What seniors want in restaurant dining.

• Position: Your Life - Richard Ghiselli - Brief Article

For alert restaurateurs, seniors--with their income, free time, and expanding baby boomer-fueled numbers--represent a golden market opportunity. What these potential customers like is important, but what they don't like is even more so, argues Richard Ghiselli, associate professor of hospitality and tourism management, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.

The number-one issue for seniors choosing a restaurant is cleanliness, his research reveals. "This is not surprising in light of the fact that health is more often reported to be a concern of the elderly. The association of cleanliness, food safety, and the prevention of food-borne illness may be part of the reason for the importance of cleanliness, al. though this was not specifically studied in our research."

Seniors also do not like how close together restaurant tables are...