This study aims to examine customer expectations toward new-generation restaurants within a multidimensional framework in the rapidly transforming food and beverage sector. Today’s restaurant experience is no longer limited to taste and service quality; rather, it presents an integrated structure that includes sustainability practices, plant-based/vegan menu options, experience-oriented spatial design, and digital services. The research seeks to reveal the effects of these elements on consumers’ restaurant preferences, satisfaction levels, and intention to revisit.

Within the scope of the study, data were collected through face-to-face surveys from 406 consumers who received services from medium- and large-scale new-generation restaurants operating in Istanbul. The data were analyzed using SPSS and JAMOVI software packages, and factor analysis, reliability tests, correlation analyses, and difference tests were conducted. The findings indicate that sustainability and environmental awareness, along with atmosphere and experience dimensions, play a decisive role in shaping customer expectations. While digitalization and technological services contribute to the customer experience, their impact is relatively more limited compared to other dimensions. Plant-based/vegan menu preferences, on the other hand, emerge as a more independent attitudinal dimension.

The results of the research demonstrate that new-generation restaurants need to address environmental sensitivity, experience design, and customer-oriented digital solutions within a holistic strategy in order to gain competitive advantage. The study is expected to contribute to the academic literature and provide guidance for practitioners in the restaurant industry.