In the mood for some eco-minded reading? Head on over to www.conserve.restaurant.org, the National Restaurant Association’s new site aimed at helping restaurateurs of all stripes save money (and reduce their environmental impact) by becoming more efficient. The site is well organized and appears to be updated regularly with improved features and more comprehensive information.
To tour the site, I suggest starting out reading some success stories; many describe small, simple steps that lead to good results. Then, try the “Virtual Green Restaurant”—an eye-pleasing diagram of a restaurant with various “green” upgrades in each area (FOH and BOH). The “Understanding the Issues” tab seems to have the most detailed suggestions for efficient upgrades; most restaurateurs will find at least one or two things that could improve their restaurant’s efficiency without requiring a large expense up front.
Take a few green steps yourself, measure your results, and report back to the NRA using the “Tell Us Your Story” form. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even feature your story on their site.
Bonus: According to the New York Times, the federal government may approve tax breaks for efficiency upgrades in restaurants; the article doesn’t go into much detail, but keep checking the Restaurant Guru blog for updates.
