Abstract
In the age of digital connectivity, User-Generated Content (UGC) has grown as a robust driver of consumer choice, mostly among Generation Z (Gen Z), a generation that is defined by high usage of social media platforms and online reviews. Relying on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, this study investigates the impact of User-Generated Content Interaction Quality (UGCIQ) on Brand Attitude (BA), Brand Engagement (BE), on Purchase Intention (PI) among Generation Z restaurant consumers in Sri Lanka. With a quantitative research approach, data were collected from 323 Gen Z restaurant goers and were collected using an online questionnaire and analyzed according to IBM SPSS 28.0.1.1 and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using Smart PLS 4.1.1.1. The results indicate that UGCIQ has significant direct and indirect effects on Purchase Intentions, mediated by Brand Attitude and Brand Engagement, Emphasizing the central position of interaction quality in building brand perceptions and behavior outcomes. These results offer meaningful implications for restaurant marketers and digital strategists, that it is possible to measurably enhance brand loyalty and buying behaviors in the intensely competitive restaurant industry by raising the level of UGCIQ engagement.