Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between service compensation, consumer sentiment and revisit intention for service recovery in the Chinese foodservice industry, and the moderating effect of employee authenticity. Methods: Data were collected from people who experienced eating out in a city located in central China, and the hypothesis was verified through multiple regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The results indicate that the specificity of compensation affects both positive and negative emotions of customers, and the activeness of compensation also influences positive emotions of customers. Also, employee autheticity moderates the effect of specificity of compensation on customers’ positive emotions. Both positive and negative emotions of customers influences revisit intention. Conclusion: These results show that the role of service compensation is important in service recovery in the rapidly expanding Chinese foodservice industry. In addition, since the sincerity of employees plays an important role in maximizing the recovery effect in the process of service recovery, it suggests that it is important not only to improve services in the quantitative aspect but also in the qualitative aspect through employee training