4 Ways to Make Your Restaurant More Sustainable

Julie Starr • March 30, 2022



Sustainability is essential in today’s foodservice industry. This is because the restaurant industry is facing sustainability challenges from various angles. From environmental concerns to food cost pressures, restaurants need to make changes if they want to continue serving their customers for years to come.

If your restaurant wants to make the most of its limited resources, consider implementing these three sustainable practices. They will help you reduce your carbon footprint and save money, but they’ll also strengthen your operations and build customer loyalty.

Use Seasonal and Local Produce

The first sustainable practice is to use seasonal and local produce. Seasonal produce is grown in the same climate as your restaurant, while locally sourced produce is grown at a relatively close distance to your restaurant. A majority of Americans want their restaurants to serve local produce, according to a recent survey by FreshDirect. Seasonal and local produce tastes better because it’s fresher, but it can also help reduce food costs by 30 percent or more.

Serve More Vegan and Vegetarian Options

Serve more vegan and vegetarian options. There has been an increased demand for meatless food items in recent years. And while it’s true that restaurants have long offered dishes without meat, the trend toward veggie-centric menus is a new one.

One reason for this is that plant-based options are healthier. More and more people are trying to avoid animal proteins high in cholesterol and saturated fats and avoid antibiotics used on livestock. For these reasons, many people turn to vegan or vegetarian dishes when they eat out.

Echoing these trends is that flexitarianism or semi-vegetarianism is on the rise – an increasing number of Americans don’t want to give up their steak but are cutting down on their red meat intake. For restaurants, this means that offering more plant-based options will help keep customers satisfied and may even attract new diners who’ve been hesitant to try your restaurant because of its meat focus.

Use An Online Ordering System

One of the most sustainable changes your restaurant can make is to embrace an online ordering system. Whether you are offering local delivery or in-house ordering via a QR code, a restaurant ordering system can help you be more sustainable during operations. An online ordering system will allow your restaurant to reduce its paper usage, save money on printing and delivery costs, and increase customer loyalty.

Use Reclaimed Furniture

Reclaimed furniture is an excellent way to make your restaurant more sustainable . This type of furniture is made from items that have been reclaimed and typically meant for demolition, like old doors and windows.

Instead of buying new furniture, you can purchase reclaimed furniture from a salvage warehouse or interior decorator. You’ll be surprised at the variety of unique pieces available to you. Plus, reclaimed furniture is less expensive than new furniture!

As you might imagine, using eco-friendly furnishings will help reduce your carbon footprint, but it will also save you money in the long run. You can use reclaimed wood for tables and chairs without worrying about replacing them every few years–plus, it will give your restaurant an authentic feel.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.