Top Sustainable Restaurants

TOP SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANTS

TOP SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANTS

It was our ambition to create a CCR list of the top 50 sustainable restaurants in the U.S. who were putting “climate change on the menu.” We have not yet built our own but we have discovered a pair of San Franciscan restauranteurs, Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz, who had a similar ambition and were deep into fulfilling it. Already in 2017, their non-profit organization, Zero Foodprint posted a list of restaurants who had committed to funding climate friendly farming practices (regenerative practices like paying for cover crop seeds, compost, tree-planting, fencing for grazing management, etc).

It was part of a new public-private initiative supporting carbon farming practices called Restore California which directly increase soil health and the supply of great ingredients.

To date, around 30 restaurants have achieved carbon-neutral status under the program; with dozens more on their way to earning the stamp. Those which have achieved in the U.S. are listed below.

CURRENT NEWS

How Panera Became a Pioneer of Sustainability and Change

By Ben Coley 07/01/23
Panera Chairman Niren Chaudhary doesn’t mince words when it comes to sustainability. The restaurant industry veteran calls climate change one of the biggest challenges humanity faces, and he’s far from the only one. Earlier this…
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Three MICHELIN Guide Restaurants on the Future of Sustainable Gastronomy

06/13/23
The culinary world is constantly evolving and innovating. Three Star (and Green Star) SingleThread employs regenerative farming, while London's Silo became the world's first zero-waste haute spot. It’s clear that the sustainability movement is gaining…
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100 Independent Restaurants to Receive Grant for Sustainable Packaging to Help Fight Climate Change, a Partnership From Uber Eats, Visa Inc and Enterprise Nation

06/12/23
Independent take-aways and restaurants in London, Paris and Madrid can apply for the chance to receive funding for more sustainable packaging to help their business operations become more environmentally-friendly.
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Chipotle tests new sustainable restaurant design

By Daniella Genovese 04/11/23
The all new electric restaurant design maximizes energy efficiency in its equipment and systems while also utilizing "100% renewable energy from wind power and solar through the purchase of certified renewable energy credits," according to…
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15 sustainable restaurants in London that are making a real difference

By Ellie Donne 02/15/23
Food waste is one of the biggest issues facing the restaurant industry and recent years have seen a growing number of restaurants and chefs starting to tackle the issue. Ex-Tredwells founder Chantelle Nicholsen, and Skye…
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Consumers order less beef when fast food restaurants disclose climate change impact, study finds

By Ben Adler 01/10/23
When fast food restaurants disclose the climate change impact of menu items, customers place orders less harmful to the environment, a recent study concluded. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University found placing “high climate impact”…
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Study shows climate impact labels on food sold in fast food restaurants can change buying habits

By Bob Yirka 12/28/22
A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has found that placing labels on foods sold at fast food restaurants informing consumers of the negative impact of the production of such foods…
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Carbon Is the New Carbs as Restaurants Roll out Planet-Saving Menu Tweaks

05/13/22
Say you want to order a beef burger. Comes from a cow. Cows are large, and it turns out, quite gassy. Chickens are small and less full of hot air, so to speak. Question: Should…
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Are ‘Climate-Friendly’ Options on Restaurant Menus Coming Soon?

By Alan Mozes 05/12/22
Is there a way to make eating out more environmentally friendly? A team of German researchers thinks the answer is a bright green yes.
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Climate change: carbon labels and clever menu design can cut the impact of dining – new study

By Cristina Stewart and Rachel Pechey 05/11/22
More people cutting back on meat would be good news for the planet, but humans have ingrained habits that are tricky to change. Fortunately, a growing body of research suggests that making changes to the…
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Green Gastronomy in California

04/20/22
California stands at the forefront of sustainable gastronomy in America. As the national leader in total agricultural output, it only makes sense that large-scale conversations about food turn to the Golden State. Beyond boasting some…
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As Restaurants Struggle, Can They Still Contribute to Regenerative Practices?

By Katherine Sacks 03/22/21
At the start of 2020, Zero Foodprint was primed for success. The California-based nonprofit had successfully run a pilot of their 1% program, raising $77,126 for healthy soil projects by working with two pilot restaurants…
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KEY RESOURCES

Welcome to Restore Colorado!

05/21/22
Restaurants and Food Businesses are removing carbon from the atmosphere and re-storing it as healthy soil on local farms and ranches!

Find a Zero Foodprint Business

05/21/22
A few cents from each meal creates a Table-to-Farm Movement, helping farmers implement regenerative practices and build healthy soil.

How to Decrease the Carbon Footprint in the Restaurant Industry

05/19/22
A carbon footprint is a general term to describe a person's impact on the environment based on carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. Businesses have a carbon footprint as well. If you want to run…

MORE NEWS

How chef anthony myint of zero foodprint is helping restaurants fight climate change

By Emily Fieser   02/28/21  
Renowned chef, author, and food consultant, whose accolades, among many, include a James Beard Award, Anthony Myint is more than your typical restaurateur. Paving the way by connecting regenerative agriculture to the consumer dining experience,…
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The carbon neutral restaurant: a pipedream or an inevitability?

By Elizabeth Norton   10/16/20  
We all know that we have to cut down on our carbon emissions. In our personal lives that may include reducing our air travel or meat intake, but the reality is that to have the…
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Carbon neutrality in the restaurant industry: combatting emissions with zero foodprint

By Merlyn Miller   09/26/19  
Since its founding in 2013, non-profit Zero Foodprint has been on a mission to aid consciously-minded restaurants in their quest to become carbon free. The organization was born from the now defunct Lucky Peach magazine,…
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