<p>Research on food waste away from home, particularly its quantification and environmental impact, has been extensive. However, studies focusing on the willingness of small restaurants to reduce food waste are scarce. This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the impact of green management practices on food waste reduction intentions among small restaurants. Cross-sectional data (<i>N</i> = 802) were collected from small restaurants in various regions of China, using judgment sampling. An integrated approach of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) was employed for data analysis. The results supported all the hypotheses, indicating a significant relationship between various green management practices, including green food procurement, green menu planning and cooking, green packaging for take-out, green cleaning and post-treatment, green kitchen and dining environments, and green management policy and food waste reduction intention. The implications of this study are essential for the owners and managers of small restaurants to improve their environmental performance and reduce food waste. This study suggests that embracing and implementing green management practices significantly impacts food waste reduction intention. The novelty of this study lies in its exploration of green management practices specifically tailored to small restaurants, thus contributing to the limited literature on sustainable practices in the food service industry. The originality of this study lies in its integrated application of PLS-SEM and NCA to simultaneously examine the sufficient and necessary conditions influencing food waste reduction intention, with a specific focus on green management practices implemented by small restaurants.</p>