Robert Frash

Professor | Chair

Address: Beatty 302
Office Hours: Tue/Thu 3:15pm - 4:45pm - Appointments required
Phone: 843.953.0827
E-mail: frashr@cofc.edu
Curriculum Vitae: Download


After a 30-year career in foodservice, Robert (Bob) sold his six upscale restaurants in Indianapolis, IN, and turned back to academia to complete his Ph.D. in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University in 2004. In 2005, he took a faculty position at the College of Charleston. Bob’s research focuses on restaurant operations, training and development, and motorcycle tourism. From 2010 to 2015, Bob was the Chair of the Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management in the School of Business. His commitment to service in the community is evidenced through his role as an active Board member for the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association. Bob is an avid adventure motorcyclist. He spends much of his free time in the Blue Ridge Mountains, riding his BMW R1200GS motorcycle, hiking, reading, and writing. Bob has a daughter, Mary, who is a Senior Marketing Specialist for the Ball Corporation in Colorado; and a son, Sam, who farms in Indiana.

Education

Purdue University - West Lafayette, Indiana
Ph.D., Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2004

Ball State University - Muncie, Indiana
M.A., Adult and Community Education, 2001

Purdue University - West Lafayette, Indiana
B.S., Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional and Tourism Management, 1999

Indiana University & Purdue University at Indianapolis - Indianapolis, Indiana
A.S., Hospitality Management, 1997

Research Interests

  • Restaurant operations
  • Hospitality training and development
  • Motorcycle tourism
  • Hospitality entrepreneurship

Courses Taught

  • Strategic Hospitality and Tourism Management Seminar
  • Foodservice Enterprise: Design & Development
  • Foodservice Operations Analysis
  • Food & Beverage Accreditations
  • Principles and Practices in Hospitality and Tourism Management

Honors and Awards

  • Teaching Academy Fellow Status (Nomination), 2004, Purdue University
  • Best Paper (Nomination), 2004 International Hospitality and Tourism Virtual Conference 5
  • Meritorious Certificate – Veterans History Project, 2002, The Library of Congress & United States Senator Richard G. Lugar

Publications

REFEREED PUBLICATIONS

Brizek, M. G., Frash, R. E., McLeod, B. M., & Patience, M. O. (2021). Independent restaurant operator perspectives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102766. *ABDC Rank: “A+”

Frash, R. E., Blose, J. E. (2019). Serious Leisure as a Predictor of Travel Intentions and Flow in Motorcycle Tourism. Tourism Recreation Research pp. 1-16. doi:10.1080/02508281.2019.1626118 Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2019.1626118. *ABDC Rank: “A”

Frash, R. E., Blose, J. E., Smith, W. W., & Scherhag, K. (2018). A multidisciplinary marketing profile of motorcycle tourists: explorers escaping routine to find flow on scenic routes. Tourism Recreation Research, pp. 1-13. doi:10.1080/02508281.2018.1492767

Blose, J. E., Frash, R. E., & DiPietro, R. B. (2017). A top box analysis of DinEX to optimize restaurant resources. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, pp. 1-26. doi:10.1080/15256480.2017.1359732

Frash Jr, R. E., Blose, J. E., Norman, W. C., & Patience, M. (2016). Healthy Parks, Happy People: An Exploratory Study of a County Park System. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, 34(1).

Canziani, B., Almanza, B., Frash R., McKeig, M. J., Sullivan, C. (2016) Classifying Restaurants to Improve Usability of Restaurant Research. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(6).

Frash Jr, R. E., Blose, J. E., Norman, W. C., & Patience, M. (2016). Healthy Parks, Happy People: An Exploratory Study of a County Park System.Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, 34(1).

Smith, W. W., Butcher, E., Litvin, S. W., & Frash, R. E. (2015). Incorporating an Instructional Scaffolding Approach into the Classroom: Teaching for Authentic Learning in Hospitality and Tourism Education. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism 15(3), 264-277.

Frash Jr., R., DiPietro, R., Smith, W. (2015). Pay More for McLocal? Examining Motivators for Willingness to Pay for Local Food in a Chain Restaurant Setting. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 24(4), 411.434.

Frash Jr. R. (2012) Eat, Drink, Tip: Exploring Economic Opportunities for Full-Service Restaurants. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 15(2): 176-194.

Runyan, R. C., Frash Jr., R., Antun, J. M., Line, N. D. (2011) Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Homophily in Restaurant Atmospherics. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 21(1): 1-19.

Frash Jr. R., Antun, J., Kline, S., & Almanza, B. (2010). Like it! Learn it! Use it? A Field Study of Hotel Training. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 51(3): 398-414.

Antun, J., Frash Jr., R., Costen, W., & Runyon, R. (2010) Accurately Assessing Expectations Most Important to Restaurant Patrons: The Creation of DinEX Scale. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 13(4): 360-379.

Frash Jr., R., & MacLaurin T., (2009) Restaurant Food Safety: The Influence of Employee Outlooks on Transfer of Training. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 11(4): 328-346.

Antun, J., Strick, S., Frash, R., & Smith, E.M. (2008), The Relationship of Skills Attainment in Job Training and Student Self-esteem: An Exploratory Study. National Business Monograph Series in National Association of African American Studies, Cultural Memory: Placing Democracy and Human Rights at the Heart of Minority Issues, Part 1, 27-44.

Frash Jr., R., Antun, J., & Hodges, H., (2008) Family Life Cycle Segmentation for Foodservice Marketing: An Exploratory Case Study. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 11(4): 382-397.

Frash Jr., R., Kline, S., Almanza B., & Antun, J., (2008) Support for a Multi-Level Evaluation Framework in Hospitality Training. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, 7(2): 197-218.

Frash Jr., R., Binkley, M., Almanza, B., & Nelson, D. (2005) Transfer of Training Efficacy in U.S. Food Safety Accreditation. Journal of Culinary Science and Technology, 4(2/3): 70-100.

Kline, S. & Frash Jr., R. (2004). Empowering Individual Effort in Cooperative Learning. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education, 16(4): 35-43.

Frash Jr., R., Kline, S., & Stahura, J. (2004). Mitigating Social Loafing in Team-Based Learning. Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism, 3(4): 57-77.

Frash Jr., R., Almanza, B., & Stahura, J. (2003). Assessment of food safety risk. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 4(4): 25-43.

REFEREED PRESENTATIONS/PRECEEDINGS

Scherhag, K., Menn A., and Frash R. (2018) Study abroad trips for student groups as an instrument to learn about the needs of regional tourism development. Paper presentation at Tourism Naturally Conference, Zell am See – Kaprun, Austria

Frash Jr., R., Scherhag, K. (2016) Motorcycle Tourism: Empirical Study on Travel Motivation
            In Germany and the USA. Paper presentation at 2017 ITB Berlin Convention, Berlin, Germany.

Scherhag, K., Frash Jr., R. (2014). Advancing Tourism Study Abroad. Paper presented at Euro-CHRIE Dubai 2014, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Frash Jr., R. E., DiPietro, R., Smith, W.W., & Luce, N. (2012). Local Foods: Will Diners Pay More? Paper presented at the 2012 CHRIE Annual Conference & Exposition, Providence, Rhode Island.

Frash, R., Antun J. (2011). Weilding DinEX to Improve Restaurant Site Selection. Poster presented at the I-CHRIE Annual Conference & Exposition, Denver, CO.

Antun, J., Frash, R., Smith, E.M. (2009). A Quasi-Experimental Study of Culinary Skills Attainment and Student/Employee Self Esteem Measures. Proceedings American Institute of Higher Education, 3rd. Annual International Conference. Nashville, TN, May 1, 2009. V 2 (1) pp. 271 – 277.

Antun, J., Frash Jr., R. (2008) The Relationship of Skills Attainment in Job Training and Student Self-esteem. Poster presented at the National Association of African American Studies Conference, Baton Rouge, LA.

Frash Jr., R., Antun, J., Litvin, S. (2007) The Impact of Family Life Cycle on Restaurant Dining Preferences. Poster presented at the I-CHRIE Annual Conference & Exposition, Dallas, TX.

Antun, J., Frash Jr., R. (2007) The Efficacy of Food Safety Training for Assisted Living Facility Foodservice Employees. Paper presented at the I-CHRIE Annual Conference & Exposition, Dallas, TX.

Antun, J., Smith, E., Frash, R. (2006) Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, RSS Podcatchers and Live Books: Are We Strangers Living in a Strange Land? Frontiers in Southeast CHRIE Hospitality and Tourism Research 10(2)

Frash Jr., R., Binkley, M., Almanza, B., Nelson, D. (2005). Transferring Training into Improved Food Safety. Paper presented at the 24th Annual ISTTE Conference.

Thomas, L., Almanza, B., Frash Jr., R. (2005). Ascertaining Certified Food Protection Managers’ Training Transfer and Their Priorities in Safe Food Handling Practices. Paper presented at the Tenth Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.

Frash Jr., R., & Kline, S. (2004). Social Loafing Dynamics In Team-Based Learning. Paper presented at the I-CHRIE Annual Conference & Exposition, Philadelphia, PA.

Frash Jr., R., & Kline, S. (2004). Facilitating Team-Based Learning. Paper presented at the International Hospitality and Tourism Virtual Conference, On-line.

Frash Jr., R., & Almanza, B. (2004). Transferring Training in Improved Food Safety. Paper presented at the Ninth Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.

Frash, R. E., Almanza B., Stahura, J. Risk Assessment Classifications in Restaurant Health Inspections: a Case Study in Marion County, IN. Eighth Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism 2003.

Frash Jr., R. E., Armstrong, J. (2001). Transfer of Training in a Digital Age. “From the Margins to the Mainstream.” American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). Fiftieth Annual Conference

Frash Jr., R.E., Antun, J. (2001). Hospitality Industry Training Strategies for a Digital World. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Vol. 6, Sixth Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism, Proceedings, Georgia Technical University, Atlanta, Georgia. (National)

Frash Jr., R. E. (2001). Kitterman, J. eTransfer. Destination: 21st Century Adult Education. IAACE (Indiana Association for Adult and Continuing Education). Annual Conference