Whether you know it or not, climate change is already hurting your restaurant ROI. Extreme weather events often result in significant crop losses, sparking a chain reaction of skyrocketing prices, quality drops, and delivery delays. Keeping profitability high will only prove more challenging as natural disasters rise.
Going green is good for every restaurant’s future—and it can fuel your immediate success. Consumers are experiencing the impact of climate change just as much, and they’re actively prioritizing sustainability as a result. Today, 43% of diners would pay more for eco-friendly takeout options, and 68% believe restaurants should minimally avoid waste.
Evidently, environmental responsibility is here to stay, both out of necessity and consumer demand. Ready to strengthen guest loyalty? Implement these restaurant sustainability practices to stand out to eco-conscious guests.
Reduce: Minimizing Food Waste in Innovative Ways
Proper inventory management is the best way to curb food waste at the source, but preventing sold-out menu items often requires a surplus. Restaurants that find innovative solutions to keep this excess food out of landfills are highly marketable—often winning headlines and social media attention. For example, Executive Chef Mark Russell is known for creating tasty dishes from ingredients that would typically be thrown away, including parsley stems and prime meat trim.
Many restaurants are also using platforms like Too Good to Go, which allow businesses to sell surplus items at reduced prices at the end of each business day. This strategy helps companies expose locals to their food, all while reducing financial losses by earning revenue for prepared-yet-unsold items. Restaurants can consider donating clean leftovers to homeless shelters and food banks, too.
Of course, restaurants should recognize that food scraps aren’t the only “waste” they create. Reducing the amount of energy used in your restaurant operations—whether it’s by using energy-efficient equipment or keeping appliances in tip-top shape—is crucial for sustainability.
Reuse: Moving Beyond Single-Use Packaging
Biodegradable and recyclable to-go containers were once the darlings of the restaurant industry, but they’re meant to be disposed of at the end of the day. As consumers shift toward reusable options, your establishment can stand out by offering multi-use containers in their place.
Want to take it a step further? Take note from Hearth in Denver, which uses glass jars for to-go coffee orders. Customers can keep the container—or they can return it for a discount, encouraging more purchases.
Recycle: Establishing a Composting Program
Still struggling to curb food waste? Coffee grounds and eggshells can be useful to farmers and hobby gardeners alike. Many scraps can also be composted instead of thrown in the trash. Restaurants at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia are among the many eateries partnering with local composting organizations to divert waste. In just a month, they collected (and saved) over 30 tons of food.
Check out composting services in your area, including programs sponsored by your city, to find new opportunities to go zero-waste.
Rethink: Putting Sustainability on the Menu
Your restaurant sustainability practices shouldn’t be limited to your choices in the kitchen; they should consider the entire supply chain. Eco-friendly restaurants are increasingly sourcing local, seasonal ingredients to reduce transportation emissions and climate-related delivery delays. Andina in Portland has even collaborated directly with a nearby farm to hybridize aji chili varieties, allowing them to grow in the local climate.
Partnering with farms that embrace sustainable practices of their own—like regenerative farming and eco-friendly pesticides—can also support a green future. However, opting for more vegan ingredients alone can massively reduce emissions.
Strengthening Restaurant Sustainability with Eco-Conscious Management
Strong restaurant sustainability practices start with managers who are willing to lead the charge. From executive chefs who craft dishes from would-be food scraps to restaurant managers who rethink your supply chain, your team must treat environmental responsibility as core value to attract future guests.
At Gecko Hospitality, our restaurant management recruiters can connect you to proven FOH and BOH leaders who can bring your sustainable vision to life. We get to know your culture and processes, leveraging collaboration and unparalleled industry knowledge to ensure every placement reliably moves you closer to your goals.
