Abstract
The rapid growth of the fast-food industry has expanded competition beyond major urban centers into non-metropolitan regions, where consumer characteristics differ significantly from those in large cities. Understanding the psychological factors that drive purchasing decisions, particularly consumer motivation and perception, is essential for businesses such as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to develop effective and locally relevant marketing strategies. This study aims to examine the influence of consumer motivation and consumer perception on purchasing decisions at the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Sentani Branch. The study employed a quantitative approach with a causal associative research design. The research sample consisted of 89 respondents determined using the Slovin formula. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using multiple linear regression with Jamovi version 2.7. The results showed that consumer motivation had a significant negative effect on purchasing decisions (? = ?0.205; p = 0.004), whereas consumer perception had a positive and significant effect (? = 0.172; p = 0.035). Simultaneously, both variables had a significant effect on purchasing decisions (p = 0.009), with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.104. This study provides an empirical contribution to consumer behavior research in the context of non-metropolitan areas and offers insights for developing marketing strategies that align with local consumer characteristics.