The present study aims to investigate the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in restaurants in Berhampur, Odisha, India. In addition, the research seeks to identify the specific dimensions of service quality that contribute most significantly to overall customer satisfaction in these establishments. The study adopts a quantitative research design, and primary data were collected through a random sampling technique. A total of 300 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to customers across 30 restaurants in the city, with 10 per restaurant. Out of the total responses received, 256 questionnaires were found to be complete and suitable for further statistical analysis. Service quality in this study was evaluated using seven dimensions derived from the SERVQUAL framework and relevant literature, namely Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy, Food Quality, and Menu. Customer satisfaction was considered the dependent variable. Based on these dimensions of service quality, seven research hypotheses were formulated, and the results supported all of them.

Various statistical techniques were applied for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions, means, and standard deviations, were used to summarise the data. Cronbach’s Alpha was employed to assess the reliability of the measurement scales, while the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) was used to examine multicollinearity among variables. In addition, Karl Pearson’s correlation coefficient, two-tailed t-test, F-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were conducted to test the relationships among the variables. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 23. The study's findings indicate that service quality has a significant, positive effect on customer satisfaction in restaurants. The results suggest that improvements in service quality led to higher levels of customer satisfaction among restaurant customers. The analysis further reveals that among the service quality dimensions, Tangibles exert the strongest influence on customer satisfaction (22.4%), followed by Food Quality (19.2%), Menu (18.2%), Reliability (16.9%), Assurance (14.4%), and Responsiveness (11.7%). Empathy was found to have the least influence on customer satisfaction, accounting for 11.1%. Overall, the study highlights the critical role of service quality in enhancing customer satisfaction in the restaurant sector.