A Framework of the Determinants of Street Food Consumption in Cameroon

This study scrutinizes the determinants that push consumers to patronize street food businesses in Cameroon, applying behavioral reasoning theory to garner insights regarding street food patronage, conducting interviews with 30 street food patrons and an extensive literature review. The resulting data are used to propose a conceptual street food patronage framework, including demographic factors of gender, age, profession, marital status, and income; motivational factors of dining environment, sensory attributes, preparation time, availability, price, escape from routine, and recommendations; cultural factors of food familiarity and family upbringing; and the financial factor of credit. This study, as an exploratory inquiry, presents a thorough understanding of why people choose to patronize street food cuisine, yielding valuable insights for professionals and providing a robust theoretical basis for future empirical validation.