For my research prospectus I will be exploring the options of making a greener restaurant. I am a hospitality management major so this topic is of great importance. I have been in the industry for six years now and have dealt with every position from dishwasher to chef and from busser to manager. I’ve worked with many different pieces of equipment and have seen how recycling is done in different establishments. When it comes to going green there is definitely room for improvement. Many restaurants are very accustomed to old techniques in result using up energy and wasting things that can be recycled.
The first thing I will be researching is recycling. Although it is very easy to recycle, the way kitchens are setup, they may not be able to fit extra recyclable trashcans. Chefs and owners are also very stubborn and are not necessarily willing to change. Employees are used to old ways so it will take time for things to become in affect and followed through.
The second thing I will be looking up is the options of alternative energy and equipment. An alternate to oil and coal energy can have a great affect. But again, changing a restaurant around to go green is very expensive and in this economy may not be smart. Looking on the bright side, new restaurants being developed could utilize new energy when developing their kitchens.
The third thing I will be looking at is food sourcing. I great way to help out the environment and economy is by using local produce and meats. Knowing where your product came from really helps. Also, in making a menu, you must be able to know the food you are using. Many new seafood items are popping up in menus because many fishes are getting close to extinction. By consuming so much food, many people have forgotten that they must have time to procreate or else they will eventually disappear. For example cod used to be extremely abundant but is now diminishing.
This is going to be a very interesting topic for me and I am very happy to have the opportunity to increase my knowledge on going green. Seeing that I will be in the industry for quite awhile, hopefully what I learn will help me in the future and possibly bring the establishment that I work at closer to being an environmentally safe place of business.
Bibliography
Horovitz, B. "Can restaurants go green, earn green?." USA Today 19 May 2008: n. pag. Web. 26 Jan 2010.
"Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability." National Restaurant Association. National Restaurant Association, Web. 26 Jan 2010.
"Going Greener." Environmental Law and Policy Center of the Midwest. 2010. Web. 2010.
"Get Educated." Green Restaurant Association. 2010. Web. 2010.
Breeden, Jeff. "Lower Your Energy Bills Now." Restaurant Hospitality 93.8 (2009): 20. Hospitality & Tourism Complete. EBSCO. Web. 27 Jan. 2010.
Exiting topic. You could check out how The Village Bakery here practices green and sustainable methods. They even compost. You need to look beyond recycling and energy use (though important) to food sourcing, local economy sourcing, kinds of meat, organics and so on.
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