According to a study by FoodService, sustainable materials and food sourcing in your restaurant can reduce operational costs by up to 30%. Here are 27 ways to build sustainability into your restaurant.
Produce
Grow your own ingredients
Select seasonal produce
Partner with sustainable producers
Buy local
Buy in bulk
Buy produce with zero packaging
Buy “wonky” produce
In the kitchen
Repurpose undesirable food using techniques like fermentation or pickling
Use conduction hobs where possible
Use a combi oven (convection, steam and combination cooking) to save energy
Refrigerate using CO2 (R744) rather than other HFCs like R404a
Refrigerate away from hot kitchen areas
Complete an energy audit for the building/interior
Reassess your energy supplier
Replace old-fashioned lights with energy-saving LEDs
Inspect old appliances such as dishwashers
Service your boiler for optimal efficiency
Restaurant interior & exterior
Use a positive cradle-to-cradle approach
Design with end-of-life in mind – can the materials you use be disassembled easily?
Reuse previous tenants’ materials to cut down virgin material use and add authenticity
Specify materials with high recycled content
Specify local materials
Install energy efficient equipment
Ensure that all timber is certified as sustainable
Upcycle throw-away products into new materials or objects
Create an in-restaurant farm
Install solar panels (location dependent)
For advice on where to begin with your sustainability mission, information on cost-saving measures and more, contact our team today.