Understanding Coffee-to-Go Outlet Selection through Rational Choice Theory (The Role of Social Image, Ambience, and Perceived Value in Consumer Decision Making)

Abstract

The coffee-to-go segment has emerged as one of the fastest-growing formats within Indonesia's coffee industry, driven by the accelerating pace of urban life, the proliferation of mobile commerce platforms, and a growing consumer preference for convenience-oriented consumption. Despite its rapid expansion, the determinants of consumer selection behavior within the coffee-to-go outlet context remain theoretically underdeveloped, with extant studies predominantly focused on traditional sit-down café settings. This study investigates how social image, outlet atmosphere, and perceived value influence consumer decision-making in selecting coffee-to-go outlets in Makassar, South Sulawesi, anchored within Rational Choice Theory (RCT) as its grand theoretical framework. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 220 consumers of coffee-to-go outlets via purposive sampling and analyzed using multiple linear regression with IBM SPSS Statistics 26. The findings confirm that social image (β = 0.243, t = 4.189, p < 0.001), outlet atmosphere (β = 0.298, t = 5.051, p < 0.001), and perceived value (β = 0.371, t = 6.395, p < 0.001) each exert a significant positive influence on consumer decision-making. The model collectively explains 61.2% of the variance in outlet selection behavior (R² = 0.612, F = 110.592, p < 0.001). Perceived value emerged as the dominant predictor, underscoring the centrality of the speed-quality-price trade-off in convenience-oriented coffee consumption. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications for coffee-to-go operators are discussed.