Restaurants that have gone to the trouble of applying for and getting green certification from the Green Restaurant Association or Green Seal understand what Kermit the Frog meant when he said, "It's not easy being green."
The two dozen-plus certified green restaurants in Chicago are conserving natural resources, reducing waste that would go to landfills and undertaking similar actions that Keefer's Restaurant partner Glenn Keefer notes are "the right thing to do." Among the steps Keefer's has taken are to use green building materials, including recycled glass in flooring and bathroom tiles and wool instead of synthethic rugs; recycle bottles, aluminum and paper in the back of the house; and install bicycle racks outside and give bicycling employees health club passes in the building to use for showers before their shifts.
Additional efforts to become even more green are ongoing, Keefer says, in spite of challenges. For instance, he plans to buy a more energy-efficient dishwasher even though the cost is much higher than a less-efficient model. He also is frustrated by not always being able to buy from local food producers, due to the region's short growing season.
Nevertheless, Keefer says, "It's definitely worth the effort, and we will continue to do it." He often hears from new customers that they came to the restaurant when they learned it has green certification.
Other certified green restaurants in Chicago so far are Avec, Big Jones, Blackbird, Bleeding Heart Bakery, Blind Faith Cafe, Dining Room at Kendall College, Frontera Grill, Hannah's Bretzel, Poag Mahone's, The Publican, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Simone's Bar, Sopraffina Marketcaffe (5 locations), Topolobampo, Trattoria No. 10 and Uncommon Ground (2 spots).
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