Jumping onto the ‘Green Restaurant’ bandwagon

Over the years the need to be more sustainable has been filtering into all areas of our lives, from eating organic to banishing extra packaging and plastic. And now, particularly eco savvy millennials, consumers are looking for sustainable alternatives in all areas of their lives and this is filtering into the hospitality industry. From the food they serve to the recycling infrastructure they adopt, restaurants, bars and hotels are beginning to jump onto the ‘green movement’ and look at ways to appeal to environmentally friendly seeking customers. Recent surveys show that consumers are willing to pay more for a green dining experience with 65% stating that they will pay up to 10% more to dine at a green restaurant versus a restaurant that simply serves organic food. With this in mind, check out the following tips to see all the different ways you can ‘green’ your restaurant or bar during the refurbishment period:
• Practice water efficiency by installing low-flow faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms. Consider on-demand, touchless sensor faucets as well and install dual flush handle toilets and/or high-efficiency toilets and waterless urinals.
• During a renovation can any old furniture be upcycled or simply redecorated to bring it up to date with the new style?
• Reduce pollution by creating designated electric vehicle charge points in the car park.
• Use quality, energy efficient insulation, duct sealing, and weather-stripping, plus make sure there are plenty of windows to allow daylight in.
• Install a high-efficiency water heater.
• Consider using occupancy sensors for lighting in certain areas.
• Buy furniture made with rapidly renewable wood like bamboo or FSC Certified wood.
• Consider alternatives to animal products such as animal-free leather and worm free silk, both of which are becoming increasingly popular.