Balancing Social Inclusion, Environmental Stewardship, and Proftability : A Study of Social Restaurants in Italy

The research investigates how nine Italian small and medium social restaurants maintain economic viability while pursuing social inclusion and ecological care despite limited resources. A qualitative multiple-case design combined semi-structured interviews, field observations, and document analysis. Cross-case thematic comparison, supported by the Circular Business Model Canvas, produced an operational map for each venture. Findings identify five mutually reinforcing practices: mission-inspired storytelling that secures stakeholder commitment; staged and diversified financing; dense local partnerships; systematic reuse of materials and knowledge; and iterative micro-level experimentation. The combined practices constitute a business logic capable of translating social and environmental values into revenue, stabilizing cash flow, privileging social networks over capital-intensive assets, reducing waste, and aligning purpose with profitability. The study offers practical guidance for entrepreneurs and policy makers interested in nurturing comparable initiatives. Generalizability remains limited by the single-country setting and the snapshot nature of the data; longitudinal and cross-national research is recommended.