Creativity, aesthetics and eco-friendliness: A physical dining environment design synthetic assessment model of innovative restaurants

This study attempts to identify the important attributes of Innovative Physical Dining Environment Design (IPDED) through qualitative and quantitative analyses of expert viewpoints. We extend the related literature in restaurant physical environment design and construct a Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) model that combines Decision-Making Trail and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) to demonstrate the interactions and relations among the criteria. The DEMATEL analysis shows that eco-friendless has direct and indirect influences on the dimensions of creativity, aesthetics and performance. Furthermore, performance is the most critical attribute of restaurant operation when the ANP analysis is applied. The results of this study provide an important reference for restaurant managers and interior designers in their decision-making process, thereby reducing risk. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.