Abstract
This quantitative study aims to describe the demand for Halal-certified restaurants and identify predictors of purchase intention among Muslim and non-Muslim Filipino consumers in Mindanao using the Theory of Planned Behavior. This also seeks to test the moderating effects of HalaGRAMl awareness, religiosity, and consumer characteristics on the relationships between TPB constructs. With a snowball sampling technique, an online survey questionnaire was distributed to 300 respondents who are at least 18 years old and eat at a restaurant in Iligan City. Descriptive statistics revealed a strong intention to purchase food or dine at a Halal-certified restaurant. PLS-SEM findings show that this intention is strongly shaped by attitude, followed by subjective norms. On the other hand, perceived behavioral control does not contribute to this intention. Moreover, only religious affiliation acts as a moderator in the model, specifically on the relationship between subjective norms and purchase intention. It conveys that attitude, social pressure, and religious affiliation should be taken into account when promoting Halal-certified restaurants. The government and restaurant industry players must make an effort to bring out positive evaluations of Halal and Halal certification among different religious groups.
