Understanding Solo Dining as a Multifaceted Behavioural Response: Social Anxiety, Loneliness and Well-Being

This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying solo dining in the 'loneliness economy'. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), it explores relationships among social anxiety, loneliness, solo dining intentions and dependency orientation as a moderator. Because solo dining may reflect both voluntary solitude and avoidance-based solitude, the present model primarily tests the avoidance-linked pathway associated with social anxiety and loneliness. Findings show that loneliness is significantly associated with solo dining behaviour, especially among individuals with high dependency, but less so among those with lower dependency scores. Accordingly, solo dining is treated here as a broad behavioural tendency with mixed motives rather than as a purely therapeutic exposure exercise. The study contributes to literature on solitude and mental health and offers practical recommendations for the restaurant industry.