Introduction
In today’s increasingly volatile global marketplace, the restaurant industry faces mounting competitive pressures. With numerous dining options offering similar aesthetics and services, consumers’ choice behavior presents a significant challenge for operators seeking to differentiate their establishments. From a marketing standpoint, adopting “green” practices has emerged as a critical factor in the long-term viability of many businesses.
Concurrently, food tourism and its associated branding strategies have garnered growing scholarly and managerial attention. At its core, a brand represents the sum of perceptions—both tangible and intangible—that reside in the customer’s mind. When effectively managed, these attributes generate substantial value for the organization. Central to building brand loyalty is a deep understanding of brand-related constructs, particularly brand knowledge and brand attitude. Branding, in this context, entails endowing products and services with distinctive benefits that foster strong, enduring brand equity.
Notably, the role of brand attitude in shaping marketing outcomes has attracted considerable interest across industries. Modern branding extends far beyond the product itself; indeed, the product is now viewed as merely one component of a broader brand ecosystem. When offerings are comparable in quality, it is the brand—not the product—that creates differentiation. The primary function of branding is thus to transform the product into a meaningful experience, thereby sustaining key marketing advantages such as enhanced sales, customer retention, and competitive positioning—even within the tourism and hospitality sectors.
The purpose of branding is to craft a unique and compelling value proposition that addresses both the rational and emotional needs of consumers more effectively than competitors. In this regard, the restaurant sector is increasingly recognized for its potential to mitigate negative environmental impacts through sustainable practices. Green restaurants, in particular, may leverage innovative branding strategies to establish a distinctive market identity and secure a sustainable competitive advantage. Consequently, understanding customer brand attitudes is essential for effective marketing management and strategic decision-making.
Given the escalating environmental challenges stemming from human activity across all sectors of life, consumer interest in green products—those designed with environmental considerations in mind—has surged. This shift underscores the importance of examining food tourism within the context of green restaurants, especially as it relates to drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In Tehran, green restaurants are gaining strategic relevance, and their branding plays a pivotal role in attracting, retaining, and engaging customers. Branding serves not only as a tool for differentiation but also as a key asset in strategic management and long-term competitive positioning. Customer loyalty to green restaurant brands can thus serve as a valid indicator of the enduring impact of marketing initiatives. Indeed, a brand encapsulates the functional and emotional attributes that customers associate with a dining establishment, guiding their decision-making and purchase behavior.
Therefore, this study investigates the interrelationships among brand knowledge, brand attitude, and brand performance within the context of food tourism and green restaurants in Tehran. Additionally, customer satisfaction is conceptualized as an affective state reflecting the degree to which perceived service quality aligns—or fails to align—with expectations during and after the consumption experience.
 
Materials and Methods
This study adopts an applied research design with a descriptive-survey approach. The target population comprises customers of green restaurants in Tehran, which is considered effectively infinite for sampling purposes. Using Morgan’s table to determine an adequate sample size for an unlimited population, a target of 400 respondents was established. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed, of which 384 valid responses were retained for analysis. Data were collected via a composite questionnaire comprising validated scales adapted from prior empirical studies. All measurement instruments demonstrated established content validity and reliability in earlier research contexts.
 
Discussion and Conclusion
The primary objective of this study was to examine the effect of brand knowledge on brand performance, mediated by brand attitude, within the domain of food tourism and green restaurants in Tehran. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses, and the results confirmed all eight sub-hypotheses and the main hypothesis. Contrary to initial expectations, Hypothesis 1—which posited a direct positive effect of overall brand knowledge (encompassing brand awareness and brand image) on brand attitude (both cognitive and affective dimensions)—was not fully supported. However, nuanced insights emerged at the sub-dimension level.

Sub-hypothesis 1 revealed that brand awareness positively influences cognitive brand attitude. Specifically, when customers perceive a restaurant’s meals as high-quality, brand awareness exerts a significant positive effect on their cognitive evaluation of the brand.
Sub-hypothesis 2 demonstrated that brand awareness during the dining experience significantly enhances affective (emotional) brand attitude, a finding consistent with seminal and recent works (e.g., Keller, 1993; Rizwan et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2021).
Sub-hypotheses 3 and 4 confirmed that brand image positively shapes both cognitive and affective dimensions of brand attitude.
Sub-hypotheses 5 through 8 established that brand attitude significantly predicts key dimensions of non-financial brand performance, particularly brand loyalty and customer satisfaction.

Participants indicated that a favorable attitude toward a green restaurant’s brand positively influences their loyalty—evidenced by behaviors such as actively seeking information about the brand’s operations or self-identifying as loyal patrons. These results align with established literature on the role of brand attitude in fostering brand loyalty. Moreover, respondents reported that brand attitude significantly enhances customer satisfaction. Those who perceived high service quality were notably influenced by their underlying brand attitudes, suggesting that emotional and cognitive brand perceptions serve as critical antecedents of satisfaction. Guests appear to weigh brand-related cues—such as sustainability ethos, authenticity, and identity—as integral to their overall dining evaluation. These findings lend robust empirical support to the theoretical proposition that brand attitude functions as a pivotal mechanism linking brand knowledge to brand performance in the context of sustainable food tourism.