The critical capacities of restaurants as facilitators for transformations to sustainability

The United Nations released the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) following the 2012 Rio +20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. This articulated 17 SDGs that balance the environmental, social and economic aspects of development, setting a timespan between 2015 and 2030 to end global poverty through sustainable development approaches.According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourism industry as a critical component of the global economy can play an important role in influencing consumers to participate in sustainability through their food consumption choices. Research shows restaurants and cafés around the world have offered sustainability best practice initiatives drawing attention to the political consequences of personal eating habits. This article presents the findings from case study research of twenty Australian restaurants featuring sustainability in their business concept and in their practices. Findings indicate that restaurants make surprising and valuable contributions to the SDG agenda. These restaurants’ efforts range from: implementation of specific SDGs; using food as a way to unite and empower people; educating their stakeholders about environmental and community impacts of sustainability practices; and modelling alternatives that in some cases address critical questions of how are we to live.