The price, quickness of service, and atmosphere of a restaurant affect restaurant customer satisfaction. In addition, a person usually assesses the quality of both the food and service. Certain groups of people are more likely to consider one factor more important than another. In general, however, most people take into account all of these factors and more.

Price is a major deciding factor on customer satisfaction. If the food is mediocre but expensive, customer dissatisfaction rises. Likewise, if the food is relatively cheap but of high quality, restaurant customer satisfaction rises. This is fairly simple and is also true for the quality of service, general atmosphere of the business, and quickness of service. In general, full-service restaurants are expected to have better food and service than a quick-service restaurant. If the restaurant fails to significantly rise above cheaper alternatives, customers become less satisfied with their purchases and experiences.

In general, young adults are concerned about the overall convenience of a restaurant. They are often happiest with businesses that can provide quick service. For example, fast food would appeal to this group more than a five-course meal that takes place over two hours. Of course, the appeal of a quick-service restaurant is not limited to young people. In addition, while such restaurants appeal to many people, they usually have lower satisfaction rates than full-service restaurants because of factors other than convenience.

One factor that affects restaurant customer satisfaction is the quality of the meal. Studies find that older customers are generally more concerned with meal quality than other age groups. Customers care about different factors when it comes to overall meal quality, and which factors they care most about depends on demographics and the experience sought at a particular restaurant. Portion size is a factor that is more or less important based on the type of restaurant and the demographic of the customer. The tastiness of the food and its presentation are factors that contribute to the overall quality of the meal.

The quality of service is another factor that contributes to restaurant customer satisfaction. This is a particularly important factor to full-service restaurants because they are typically more expensive and slower than quick-service restaurants. Many factors go into the overall quality of service at a restaurant, such as how positively customers feel about each member of the restaurant staff they interact with. Some customers may be more concerned with the social interactions with the wait staff, while other customers are more focused on how quickly dishes are removed and glasses are refilled. The relative importance of these different factors often depends on the style of restaurant and the outlook of a particular customer.