Can We Bring Bluefin Tuna Back From The Brink?

Bluefin tuna are one of the most prized catches in the world’s oceans, with some markets, especially in Asia, selling them for as much as $20,000 a fish.  For sushi lovers, the bluefin is the equivalent of a purebred Angus filet mignon, and it’s a mainstay of thousands of restaurants, including the internationally recognized chain Nobu. ...

Have You Joined The NRA’s Conserve Initiative?

The National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) Conserve Initiative is designed to give restaurateurs the tools they need to start implementing sustainable, environmentally conscious practices in the food service industry.  As quoted from the Conserve Initiative’s website: “The National Restaurant Association’s Conserve initiative is...

Stop Giving Waste Fryer Oil Away!

Disposing of used vegetable oil has always been a problem for restaurants.  In recent years it has gotten easier with the increasing demand for biodiesel.  Now many restaurants depend on free pickup services by biodiesel companies as a convenient and cheap way to dispose of their used fryer oil.  Some even pay to have the stuff hauled away. But what if you...

10 Energy Efficiency Tips From The Back Burner

It’s such a buzzword these days it has almost become cliche, but nevertheless green restaurants are an important and lasting trend.  Customers are the main force driving this, and consistently they say they value restaurants with green practices.  Giving customers what they want while reducing your operating costs through more efficient (”green”) practices seems like a win-win for almost any restaurant. These...

Jerry’s Tech Talk: Refrigeration Door Gaskets

The rubber door gasket on the inside edge of the doors of all your refrigeration equipment is very important. It prevents cold air from escaping, which means the unit will stay colder longer and use less energy.  Old gaskets...

Greener and Cheaper: Restaurants Grow Their Own Food

You’ve heard about organic ingredients.  You’ve also heard about food miles and skyrocketing food costs.  Anybody in the restaurant business can tell you these issues have affected their customer’s tastes and their bottom line. ...

Restaurants and Farmers Work Together To Reduce Waste and Improve Crop Yields

San Francisco's food scrap collection program benefits farmers and restaurateurs San Franciscan restaurants are participating in a city-wide compost collection program that has collected over 105,000 tons of food scraps and yard trimmings in a single year.  All that waste used to end up in the landfill,...

Green Consumers Still Going Strong

Every restaurant has had to deal with revenue and expense challenges over the last year.  And many have probably wondered whether green practices and products in their restaurants are worth their while, both in terms of cost to purchase and the time it takes to implement new products and procedures. If a new ...