10 Tips for Running a Successful, “Green” Restaurant
Your restaurant and your business are reflections of you. At home, you recycle; try not to wastewater, paper, and energy; use cleaning supplies that won’t harm you or your family and try to be the best you possible. Why should your restaurant be any different? It’s easy to cut corners in business to save money, but your patrons, your world, and your wallet will thank you if you make the commitment to going “green” at your restaurant and at home. Think of all those styrofoam takeout containers that cost so little money but make up 2.3 billion kilograms of our landfills and waterways! I don’t want to be responsible for that pollution, do you? Not to mention, restaurant boycotts are real! There are so many green packaging options today that are better than styrofoam. Let’s look at how you can make your restaurant a greener, happier place that your customers and employees will always feel good about.
1. Recycle
The Green Restaurant Association (“GRA”) found the average restaurant throws away 100,000 pounds of garbage annually; take stock of the products you use, and integrate a reasonable recycling program. Saving anything from the landfill is good, saving a lot is even better. If you don’t have recycling bins or know how to recycle, start with the following:
- Contact your waste company
- Go to your local city website for recycling program information
- Put up signs telling customers you recycle
- Place recycling bins next to trash cans
- Tell your customers exactly what is recyclable
- Train and reward employees for recycling
Recycling is good for the environment, the economy, and your business. Don’t know what you can recycle and what you can’t? Your city or town website has a list for you, or you can look here.
2. Compost
Composting is using food scraps to produces fertilizer that can be used in gardens to improve soil texture, fertility, and water retention. Since you’re in the food business, about half of your waste is food material. Check your city website to see if your area has commercial composting. If it doesn’t, you can purchase a small compost container and train your employees on how to use it. Most cities have compost drop-off areas at certain times of the year. Offer excess compost to your employees and use it in your own garden. Another solution is to donate unused food at the end of each business day or week to a local food bank.
3. Use Better Containers and Dining Ware
Okay, you know plastic is bad, and you know that containers with toxic ingredients can leach into the soil in a landfill, and even into the water. There are many green options out there, and more are being made every day. Try these compostable and biodegradable items to start with:
- Paper cups, lids, and takeout containers
- Sugarcane and palm leaf dinnerware
- Renewable straws
- Wooden or bamboo silverware
- Reusable/recyclable bags
Your patrons will love your restaurant more and feel better about eating there.
4. Use a Digital Loyalty Solution
We’ve all been there — you go to open your wallet and about 25 plastic loyalty cards fly out on the floor or the counter. That’s a waste of your time and your employees’ time, too. Going with a great digital loyalty solution like Loopy Loyalty can make your life easier and your restaurant greener. Loopy Loyalty is great for the following reasons:
- Easy to set up. No technical skills or app development required.
- Customers don’t need to download an app.
- Targeted/location-based messages
- Track metrics and optimize performance to drive loyalty.
- Increase visits and revenue.
- NO paper or plastic waste
Your regulars will be happy not to carry around one more card but will still get rewarded for being loyal customers while your restaurant just created a completely new marketing channel that goes way beyond the possibilities of the old and tired paper punch card. It’s a win-win!
5. Buy Local
Buying local is a great way to reduce different kinds of waste. If you think about the paths every supplier and customer takes each day, going to and leaving your restaurant, it becomes clear that buying local is a great way to do business. Benefits of buying local include:
- Supporting your local economy (and businesses just like yours)
- Reducing shipping greenhouse emissions and needless packaging
- Using fresher ingredients
- Better communication with your suppliers
- Bragging rights
It’s just overall better for a business to buy local, especially where produce, seafood, and meats are concerned. Fresh food tastes better, and organic options are more viable. Your suppliers will be minutes away instead of hours or even days away, and you won’t be paying for the gas and shipping required to bring products in from out-of-state or even out of the country.
6. Use Green Cleaning Supplies & Methods
This is a big one that you may not think about. Cleanliness is very important in the restaurant industry, so make sure you are up on your city’s restaurant code. Green cleaning supplies keep our environment and people safe. When you flush a toxic cleaning supply down the sink, that heads straight for waterways. Here are some greener options:
- Green Seal products
- Citrus-based solvents
- Vinegar-based glass cleaners
- Hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants
- Baking soda or borax for oven cleaning
- Citrus-based pest control products
You can also buy them from one of these suppliers.
7. Prevent Water Waste
Water is one of the most valuable assets on our planet, and just because we have it doesn’t mean we should waste it. Here are a few quick ways to reduce water use in your restaurant:
- Use low-flow pre-rinse spray nozzles and aerators
- Fix leaky faucets
- Upgrade dishwashers (50% water savings)
- Use steamers instead of boilers
- Use Water Brooms
- Train your staff not to waste water
Water waste can be reduced in other ways, too — installing efficient toilets, sinks, and faucets in the bathrooms of your restaurant can help conserve. If you’re not sure how you can save more water, have the local water company come out for free and evaluate your business. They will be more than happy to give you some tips, which should make your water bill cost less. If you use less hot water, that will also save you on your energy bill.
8. Upgrade Old Equipment
While upgrading all your equipment to newer, more efficient models may not be an option all at once, try to replace one or two pieces of equipment a year, maybe with your tax return. You can save on energy-star appliances, for example, and rotate the equipment you do have to prevent wear and tear on it. Always buy the warranty on your equipment; it’s worth it to get a quick replacement to keep your business running even if something breaks down. Another green solution is to find “gently used” kitchen equipment from restaurants that are moving or going out of business. Restaurant supply stores may have recommendations for you, as well.
9. Use Paperless Advertising
Flyers have been a staple of restaurants and bars for years — they litter the streets after a weekend, and blow in the wind down the city corridors on Mondays. To keep your restaurant green, put a stop to these wasteful flyers and newspaper ads — online advertising and digital advertising works better, anyhow! Design an easy website on Wix or Squarespace and add it to your digital stamp card. You’ll reach more people and waste less paper. Advertising online may seem expensive, but a few well-placed ads, a well thought out social media presence and a decent website can go a long way toward promoting your business.
10. Conserve Energy
Overuse of energy is a major worry around the world, and although many businesses are going solar or getting renewable energy from the grid, you can do your part just by turning the lights off and unplugging appliances that are not in use. Train your employees to turn off lights they aren’t using (not in the dining room, of course) and only running the dishwasher when its full. Restaurants take a lot of energy but installing low lighting that might make your patrons more comfortable and cozy (or automatic light switches) can go a long way toward reducing your energy bill and increasing your green score. If it’s a possibility, purchase energy-star appliances and save on the amount of energy you use. Put simply, if you don’t need it, don’t use it. This might mean removing or selling some freezers or other kitchen appliances you don’t use, as well, which could be money in your pocket.
The costs associated with being a green restaurant can be intimidating at first, but in the end, your business will save money, help the environment, support the local economy, and make your customers and your employees feel better about the restaurant. Loopy Loyalty will help you reward customers and keep them coming back for more of your delicious food and drinks. Using these green restaurant tips will reduce your restaurant’s waste and enable you to reuse and recycle much of the trash you would otherwise have to throw out. The advancements made in green restaurant products in the past 10 years are truly extraordinary; take advantage of them to make your restaurant better today.
