Sensory and Consumer Science in Hospitality and Service Management: Food Experience, Perception, and Consumer Choice

Dear Colleagues,

Food consumption behaviors are increasingly shaped by the interaction of multisensory perception, technological innovation, and evolving consumer expectations regarding health, sustainability, and experiential value. In hospitality and service environments, sensory cues such as flavor, aroma, texture, visual presentation, and ambient stimuli play a critical role in influencing consumer perceptions, emotional responses, and evaluations of dining experiences. These sensory elements not only affect product acceptance but also shape broader service encounters and customer satisfaction within restaurants and other hospitality contexts.

At the same time, growing attention to sustainable food systems, functional food development, and age-inclusive nutrition has prompted both researchers and practitioners to reconsider how food products and service environments are designed and evaluated. Advances in digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, smart sensing technologies, and augmented reality, are further transforming how food experiences are created, communicated, and assessed in hospitality settings.

This Special Issue seeks to explore the intersection of hospitality and service management with sensory and consumer science. We welcome interdisciplinary research that examines how sensory perception, multisensory design, and consumer evaluation influence food choice, dining experiences, and service interactions. Relevant contributions may address topics such as sensory evaluation in restaurant environments, consumer responses to multisensory dining experiences, service atmospherics, technology-enhanced food experiences, sustainable and functional food innovation, and age-inclusive approaches to food design.

By integrating perspectives from hospitality management, sensory science, consumer research, food science, and nutrition, this Special Issue aims to advance our theoretical and empirical understanding of how multisensory cues shape consumer decision-making, service experiences, and innovation within contemporary hospitality systems.

Prof. Dr. Ching-Sung Lee
Prof. Dr. Yen-Cheng Chen
Guest Editors

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