Experiential Marketing and Service Quality on Customer Loyalty at Kopi Kenangan Subang, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Indonesia's coffee shop industry has grown rapidly due to shifting lifestyles, transforming coffee consumption into a social and cultural practice. Kopi Kenangan, a leading national chain, faces intense competition in sustaining customer loyalty in the suburban market of Subang, West Java. Purpose: This research examines the partial and simultaneous influence of experiential marketing and service quality on customer loyalty at Kopi Kenangan Subang. The study is scoped to a single suburban quick-service outlet. Design/methodology/approach: An explanatory survey was conducted with 50 purposively selected respondents who had purchased at least twice, meeting parametric regression requirements. Experiential marketing was measured through five experiential dimensions; service quality through five SERVQUAL dimensions. Multiple linear regression alongside validity, reliability, and classical assumption tests was applied using SPSS v25. Findings/Result: Both variables simultaneously and significantly affect loyalty, explaining 41.8% of its variance. Service quality significantly influences loyalty, while experiential marketing shows no significant effect. Service quality (73.1%) and experiential marketing (71.6%) are perceived positively, whereas loyalty remains moderate (66.3%). Conclusion: Service quality dominates loyalty formation in this quick-service context. Management should prioritize operational consistency and staff responsiveness over atmospheric investments to strengthen long-term customer retention. Originality/value (State of the art): This study reveals a service-quality paradox in suburban quick-service coffee shops, challenging the universal applicability of experiential marketing theory. While existing frameworks assume atmospheric differentiation drives loyalty, empirical evidence demonstrates that functional service delivery carries greater predictive weight. The findings contribute context-specific boundary conditions to loyalty theory and provide actionable guidance for resource allocation strategies.   Keywords: coffee shop, customer loyalty, experiential marketing, Kopi Kenangan, service quality