By Briana Hilton, Contributor
As a restaurant owner, you undoubtedly have a lot on your plate (pun intended). Understandably, going green may not be a priority, as it can be difficult to see the immediate value offered.
Yet, consumers, on the other hand, are increasingly eco-conscious. 43% of restaurant diners say they’re willing to pay more for sustainable dishes, while 68% say restaurants should have measures in place to prevent food wastage.
Implementing eco-friendly practices in your restaurant doesn’t just impress customers, it’s also a surefire way to improve efficiency, save money, and stand out against the competition – as well as help the environment, of course. It’s a win-win for operators.
Fight Food Waste
Food waste is a huge problem in the United States. Shockingly (or perhaps not), Americans throw out almost 40 million tons of food every year.
Although food waste is obviously a clear social problem, you may not realize it’s also a driver of climate change. This is thanks to its hefty greenhouse gas footprint. Reducing food waste in your restaurant can lessen your environmental impact, while also boosting your profit margin – a win-win situation.
Start by keeping a log of your restaurant’s food waste. What ingredients are you overbuying? What’s the correct amount of food you should be purchasing to eliminate waste? A log makes it easier to find the answers to these questions. A first-in, first-out (FIFO) policy can also help; it’s a simple yet effective stock rotation system that involves storing older ingredients at the front, and newer purchases at the back. This way, your ingredients remain fresh, and waste is kept to a minimum.
Slash Your Food Miles
Argentinian steak. Mexican avocados. Spanish strawberries. Seeing these items on menus year-round is commonplace – a luxury we take for granted – but at what cost?
In the U.S., food travels roughly 1,500 miles to get from farm to plate, racking up a huge carbon footprint. If you want to slash your restaurant’s food miles, it’s time to start sourcing local ingredients. This means you’ll be forced to cook more seasonally, resulting in fresher, tastier, and healthier dishes – something customers love.
Planning ahead is key here. Start researching next season’s seasonal menu a month or two in advance. This gives you enough time to work out which ingredients you need to purchase (and in what quantities) once they come into season.
You can even cut out food miles altogether by growing your own food. Homegrown produce is as fresh as it gets (crops start to deteriorate as soon as they’re harvested), and it’s also cost-effective, and a great selling point.
Although there are plenty of different varieties of fruit and veg out there to choose from, why not grow delicious tropical fruit? That’s right. Growing your own taste of the tropics is surprisingly easy, with durian, dragon fruit, lychee trees all able to be cultivated indoors. So, if you ever find it tricky to get your hands on certain specialty items like unusual fruits, simply growing your own can nip this problem in the bud. It also paves the way for creative menu ideas (pineapple pudding cake or mango sorbet, anyone?).
Upgrade Your Appliances
Energy bills take up a huge chunk of your total operating costs. Since the cost of heating and refrigeration adds up fast, you may instead opt to run your appliances around the clock. Although this may save on your energy bills, you’re then left relying on old and inefficient appliances – a common problem among restaurants.
The solution? Upgrade your appliances. This can generate energy savings, as well as improve the efficiency of your kitchen. When investing in new appliances, always be sure to go with commercial models; they’re designed to withstand heavy use, while also maintaining optimal performance and functionality. Energy Star certification is another thing to look out for. Energy Star refrigerators and freezers, for example, offer energy savings of up to 40%, compared to regular models.
Going green is the secret to business success. Whether you’re reducing food waste, slashing food miles, or upgrading appliances, incorporating sustainable practices into your restaurant doesn’t just help the environment, it also saves money, boosts efficiency, and attracts customers at the same time.
