ABSTRACT
PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine consumer's perceptions of cloud kitchens, including the influence of perceived innovativeness (PI), utility motivations (price and food varieties), and food safety risk perceptions (FSRP) on trust;the impact of hedonic motivations and trust on attitude;and the moderating effect of FSRP on the relationship between utility motivations (food varieties) and trust. The relationships were examined with respect to gender and marital status.Design/methodology/approachThe Theory of Consumption Value served as the theoretical underpinning of this study. Data was collected with an online survey (n = 316) using the Qualtrics panel. The partial least squares–structural equation modeling method was used to analyze the survey data.FindingsPI, utilitarian motivations (price) and hedonic motivations (food varieties) positively influenced trust, whereas trust positively influenced attitude. FSRP negatively impacted trust and moderated the relationship between utility motivations (food varieties) and trust. Hedonic motivations positively influenced consumers' attitudes. Multi-group analyses highlighted the differences attributed to gender and marital status.Research limitations/implicationsPI and utility motivations influenced trust, supporting the notion that consumers are open to new and convenient ways to order food. Additionally, the negative influence of FSRP on trust and its moderating role on the path between food varieties and trust highlights the importance of FSRP on food consumption. Finally, this study provided insight into the influence of gender and marital status on perceptions of ordering from cloud kitchens.Originality/valueThe cloud kitchen business model is undergoing exponential growth, and this study provides an understanding of cloud kitchens from a consumer's perspective.