What is the Green Restaurant Association?
The GRA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to making restaurants more sustainable. In 29 years of research into the relationship between restaurants and the environment, the GRA implemented certification standards to measure each restaurant’s environmental accomplishments and provided recommendations each restaurant could take towards increased environmental sustainability. The GRA’s rigorous standards include categories like water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable food, chemical and pollution reduction, and energy efficiency. Under these standards, different sustainable practices receive differing scores, all of which are joined to a single number that determines which certification the restaurant would receive.
How We Earned 3-Star Certification
Many updates went into accumulating points for the certification, including:
- Implementing a comprehensive recycling program
- Remaining free of polystyrene foam products
- Offering numerous eco-friendly products, including bowls, plates, cutlery, and cups,
- Utilizing 100 percent led lighting throughout the buildings
- Offering a wide range of vegetarian and vegan menu options
- Introducing washable cutlery to eliminate the usage of plastic cutlery
