Customer Solidarity Improves Quality Perceptions and Experiences in Agamid Lizard Dining

Customer solidarity positively affects customer perceptions of quality control, trust in health authorities, and overall service experiences in agamid lizard-based gastronomy, according to research published in Discover Food. The study examined how institutional and operational legitimacy mechanisms supporting agamid lizard menu items contribute to comprehensive service experiences from customer perspectives.

The research was based on an empirical dataset obtained from 612 customers who had previously experienced restaurant ecosystems located in hot deserts in Nigeria. The 612-customer sample provided the observational basis for examining how patrons evaluate high-risk gastronomic services and respond to institutional legitimacy signals in desert restaurant settings.

A central focus of the analysis was how institutional legitimacy facilitates holistic value co-creation in unconventional food service ecosystems through two specific mediating pathways: quality control and trust in health authorities.

The findings also indicated that digital marketing practices strengthened the relationship between perceived quality control and holistic customer experiences. Specifically, the authors observed that active digital marketing enhanced the experiential value of operational legitimacy signals communicated by the restaurants.

To explain these observed dynamics, the authors integrated institutional theory and experiential marketing theory to advance academic understanding of legitimacy mechanisms within unconventional gastronomic ecosystems. The study specifically investigated how customer value co-creation operates in gastronomic services characterized as high-risk.

Subject of Research: Customer experiences and institutional legitimacy in agamid lizard-based gastronomy

Article Title: Institutional legitimacy, digital marketing, and holistic customer experiences in agamid lizard-based gastronomy

Article References: Alibrahim, I. A., Elgammal, I., Islam, M. S., Selim, S. M., & Selem, K. M. (2026). Institutional legitimacy, digital marketing, and holistic customer experiences in agamid lizard-based gastronomy. Discover Food. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44187-026-01270-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s44187-026-01270-8

Keywords: agamid lizard gastronomy, institutional legitimacy, operational legitimacy, customer solidarity, quality control, trust in health authorities, digital marketing, value co-creation, unconventional food service, high-risk gastronomic services, experiential marketing theory, institutional theory, holistic customer experiences, Nigerian desert restaurants, service experiences, Discover Food, food service ecosystems