Websites

How To Showcase Your Restaurant Sustainability Efforts

April 19, 2023

A look at how and why restaurants are building sustainability into their brands.

Sustainability has become a popular topic in the hospitality industry in the last decade, and many restaurants are sharing more about their practices — particularly on their websites.

The reason? Consumers are interested in hearing more about restaurant sustainability.

In fact, 38% say they’re more likely to choose a restaurant that offers locally-sourced foods over one that doesn’t, and 55% of consumers consider a restaurant’s food waste reduction efforts an important factor when deciding where to eat. What’s more, consumers are actually willing to spend more money at restaurants that are investing in these efforts — 43% of diners will pay more for sustainable restaurant takeout.

Whether you’re sourcing local ingredients or implementing waste-reducing tactics, highlighting your sustainability efforts illustrates transparency and builds trust with diners. Given that 77% of diners check a restaurant’s website before visiting, featuring your sustainability practices on your website is a smart way to share this information.

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6 Restaurant Sustainability Examples on Websites

There are four main ways to promote your restaurant's sustainability work across your digital storefront, including:

Publish your sustainability statement.
Document your efforts.
Highlight your local vendors.
Showcase certificates & awards.

Read on to see how real restaurants are featuring sustainability on their website following the four guidelines above.

1. Marlow Bistro

Marlow Bistro in New York City shares their sustainable practices and policies on their website. The topic is so important to the Mediterranean spot that their Sustainability page lives in the top navigation bar for prime visibility. On the page, details are given about how the restaurant uses recyclable packaging and service ware, adheres to a commercial composting program, and partners with local organizations to donate surplus food.

2. Snappy Salads

Sustainability is a core part of the operations at Snappy Salads, which has multiple locations around the Dallas area. Their website shares that they’ve been offering biodegradable and compostable straws since 2014 and their bottled water is captured, filtered local rainwater that’s sold in biodegradable containers. Beyond packaging, eco-friendly efforts are made across the physical space as well. The countertops at each location are upcycled and made from a combination of recycled brown beer bottles, green wine bottles, white porcelain, and shiny mirrors. Plus, the tables and stools in the dining area are created from salvaged wood.

3. Landfall

Landfall in Woods Hole, Massachusetts shows the value of transparency with their sustainability page, calling out that the restaurant began taking a series of steps in 2018 to be more environmentally conscious. Some of their efforts have included taking better care to divert food scraps from the waste stream, decreasing the use of plastic straws, and changing from incandescent and fluorescent lights to LED lights to reduce electricity consumption.

4. The New Moon Cafe

The New Moon Cafe (with spots in South Carolina and Georgia) shares a behind-the-scenes look at their composting efforts — complete with photos and videography. Since 2019, the coffee shop has diverted over 50 tons of waste from going to landfill by composting their spent coffee grounds, food scraps, and brown paper. The process creates soil that is used in the cafe garden.

5. Urban Farmer

Urban Farmer’s messaging talks about using responsibly sourced food and high-quality ingredients, and their sourcing & sustainability page gives the details on how they act on that promise. By partnering with farmers and ranchers nearby, the restaurant makes use of local harvests and seasonal ingredients for their menu. And they practice what they preach by giving visibility to their list of partners.

6. Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar

Has your restaurant been recognized for sustainability efforts? Share the news with your website visitors. Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar calls attention to the fact that their restaurants were the first in the states of Colorado and Missouri to be certified by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, a program that assesses how fisheries and aquaculture operations perform against science-based standards for environmental sustainability.