Social media and its role in gastronomy

This bachelor thesis examines the influence of social media on gastronomical facilities in two regions – Czech Republic and Russia. The topic was covered from both points of view, business side and customer side, but with more focus on the latter. Thesis contains introduction into the topic with definitions of the main phenomena, typology of social media, current trends, analysis of restaurant customer behaviour, overview of behavioural intentions and decision-making process. The practical part is based on the quantitative survey conducted in April 2021. The aim of practical part was to identify key aspects that influence the decision-making process of customers from Czech Republic and Russia and highlight differences in purchase behaviour of these two groups. Results show that well- managed online presence and putting menu online positively influence the decision-making process of customers. The most popular platforms for engagement with a restaurant among the groups are Google and Instagram. Two representative samples behave online similarly, but some regional and behavioural differences that should be taken into account. The following thesis should be considered a small but important contribution to the academic literature because the topic was never discussed before in the context of these two countries.