Exploring Customer Feedback in Michelin Star Restaurants: A Machine Learning Approach

The 19th International Conference on Business Excellence Leading Change in Disruptive Times 20-22 March 2025, Bucharest, Romania Exploring Customer Reviews in Michelin-Starred Restaurants: A Machine Learning Approach Mine AYDEMİR DEV* Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa, Türkiye *Corresponding author, [email protected] Nuran BAYRAM ARLI Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa, Türkiye [email protected] Onur BARCA Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa, Türkiye onurbar[email protected] Abstract. This study aims to examine the customer experience with the data obtained from customer reviews for Michelin-starred restaurants. Customer reviews collected from the TripAdvisor platform. The data consists of reviews from customers who have visited 1-Star Michelin restaurants in Türkiye. Sentiment analysis and machine learning techniques were used in the study. Firstly, the obtained customer reviews were cleaned and prepared for analysis. The reviews were categorised by the algorithm as food, atmosphere, service and value and a score was created for each. Then, these categories were included in the analysis as variables. In the study, machine learning algorithms were used to determine the impact of the scores obtained for food, atmosphere, service and value on customer restaurant ratings. The study provides results on how the attributes of food, atmosphere, service and value obtained from customer reviews can shape the customer satisfaction of restaurants. According to the results obtained, food and service are the two most important features that enable the restaurant to get a higher score. This is followed by value. This study analyses customer reviews data on Michelin-starred restaurants in depth and reveals the factors that influence the customer experience. The use of machine learning algorithms in studies in this field is limited. This study analyses customer satisfaction by applying machine learning algorithms to the data obtained from customer reviews and reveals in which areas there are expectations for improvement. Keywords: Michelin-starred restaurants, sentiment analysis, machine learning Acknowledgements This study is supported by REMODEL project which is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101079203.