Through qualitative inquiry, the study's objective was to investigate the practices of chefs about food waste in restaurants. Informed by practice theory, 10 chefs in northwest Arkansas participated in semi-structured interviews. Five themes emerged from the data analysis: tracking, composting, repurposing ingredients, designing menus, and donating. The study highlights the importance of chef-driven initiatives in reducing food waste and concludes that it is imperative for restaurants to persist in endorsing food waste reduction methods. Communicating these types of initiatives to customers should not only increase their awareness, but also raise their environmental consciousness. Policymakers should enact simplified and lawful ways for the entire food service industry, including organizations interested in accepting food donations from restaurants, to reduce food waste, and thus, minimize their carbon footprints. All rights reserved, Elsevier.
