The term “sustainability” is often used today in conjunction with efforts to save the environment. From renewable energy to zero-waste policies, companies around the world in response are exerting various efforts to address climate change and the depletion of natural resources by adopting business practices that are friendlier to the environment.
The shift towards higher sustainability can be a great move for different businesses, restaurants included. Research shows that Millennial and Gen Z customers, the world’s current primary spenders, are willing to pay more for sustainable products.
Market preferences are now shifting towards greener, sustainable options, so how can restaurants take advantage of this trend?
Sustainability in Restaurants
A sustainable restaurant business is one that minimizes its impact on the environment. In today’s market, a customer’s dining experience goes way beyond the quality of food. If a good meal is environmentally destructive, it will not be appreciated by a lot of customers. That’s just the effect of a growing eco-conscious market.
Thankfully, there are several ways for restaurant businesses to improve their sustainability.
#1 Investing in Restaurant Technology
There are several aspects of restaurant technology that can help the sustainability of your business. They can help automate several processes and conserve both manpower and energy where it matters.
These efforts can range from the use energy-efficient light bulbs to the adoption of more complex energy-friendly applications such as solar power. Sustainable methods can greatly help in reducing costs while simultaneously improving the efficiency of your workflow.
Cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) systems are a great example of sustainable restaurant technology. Aside from being able to manage your inventory and other costs, cloud-based POS systems are packed with software integrations that help optimize operations.
Instead of relying on expensive proprietary hardware, cloud POS systems can work on a variety of platforms. Restaurant businesses can take advantage of system improvements every time there’s an upgrade, without buying new hardware.
Newer systems also tend to be more energy efficient. While keeping an old refrigerator running as long as possible may seem like the cheapest option, it may not be the case if you take energy costs into consideration.
Investing in good, long-lasting, and energy-efficient restaurant equipment is essential for the longevity of both your business and the environment. Be on the lookout for the newest, most affordable, and eco-friendly technologies and adopt them for your restaurant business whenever you can.
#2 Use Sustainable Packaging
Plastic waste is one of the biggest problems the world is facing today. In order to achieve sustainability, a restaurant business has to make it a point to reduce plastic use as much as it can.
Eco-friendly alternatives such as paper and wood are an alternative to plastic packaging. Wooden utensils, linen napkins, paper cups, and paper straws have been a trend for sustainable food businesses everywhere. Some restaurants also allow customers to bring their own reusable containers in order to save on package waste.
Offering many sustainable packaging alternatives makes the right impression on increasingly environment conscious customers; it can give them the sense that they are doing the right thing by supporting in your restaurant.
Extending that responsibility to your customers is a great way to get them involved in the business of saving the world. Using eco-friendly packaging is definitely a step in the right direction for any restaurant business that wants to be truly sustainable.
#3 Employing Good Eco-friendly Practices
When it comes to the environment, even small changes in everyday practices can count for a lot. Changing workplace habits and practices can go a long way in achieving restaurant sustainability.
Training staff to conserve water and turn off unused appliances are great ways to reduce your utility bills and your carbon footprint. Workers in food chains that practice sustainability are known to be more motivated in doing their tasks and contribute to improving overall workplace morale.
Another way you can improve restaurant business sustainability is to reduce, reuse, and recycle whenever possible. Got a special item you want to promote? Draw it on a chalkboard instead of printing it on paper. Want to reduce your printed receipts? Why not send a digital one instead through your POS?
An efficient system is a sustainable system. Always be on the lookout for ways to improve the quality of your service without compromising the environment.
#4 Offering Vegan and Vegetarian Options
It’s no secret that mass-market livestock farming and fisheries are not the most sustainable practices in the world. Aside from consuming substantial resources, the agricultural impact of livestock is a significant contributor to global food and energy waste.
Adding more vegan and vegetarian options using ingredients from responsible farms is a great way to create awareness of, and grow support for, sustainable cuisine. With the right kind of marketing, running a restaurant business designed for sustainability, that caters to all kinds of customers – vegans and vegetarians included – will be good for business.
#5 Source Locally
Logistics is one of the most overlooked aspects of the restaurant industry. Deliveries and transportation are just as important to a restaurant business as sales and service.
Instead of relying on exports, you can try sourcing your ingredients locally to cut down on fuel and transportation costs. If some ingredients aren’t available where you are, consider contacting suppliers and trading with them directly.
Shortening the supply chain and minimizing carbon mileage is important to achieving a truly sustainable restaurant business. These practices can help reduce costs, speed up operations, and improve the quality of your products.
Should You Shift Towards Sustainability?
Changing the way you operate your business has its costs. Aside from actual capital, becoming more sustainable entails investing more time and energy breaking old habits and creating new ones.
By adopting greener alternatives and eco-friendly practices, you and your business can make your own contribution to a more sustainable world.