The role of restaurant property images on potential backers’ click-through intention : evidence from restaurant crowdfunding

Abstract

Despite the importance of visual images in persuasion, visual effects have not gained needed attention in restaurant startup fundraising literature. Drawing on signaling theory, this study justified restaurant property images as an effective signal of startup quality. Based on service quality literature and entrepreneurship literature, this study further investigated how restaurant property visual signal affects potential backers’ attention and preference for a restaurant startup business. Our preliminary study on cover images of all existing U.S. Kickstarter restaurant projects (2431 projects from 2013 to 2020) shows that entrepreneurs frequently used three major substantive visuals. Results from our experiment indicate that restaurant property visual signal (vs. text only) enhances potential backers’ click-through intention as backers’ service quality expectation (observability) and perceived entrepreneurial effort (cost) are strengthened.