Evaluating restaurant sustainability in a Maltese context

Abstract

The food service industry, (including restaurants) generates environmental impacts through the consumption of water, energy, materials and food, and through the generation of waste. Additionally, the industry has important social and economic facets. This dissertation focuses on the sustainability of Maltese restaurants, aiming to (i) identify how consumers feel about different aspects of restaurant sustainability, (ii) determine the current level of sustainability of a sample of Maltese restaurants, and (iii) create a framework which Maltese restaurants can follow in order to assess their sustainability and improve their performance. Sustainability indicators were used to achieve these goals by providing a baseline for assessing restaurant sustainability. Two surveys were conducted using these indicators, one focusing on consumer attitudes (Survey 1) and the other assessing the current level of sustainability of a sample of Maltese restaurants (Survey 2). Interviews were also conducted with three chef de cuisines in order to gauge their views. Finally, three frameworks were created which rank the indicators in order of consumer preference, current representation in restaurants, and a combination of the two. The results of Survey 1 showed that, in general, consumers value restaurant sustainability highly, with energy, waste and water being prioritised. Results for Survey 2 suffered from a low response rate, but nevertheless indicated a low uptake of sustainable practices. Possible barriers to this are the attitude-behaviour gap, lack of restaurateurs with capital, motivation, and/or education, and ineffective marketing. Relevant methods for improving restaurant sustainability were identified, with these including the education of both consumers and business owners, as well as the use of the designed frameworks, which could make it easier to make a restaurant's operations more sustainable.