This study explores the relationship between the atmosphere, service quality and customer loyalty of independent coffee shops. The mediating factor is also investigated. This study adopts the approach of purposive
sampling, with data collected through a survey of 304 customers who have visited independent cafés. Multiple
hierarchical regression is used for testing the hypothesis of this study. Research findings indicate the following:
First, for the main effect, perceived atmosphere and service quality both significantly and positively influence
customer loyalty when both are interdependently controlled; particularly, when two direct effects are compared,
perceived service quality exerts a greater direct effect on customer loyalty than perceived café atmosphere. Second,
the results also reveal that customer satisfaction mediate the effects of both perceived service quality and cafés
atmosphere on customer loyalty; particularly, the mediating effect of customer satisfaction is stronger between
perceived service quality and customer loyalty than between perceived café atmosphere and customer loyalty.
Finally, this research offers practical implications for the coffee industry; meanwhile, research limitations and future research directions are also discussed.