GenAI in [restaurant] Study 2026 - LNU - Group 17

The increasing use of generative AI tools has influenced how consumers search for information and make decisions within the hospitality sector. This report examines how AI-generated restaurant recommendations affect customer expectations prior to visiting a restaurant and how these expectations compare with the actual experience. The study aims to answer the following research question:How do generative AI restaurant recommendations affect customer expectations prior to the physical service encounter compared to the actual experience? A qualitative research approach was used, based on semi-structured interviews with 12 participants who had experience using generative AI tools when searching for restaurant recommendations. The data collected from the interviews were analyzed through a coding process that resulted in several themes related to how AI-generated recommendations affect customer expectations and experiences. The findings show that AI-generated restaurant recommendations influence customer expectations before visiting a restaurant by creating clear and detailed perceptions of aspects such as quality, price and atmosphere. However, these expectations do not always align with the actual experience. In particular, emotional and experiential elements, such as atmosphere and human interaction, were found to be difficult for AI to predict.