Restaurants go green and not just with salads

6/18/09

Eating at a restaurant costs more than just what the bill says. It's costing the environment. For example, restaurants are responsible for a third of retail electricity use in America. In a year, a restaurant can easily use 300,000 gallons of water. It's obvious the restaurant business is leaving behind a carbon footprint that's knee deep.

But Americans love to eat out. The National Restaurant Association 2009 forecast expects restaurant sales to reach $566b. And that's in a recession.But, restaurant owners are starting to develop an ecological conscience--they're finding new reasons to go green. Many restaurants are converting their daily operations to be more environmentally friendly. Some even have the Green Restaurant Association's seal of approval.

The GRA has spent almost two decades creating a sustainable way for restaurants to operate. They work on a point system. A restaurant earns points for doing things like recycling and saving water. The more points they earn, the higher their level of certification. Boston restaurants are catching on fast. The city is the GRA's second most active city, after New York.

But you don't have to be GRA certified to be green. After all, there are annual fees and while most restaurant owners agree that it's cost effective over time, the startup can run high especially for a smaller business. But according to Aaron Parsons, the chef and manager of a popular Boston restaurant, it's something to work towards.

"We're taking it slowly. We did all the small things, like recycling bottles. We recycle our cardboard, and all our food waste goes to a farm," Parsons said.

Corey Johnson, the chef at a South End bakery that became GRA certified in November, said being a green restaurant has its financial benefits. Their trash bill has been cut by more than half and the amount of money they are saving by cutting down on paper goods is substantial, he said. Not to mention, being GRA certified is great for advertisement and keeps people coming back.

"Everybody is really happy. I think that a lot of people want to be apart of doing something like this. Everybody wants to do their part to be green. I think that if customers feel that there coming to a place that supports their ideals as well, they'll feel better about supporting their local business," Johnson said.