Mapping two decades of sustainability research in restaurants: a bibliometric review of intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and emerging research directions

Restaurant sustainability has become an important area of scholarly inquiry because of its links to environmental stewardship, responsible consumption, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Although research has expanded considerably, the literature remains fragmented across environmental management, hospitality, consumer behaviour, governance, and policy perspectives. This study presents a bibliometric review of 509 Scopus-indexed publications published between 2001 and 2024. Using PRISMA, Biblioshiny, and VOSviewer, the study maps publication trends, citation structures, influential contributors, thematic patterns, and collaboration networks. Findings show increased scholarly output after 2015, led by the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, while Global South contributions remain limited. Thematic analyses identify established streams centred on environmental sustainability, food waste reduction, consumer behaviour, operational management, and governance-related sustainability. The evidence also highlights growing attention to ESG-related topics, circular economy approaches, digital sustainability technologies, and sustainability communication. Consumer trust and credibility remain underexplored topics and possible directions for future research rather than established thematic domains. These findings represent patterns in published literature and should not be interpreted as evidence of changes in restaurant practices, consumer behaviour, governance implementation, or theoretical explanatory power. The study provides a focused bibliometric evidence base for future research and policy discussions.