As a local restaurant owner, you’ve got a lot on your plate (pun intended). From open until close, you have to play chef, matradee, custodian and customer psychologist all at the same time. It’s a taxing job, but rewarding nonetheless.
Of course, with all the hustle and bustle that comes with restaurant ownership, it’s easy to glance over your establishment’s environmental footprint. You’ve got mouths to feed; everything else comes secondary. The good news is that you don’t have to put a whole heap of thought into going green around the restaurant. Here are five simple techniques for giving your eatery an Eco-friendly overhaul:
1. Start with the bathroom. At is busiest hours, your restaurant is sure to have a lot of traffic coming in and out of the bathroom. If you’ve got the capital to do it, consider installing low flow or waterless toilets. It might seem a bit pricey now, but they’ll eventually pay for themselves on your water bill. If you’re looking for something a little cheaper, be sure to purchase Eco-friendly paper towels and toilet paper. Oh, and remember to wash your hands before you get back to work.
2. Reconsider your lighting. Like homeowners, restaurant owners have the opportunity to scale back simply by changing their light bulbs. If you’re still using incandescent bulbs, try switching over to LEDs or CFLs. Or better yet: if you can find a way to utilize a natural light source, go for it!
3. Serve the right meals. People love your restaurant for what it is. Maybe you specialize in Asian fusion – or maybe it’s southwestern BBQ. Regardless, you don’t have to sacrifice your staple entrees in order to go green. Just look for a few opportunities to serve organic food where you can! Will your customers notice if you’re using organic soup crackers? Probably not.
4. Start Composting. Think about how many food scraps you produce in a typical day. Couldn’t all those bones, all that gristle and all those inedible items be put to better use than simply sitting in the bottom of a dumpster? Start composting and use it to maintain your decorative plans, or find a local organization that will help you donate it.
5. Go in-house. If you have the resources, it might not be a bad idea to start growing your own produce and developing some of your own ingredients. It cut backs on your carbon footprint
(think about how much dirty transit is involved to get mass produced foods from A to B), and it can even be a scalable way to save some money. Plus, your customers will be able to taste the
difference (in a good way).
What’s left? With these five tips in mind, there’s not much else you have to do. Give yourself a personal audit every month or so and make sure you’re still making a point to carry out these goals. Before you know it, you’ll be Mother Nature’s favorite eatery.
Ashley Joyce is a Blogger at EnergySavings.com
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