Climate change is a growing concern for most people, giving sustainability a front-row seat on influencing purchasing decisions. Now more than ever, people realize the power of their money— and they’re using that power to support businesses they believe in.
And this trend is reaching the restaurant industry too.
A survey by the Sustainable Restaurant Association showed that 80% of people consider sustainability a deciding factor when picking a place to eat. A great menu is no longer the only thing attracting loyal, returning customers. Sustainability and wider food options are influencing this decision too.
This means that a climate-friendly menu is a deciding factor for many people looking to go out to eat. By incorporating sustainable practices into your restaurant, you stay relevant and adapt to global changes. And in this blog, we’re showing you how to do it.
What is Restaurant Sustainability?
Restaurant sustainability is taking into account the impact your restaurant has on the environment and your community. And setting up business practices that positively benefit this impact.
In other words, restaurant sustainability is running a restaurant that protects and cares for the environment and communities. This means reducing waste, lowering carbon emissions, sourcing organic, local ingredients, and more.
Benefits of Adopting Restaurant Sustainability
Besides protecting and preserving the only home we have, there are many reasons to prioritize sustainability when running your restaurant. These are some of the benefits your restaurant experiences when implementing sustainable practices.
Cater to a larger audience.
People care about the environment and the demand for sustainable businesses keeps on growing every year. Adopt sustainable practices and watch your restaurant thrive!
More loyal, returning customers.
Customers who care about sustainability are loyal. When you show your diners you’re prioritizing the Earth, they prioritize your restaurant.
Save money.
Sustainability helps your restaurant cut down on costs by reducing unnecessary waste, lowering electricity and water bills, and more.
An improved, inclusive menu.
With fresh, local ingredients and a menu designed to be sustainable, you serve better-tasting food. Plus, you reach people who otherwise would go somewhere else.
So…How Sustainable is Your Menu?
If you’re trying to figure out how earth-friendly your menu is, ask yourself these questions. They’ll help you figure out what needs to improve in your menu and restaurant.
Are your sourcing local, organic ingredients and vendors?
Are you serving the right-sized portions?
Are you actively reducing food waste and composting?
Do you have a vegan menu?
If you answered no to one or more questions, then it’s time to take a look at your business practices. You don’t have to tackle every single issue at once, but you can start now, and slowly improve over time. Slow, constant change is better than no change at all.
8 Ways to Keep Your Restaurant Menu Sustainable
Ready to put sustainability in the front row of your business? Here are 8 ways for you to start:
1. Offer Vegan Food Options
Plant-based and vegan dishes are better than meat-based foods when it comes to sustainability. Unfortunately, the meat and fish industry leaves an enormous trail of waste and greenhouse emissions. Plus, the excessive use of water and land is putting an extremely heavy burden on the planet.
The good news is that simply by offering more plant-based options, you help tackle this issue. And you reach the 47% of Americans who want to eat more vegan foods.
2. Source More Ingredients Locally
Avoid the cost of bringing international produce all the way to your restaurant when local farmers grow it too. Team up with a local farm, vendor, or farmer’s market and buy from them fresh produce and vegan products like tempeh, tofu, etc. Not only does it help the environment— but fresh ingredients also taste so much better.
This way, not only is your food better, but you’re also setting up your restaurant to be community-orientated and supporting local businesses. And your community pays you back by supporting your restaurant too!
3. Cut Down on Waste
There are many ways to cut down on food waste… and restaurants produce lots of it. This takes a major toll on the environment and on your wallet since food waste is also a waste of money. To cut down on waste, start by having a small audit in your restaurant’s kitchen and trash bin.
- Are you throwing out lots of uneaten food?
- Is organic waste one of the most common finds in your trash bin?
- Are your to-go orders being packed in single-use plastic?
These problems have easy solutions! For starters, use food scraps to create something else, instead of throwing them away. For example, use fennel stems as garnish or pepper scraps to make a sauce. Adjusting your food portions is also key to avoiding throwing out uneaten food constantly.
Finally, teaming up with a community or city compost program is one of the best ways to practice sustainability. Not only are you reducing waste, but you’re also giving back to the community and helping them grow food!
Another key way to reduce waste is repurposing some of your veggie scraps. Instead of throwing them out, save them to make veggie stock. And of course, opt for eco-friendly containers, rather than single-use plastics for your to-go orders.
4. Grow Your Own Food
A full-blown garden might be too much for a busy restaurant… but growing your own herbs and veggies is easy, affordable, and it doesn’t need too much space. Plus, fresh veggies and herbs taste better.
Take a closer look at the most used veggies and herbs on your menu and start growing them. You’ll save money and have fresh, delicious ingredients handy.
5. Prioritize Organic Ingredients
Another way to keep things more sustainable at your restaurant is to use more organic ingredients. And prioritize suppliers selling organic ingredients. Why? Traditional food production uses toxic chemicals and pesticides that take a huge toll on the health of our planet and your body.
Organic ingredients are better and healthier. Make sure to include them in your menu!
6. Skip The Palm Oil
As simple as it might sound, avoiding palm oil in your kitchen is vital right now. Why? The industry is causing irreversible damage to our plant and it’s one of the major drivers of deforestation.
7. Make More Foods From Scratch
Skip the pre-packed, pre-made foods— instead, make them yourself. From salad dressings to seitan, there are many areas you can improve here. Plus, fresh food made in-house has a better flavor— driving more customers to return.
8. Get an Expert to Help you Create a Delicious + Sustainable Vegan Menu
Running a restaurant is hard. From sourcing high-quality ingredients to training staff, there is so much going on behind the scenes of a great meal. And changing your restaurant practices to be more sustainable adds some weight to an already heavy load.
Improving your restaurant’s sustainable practices should excite you… not overwhelm you.
And the best way to excel at restaurant sustainability without sacrificing your sanity is to hire an expert. Skip the guessing games and let a professional guide you through tried and tested practices that work.
Ready to Give Your Restaurant a Sustainable Boost?
A trained Vegan Hospitality consultant (that’s me!) helps you bridge the gap between traditional, unsustainable hospitality and the growing plant-based movement. At Next Generation Vegan and as a trained vegan cook + environmentalist, I’m committed to helping you create a plant-forward vegan menu that turns your guests into returning, forever customers.
Book a free strategy session today and let’s grow your restaurant together.