Investigating Chain and Independent Restaurants’ Facebook Presence: A Step Forward Towards Measuring their Online Image

Facebook can be marked as an opportunity or as a curse for any business working these days. Social media concerns were a priority for many business managers. This empirical study aimed to examine the chain and independent restaurants’ Facebook usage to contribute in measuring their online image. The study developed an assessment tool to evaluate the contents of restaurants’ Facebook pages, Facebook groups, and Facebook accounts. A sample of sixty-seven restaurants (twenty-eight independent restaurants and thirty-nine chain restaurants) in ten college towns were assessed. Pizza restaurants were selected based on their growing & well-known performance. This study exposed some significant findings, e.g., the majority of independent restaurants did not have official Facebook page, but there was a very limited number of them that presented a superior presence. On the other hand, chain restauants used Facebook tools more efficient than the independent restaurant. The research outcomes revealed the gap in performance between independent and chain pizza restaurants at different aspects of the Facebook world. The findings highlighted various best practices, which can help Pizza restaurants to develop their Facebook presence and to gain more profits. Although the sample represented a sizeable homogenous group of Pizza restaurants, generalizability limited to empirical studies. Thus, the assessment tool of this study is recommended in future studies. When it comes to practical implications, restaurant Facebook developers should consider launching one official Facebook page and dynamically linking it to the restaurant’s website. This should contribute towards strengthening restaurant image and was considered as an unpaid promotional tool. The study was designed to contribute at the research area of Pizza restaurants’ Facebook usage, where there was a paucity of research and to guide restaurants to efficiently act towards their online image and presence.