There are many advantages to having a more environmentally friendly restaurant. Going green helps raise awareness of your brand, allows you to qualify for certain grants, and is helpful for the planet. Here are five ways that your restaurant can go green. These will help you on your way to creating a more sustainable, eco-friendly business.
1. Create a Sustainable Menu
Creating a sustainable menu is a common practice when going green. This process includes creating a menu that uses a smaller amount of ingredients in many ways. For example, you can use the same chicken you put in sandwiches for salads or soups. Alternatively, you can serve it as an entrée on its own. Meanwhile, if you only have one menu item that uses artichoke hearts, it may be a good idea to either remove that item from the menu or incorporate the artichoke into more dishes. Sustainable menus reduce the number of items your restaurant orders and allow you to focus on quality over quantity.
2. Use Energy-Efficient Appliances
Energy-efficient appliances are great for reducing your eatery’s carbon footprint. Lower energy reduces the amount of power you use and often requires less water, allowing you to save money on your utility bills and help the earth at the same time.
3. Reduce Potential Waste
One way your restaurant can go green is by reducing potential plastic waste. Consider investing in biodegradable alternatives if your restaurant gives out plastic eating utensils. Plastic straws create lots of unnecessary garbage, so many business owners switch to paper straws or only give out straws upon request to reduce the amount thrown out daily.
4. Utilize Natural Light
Natural light through windows and skyboxes is a great way to reduce the amount of electricity you use during the day, illuminating the restaurant. Turning off lights or dimming them when the sun comes in allows your patrons to enjoy a homier environment and enables you to reduce energy consumption during daytime hours.
5. Offer Digital Menus
Many restaurants are making the transition to digital menus. Not only are iPad food menus more cost-effective in the long run, but they create a greener experience by allowing restaurant owners to make quick and easy changes to the menu without needing to print out new menus whenever they make changes. Restaurant owners looking to invest in digital menus will find what they need with eMenu International. Call us today!
