While most people might wish for sunny weather, research indicates that restaurateurs should be seeking the opposite, with international research discovering that diners are more likely to leave positive reviews after eating out during wet weather.
The study, led by academics from Nottingham Business School, part of Nottingham Trent University in the UK, Harbin Institute of Technology, China, and University of New Brunswick, Canada, analysed almost 150,000 reviews from more than 1,100 restaurants on Chinese website Xiaomishu.
They investigated the relationship between ratings and restaurant and weather variables, drawing on hourly data for rainfall, cloud cover, temperature, and wind speed.
The team also carried out an experiment involving more than 600 people in the US. Participants imagined travelling to a restaurant booking either in rainy, sunny, or neutral weather conditions before rating how the experience affected their mood and impression of the restaurant.
Across both studies, findings showed that rainy weather was consistently linked to more positive restaurant evaluations.
Heightened psychological and emotional comfort
Researchers believe that coming in from the cold into a warm and welcoming restaurant can trigger heightened psychological and emotional comfort, which boosts overall customer satisfaction and post-visit reviews.
However, the study also found that cloudy weather does not produce the same positive outcome as the intensity of rain, and the effect was particularly present during spring and winter but diminished in the summer warmth.
“Our findings show how external environmental factors beyond a business’s control can significantly shape consumer satisfaction,” says Dr Feray Adigüzel, senior lecturer in marketing at Nottingham Business School.
“But rather than seeing this as an issue, the hospitality industry should think differently about rainy days, which are often seen as negative for trade.”
Adigüzel suggests that restaurants should make the most of people’s need for comfort in bad weather through simple touches like introducing non-slip mats, umbrella stands, complimentary hot towels or hot drinks on arrival, and even blankets or coat-drying services.
“Warmer lighting and slightly higher temperatures can also strengthen the contrast with the outdoors, deepening a sense of warmth and refuge,” he says.
The study also suggests that, in colder seasons, cafés and restaurants can market themselves as welcoming sanctuaries from the weather, tapping into customers’ desire for comfort and warmth.