descriptive Statistics                                                                                                 57

4.3.2    Hypotheses Testing                                                                                                    58

4.4       Discussion of Findings                                                                                               61

CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1       SUMMARY OF FINDINGS                                                                                    66

5.1.1    Restatement of the Problem                                                                                       66

5.1.2    Major Findings                                                                                                            67

5.2       Conclusion                                                                                                                  67

5.3       Recommendation                                                                                                        67

5.4       Suggestion For Further Studies                                                                                  68

REFERENCES                                                                                                        65

LISTS OF TABLES

Table 4.1     Response rate                                                                                                      47

Table 4.2     Demographic data of respondents                                                                      48

Table 4.3:    The effect of nose mask as a COVID-19 regulation on your

choice of restaurant                                                                                         49

Table 4.3: The effect of social distancing as a COVID-19 regulation

     on your choice of restaurant                                                                                  51

Table 4.4: The effect of lockdown as a COVID-19 regulation on your

     choice of restaurant.                                                                                               53

Table 4.5: The effect of use of hand sanitizer as a COVID-19 regulation on

     your choice of restaurant.                                                                                      55

Table 4.6 Descriptive Statistics                                                                                               57

Table 4.7 Regression Estimate on the Effect of COVID-19 Regulations

    on Customer’s Choice of Restaurants in Umuahia                                                 58