The immense growth of online social networking sites has extended the potential effect of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on consumer purchasing decisions. Today, numerous firms view electronic word of mouth as a powerful marketing force and chance because consumers increasingly read online reviews and post their opinions as part of the decision process when selecting a restaurant and cafe. Therefore, this research aims at investigating the effect of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) towards a consumer’s selection of restaurants and cafe. This quantitative research begins by identifying the factors that may influence a consumer’s selection of restaurants from the electronic word of mouth. There were four constructs that were designed as a part of the questionnaire: a restaurants website, positive and negative eWOM, community trustworthiness, and source credibility. The outcome of this research demonstrates that all four constructs play a role and can influence a consumer’s selection of restaurants; trustworthiness has the most effect amongst the four. Because eWOM has had such a positive influence on restaurants selection, it is clear that it should remain an important marketing tool that companies and businesses should consider. Lastly, due to the findings of this study, practical suggestions for eWOM writers and readers are provided in order to better the overall eWOM communication strategy, as writers should be responsible for their social media site postings.

KEY WORDS: Electronic word-of-mouth, social networking sites, consumer behavior, consumer affection, product perception, purchase intention.