How Chefs Can Survive COVID-19 and Prepare for Climate Change
2020 has been dominated by COVID-19 and its effects on our lives, to a point where it is easy to forget that there is an equally as destructive trend on its way to us: climate change. By most accounts, we are approaching a turning point where we will be unable to counteract the effects of destructive, man-made climate change.
Restaurant owners, however, have a bigger issue at hand. They are facing an incredibly uncertain financial year with the rest of 2020 and into 2021 looking like more months of socially distanced dining and rolling quarantine lockdown restrictions. Last month, it was estimated that more than ⅔ of restaurants in New York City alone, one of the top cities for dining in the world, will be out of business by January without additional support. In Amsterdam, where I am currently, restaurants and bars have just been ordered to close for the first time since they opened in June due to cases continuing to rise.
At a time like this, sweeping and expensive changes about how to make restaurants more “green” are out of touch.
After all, if your business is experiencing financial stress due to the pandemic, the cost difference between polystyrene and eco-friendly containers (if you’re operating in a region where you can still offer takeaway) can be the difference between paying rent or paying employees.
But in this quieter time, there are a few low (or no cost) steps restaurants can take to prepare to set themselves apart in 2021 as a more sustainable operation and capture more dining dollars when the world gradually progresses back to normal.
Support local farmers and vendors in your dishes
While we all have supplier loyalties, buying certain items like produce and meats from local vendors can be a good way to save money as well as cut the carbon footprint of your dishes, as the pandemic has disrupted most operations and supply chains. You can then promote your dishes as local and farm-to-table dining, and highlight specific ingredients as having come from your region. Tip: this does especially well in menu descriptions and Instagram posts (don’t forget to tag those suppliers!)
Research the eco-friendly packaging you want to use in the future - and bookmark it for now
One of the common reasons restaurants don’t switch to more eco-friendly packaging is because of time - you have orders to get out and kitchens to run, and your head chef doesn’t have time to be looking at packaging options. Now is a good time to deep dive into the options available from your suppliers and price out what the switch would cost so you’re ready to do so when operations are more profitable.
Bonus: Add an option to your take away menu items where consumers can select less packaging or no additional cutlery/napkins/etc.
Start a herb and vegetable garden
While this idea does have some upfront costs (seeds/soil/garden setup), it pays big dividends when your kitchen is able to source most of, if not all of its herbs and vegetables in-house. If you aren’t selling as much food that would warrant these costs, consider creating vegetable/herbs boxes for customers to purchase to cook with at home. These boxes can include your menu, and with an easy trip to the printers, can have a sticker with your restaurant logo on it too. If you’re on Instagram, include your Instagram handle! Tip: Keep your spring onion bottoms and grow them back in a glass with water on the window sill - thanks to David Chang for that one!
Add a Sustainability section to your website, takeaway menu/dining apps, and social media profiles.
As consumers are bombarded with ads and messages about where they should be spending their money (whether for takeaway or dining), they are becoming more intentional about whom they support. Make it easy for them to support you by including a small blurb on your website/takeaway dining app page and a highlight reel on your Instagram about what and how your restaurant is practising sustainability. This can include naming local vendors and supplies you use, a quick Q&A about how customers can request less packaging or how eco-friendly your packaging is, or even a list of the herbs and vegetables you grow in-house.
These are just a few easy ways to make your restaurant more sustainable without requiring a huge investment of cash or time. After all, the top priority this year is to keep your business running so you can continue to deliver incredible dining experiences that are also sustainable. I think even David Attenborough would understand that!