Simple Actions Make Big Differences
Learn about our top 3 most cost effective ways to implement eco-friendly strategies into your restaurant business.
It's Not Just a Trend!
In today’s world, sustainable food practices are an emerging trend for restaurants and hotels.
As global populations grow, so does the demand for food, which places monumental pressure on our ecosystems. Since we’re more conscious than ever of our impact on the environment, customers value when restaurants promote eco-friendly food practices.
Restaurant owners may feel this is farfetched, expensive, and difficult to implement. Will this require a major transformation of your business?
Thankfully, no.
To understand the importance of sustainability in restaurants, read our top 3 most cost-effective ways on how your business can grow with the environment at the forefront of your operations.
What makes a sustainable restaurant?
A sustainable restaurant goes out of their way to minimise their impact on the environment. Focusing on their carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste, and other sustainable strategies to have a positive impression on the environment.
Whilst giving a good impression to your customers for the opportunity to live more sustainably. The positive outcomes of sustainable approaches spreads further than just the business, it is passed onto society.
Why is sustainability So important?
Restaurants really should emphasise sustainability, contributions to preserving the environment will not only protect the future of the hospitality industry, but our society, and nature.
But there is more to it.
Customers nowadays demand more sustainable meal choices when eating out. So much so, that they would be willing to pay an average 20% premium on sustainable meals.
Sustainable practices are attractive, and builds your brand loyalty to retain existing customers. The common misconception is that sustainable strategies are expensive… but in most cases they actually promote waste savings, to elevate your restaurant's bottom line.
Our Top 3 Most Cost Effective Ways to go Green
1. Going Digital
Going green can be started by integrating smart systems like Vantifood into your business. QR codes can be set up at tables to reduce the need for expensive paper menus, which often get damaged. You could unknowingly be wasting up to $5,000 on paper menus per year. Online systems will reduce your paper waste from menus, receipts, coupons, flyers, order slips, loyalty cards, and so on.
By having an online menu, you provide the opportunity for your customers to pre-order meals and reserve tables. This coupled with the dynamic menus, where item availability can be updated instantly, reduces the likelihood of over preparation. Allowing your kitchen to prepare the correct amount of food.
The benefits of using technology is the data you can collect, by analysing your sales you can highlight your fastest and slowest selling products. Enabling you to predict and plan your ingredients more sustainably, further reducing waste.
Going digital provides endless opportunities to upsell your products!
Since the COVID pandemic, upselling from waiters and waitresses has decreased. Customer engagement has reduced as a result of restrictions, and never really bounced back. As a consequence, restaurants are missing out on valuable sales, which negatively impacts their net revenue. Digital menus change this, promotional offers can be easily advertised to accelerate slow selling items, and opportunities to upsell to customers can be introduced at multiple stages of the transaction.
Customer attraction and retention can be boosted through targeted digital marketing campaigns, where the information collected from the customer ordering can be further used to send promotions, deals, and discounts on food. Feedback can be collected from online forms, increasing convenience, reducing expenses… and the use of paper.
Going global- digitalisation enables multilingual menus without the added printing costs. Catering for more customers has never been cheaper, digital menus can provide opportunities for tourists to try your cuisine!
Harnessing the power of a digital restaurant system can help you make money whilst preserving the environment, a deal no business owner should ever sleep on! The main focus restaurant owners need to have is to make incremental changes to improve overall sustainability.
2. Eco-friendly packaging
The days of single use plastics are coming to an end. Straws, containers, cutlery, and more are being replaced for eco-friendly alternatives made from renewable and recycled resources.
It is challenging to completely remove the use of single-use products, but there are some swaps we recommend to make your impact to a greener future.
Eliminate single-use plastic take-away containers and use cardboard, or recyclable material alternatives.
Stop adding single-use plastics as default to peoples orders, allow your customers to choose them.
Expand your focus to aim to invest in produce and ingredients that come in recyclable packaging, and sustainable suppliers.
Reducing plastic waste is key to making a positive impact on the environment. Short-use plastic packaging is a major contributor to worldwide waste, equating to over 50% of all plastic waste, and 40% of total packaging.
Simple actions make big differences. Implementing sustainable tactics, combined with eco-friendly packaging and consumable options will reduce our dependency on single-use plastics. It’s time for us to rethink, reuse and recycle.
2. Eco-friendly packaging
Food waste is one of the largest problems in the restaurant industry, data has shown that approximately 30-40% of all meals doesn’t get eaten, which contributes 199,000 tonnes of food waste each year in the UK alone. For restaurants, adopting a food-waste reduction strategy will not only help the environment, but significantly reduce costs on ingredients.
Here are some key sustainable approaches you can follow:
Reduce Food Waste - This should be your priority. It will benefit you, and the environment by avoiding excessive purchasing of food inventory. Portion control techniques will reduce the amount of food thrown away. Train your staff to find ways to repurpose food scraps, such as for broths, soups, oils, and jams. You can donate leftover food to charities and food banks. The best way to achieve this successfully is to track your waste. It allows you to focus on areas that need to be changed first, whether it is the meal portion sizes, packaging, or your food stock. Monitoring your waste reduction and setting goals will help you improve your bottom line.
Go Paperless - Arguably the simplest way to reduce your waste is by going digital. Menus, receipts, flyers, and loyalty cards contribute a significant portion of paper waste that can be easily eliminated.
Training Your Staff - This is essential. Teaching your staff is key to effectively delivering on the sustainability goals you set. Ensuring they are onboard with correct meal portioning, food storage procedures, and ways to repurpose food waste. Sustainable practices can be implemented from the kitchen to the dining area, and having a committed workforce will allow you to achieve your goals with ease.
Encourage Opt-In for Single-Use Items - Give customers the option to add cutlery, napkins, straws etc. rather than providing them as a default addition.
Implement a Strong Recycling Program - Provide easy access to recycling bins for different waste products such as glass, plastic, cardboards, and metals for customers and staff. Recycling prevents waste going to landfills, and reduces the consumption of resources such as trees and oil.
Overall, waste in the restaurant industry is not good for the environment, nor is it good for business. Implementing sustainable tactics will save you money, attract customers, and build your reputation as an eco-conscious business.
We Can Help You... and the environment!
At Vantifood, we are passionate about helping your restaurant thrive whilst making a positive impact on the planet. Our easy-to-use online ordering system boosts your sales, streamlines your operations, and enhances the dining experience - all without extra fees or commissions.
By going digital with QR code menus and mobile ordering, you’ll also reduce your environmental footprint by cutting down on paper waste.
But that’s not all. For every business that partners with Vantifood, we plant 250 trees to support reforestation efforts. Together, we’re creating a sustainable future while growing your restaurant’s success. Let’s make your restaurant eco-friendly, efficient, and more profitable!
