Leisure motives of eating out in night markets

Abstract Eating out is a common occurrence in the lives of most people. In Taiwan, local people enjoy patronizing both street vendors and various dining outlets. However, very little research has mentioned the psychosocial needs and leisure motives addressed by eating out in night markets. A convenience sampling method is used; 350 questionnaires are distributed and yielded 272 valid responses. The main research finding identifies the leisure motive for eating out at night markets as focused on “self-identity”. The major reason for visiting night markets is the wide variety of food choices (72%). The frequency of eating out at night markets is approximately once a month (36%); friends or colleagues are the dominant companions (60%). The most desired food is local delights (77%). In addition, Maslow's needs-hierarchy theory and Herzberg's two-factor theory are discussed.

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