Rethink What Makes Restaurants Great
By: Table Sage
Tags: Conscious Dining, Sustainability, Restaurants, Diversity, Restaurant Ratings

You may or may not have heard of the term “conscious dining experience,” but the best way to approach this is to ask, “what exactly defines a restaurant as being one of the best?”

When millions of restaurant goers around the world rely on the ratings of a restaurant in order to determine whether they should give them business and support, you would think that those ratings would be based on the core values of today’s restaurant goers.

But the truth is that the way we value and rate restaurants is outdated by decades, and sometimes by centuries due to so many people focusing only on flavor, presentation, and technical/ traditional preparation. With the growing popularity of movements such as veganism, environmental conscientiousness, supporting local and organic foods, and many other movements that focus on creating a better, healthier world, it is therefore logical that we rethink what makes restaurants great so that we start supporting the right ones.

As customers, we are the ones who have the power to choose where our money goes and what aspects of the restaurant business and experience are in demand, directly impacting which restaurants flourish and which ones struggle to get by or are forced to make changes. Maintaining traditional perceptions of restaurant success and the best restaurant experience while ignoring the impacts on the environment, local economies, and animals means supporting the unethical sourcing of food and the often inhumane treatment of animals that has been commonplace in the food industry for a long time.

By growing and encouraging attention towards conscious dining experiences and realizing that it is our responsibility as consumers to instigate change in the way we view and rate restaurants, we can make the right changes. The next step is therefore knowing what aspects of the restaurant industry we need to value and knowing where to find restaurants that are already using ethical practices.

What to look for in a restaurant

Rethinking the restaurant experience and what makes a good restaurant does not mean you have to forget about taste, preparation, and overall presentation. It just involves adding a few additional prerequisites that align with today’s modern values, going above and beyond the traditional restaurant benchmark.

You can start off by looking at a restaurant’s face value. An awesome restaurant focused on sustainability, the environment, and supporting the health of their customers and the wider community should have a range of vegan food options, or at least dishes with alternatives to meat. You can check whether they use organic, sustainable produce that is both seasonal and locally sourced. Restaurants that base their menus on this approach reduce their carbon footprint and environmental pollution while at the same time supporting local farmers. Fresh ingredients also provide customers with a healthier dining experience.

Behind the ingredients and foods that are offered, a great restaurant should also come with their own philosophy of environmental sustainability and investing in the health of their customers, staff, and wider community. You can look at supporting restaurants who take sustainable approaches to their use of water, energy, and waste, who provide their staff with positive, supportive environments, who celebrate diversity, and create initiatives and opportunities for their local communities in the name of creating a better world and leaving a positive mark on the people outside of their restaurant.

A good restaurant should no longer be valued by just the dining experience within their establishment. In order to match the changing core values of patrons, a good restaurant should now be one committed to environmentally sustainable practices, the health of their customers and staff, supporting local farmers and food producers, and creating community initiatives which aim to support and grow people for a better world.