Investigation of the factors and strategies that lead Istanbul selected restaurants to sustainable success

Tourism is one of the most important livelihoods in Turkey, making restaurant business one of the top investment choices for many entrepreneurs. Every day, new restaurants start to operate, however the survival rate is unfortunately poor due to several reasons. Closed businesses cause waste of resources, unemployment, environmental chaos, economic unstability, processes that are not sustainable and demotivation. It is seen that the failure of restaurants is largely due to the fact that the target customer is not properly reached. Other reasons include; the business owners and sector employees not being aware of what the targeted customer wants, looking elsewhere for the targeted customer or that there is no awareness on success criteria required for sustainable restaurants. There is necessity to search for success criteria for sustainable restaurant business. In this research, it is aimed to define the success criteria that ensure the sustainability of selected Istanbul restaurants. A qualitative case study research methodology was adopted. The research was conducted through face to face semi-structured interviews in Istanbul, with twelve restaurant owners and / or chefs. Findings from the study revealed that restaurateurs achieve sustainable success through the following common criteria: Product quality, location selection, space design and layout, team building and retention, menu planning, product supply process, correct pricing, and brand identity & promotion. It has been determined that each of these thematic areas is a step to achieving sustainable restaurant success. This study is capable of guiding new business owners with the success factors and strategies it has identified for sustainable restaurant success and thus contributes to the field. Every uncompleted business produces waste in every sense. Investments to be made in food and beverage industry, taking the factors of this research into consideration, will ensure that the work undertaken will be completed and sustainable.