Restaurants and Institutions

Recently at a major restaurant show, I walked by a booth with a beautifully displayed vertical sign saying "Certified Green."  I inquired at the booth as to what made the product "green" and which organization certified them. I was pretty sure there was something fishy lurking behind the wonderfully designed sign. The first person I asked didn't have an answer to my questions; the second person looked a bit like a deer caught in headlights. He referred me to the third person, the owner of the company. I politely asked that he share with me what makes his product green and who certified it.

He proudly stated, ”We certified ourselves.”

I was hoping that wasn't the answer he was going to give.

He explained, ”Why should we go through the time and resources to have somebody else certify us? We did it ourselves.”

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How can packaging be green? Isn't it better to not use packaging or disposables?


Yes, it is better to eliminate or greatly reduce the need for items that need to be discarded. Disposable items can take years of natural-resource production, but yet they only get used for a few minutes and then can spend years in a landfill.

But what if your restaurant still needs disposable items? A large part of your business is likely in take-out or guests bringing home leftovers. You need napkins, take-out containers, pizza boxes and more.

Well, in this new green economy, it is important to learn the language so you can be educated and empowered to ask the right questions of your manufacturers and distributors. And it is important to know what the best environmental claims are in various categories.

Here is a small glossa...Read More

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If you look at the Green Restaurant Association’s seven reasons to become a Certified Green Restaurant, you’ll see the following:

1. Receive Great Publicity
2. Cut Costs
3. Improve Staff Productivity and Morale
4. Increase Customer Loyalty
5. Drive in New Customers
6. Stay Ahead of Legislation
7. Create a Healthier Environment

For this blog entry, we’re going to focus on #3: “Improve Staff Productivity and Morale.”

I’ve been talking with restaurant employees, owners, distributors and other industry players day in and day out for the past 18 years. It was true 18 years ago but is even more true today:

Employees want to work in a place where they feel good about their jobs.

This past Friday, an employee who had quit...Read More

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When I founded the Green Restaurant Association 18 years ago, the word green was still just a color and its best-known advocate was Kermit the Frog.

I started the Green Restaurant Association in 1990. It was the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Day gathering in 1970, and America was just starting to come face to face with issues such as recycling, reducing and reusing.

It took the next decade-plus to see curbside recycling begin to spread across this country.

To see hole-in-the-wall natural markets turn into multi-billion-dollar businesses that are growing faster than conventional foods.

To see ...Read More

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