In the restaurant industry, “going green” can mean many different things. Energy and water usage, food waste, packaging, sourcing – these are just a few aspects of restaurant sustainability. We are increasingly seeing that a restaurant’s broader sustainability efforts influence customer decisions. According to Oracle’s Restaurant Scene 2022 global survey, 87% of consumers said that transparency from restaurants about their sustainability initiatives is essential. From global fast-food chains like McDonalds, which opened the first quick-service restaurant designed to be Net Zero Energy in the U.S. in 2020. Sustainability is gaining traction in the food service industry. These industry leaders are developing innovative ways to utilize electrification and waste reduction, combating climate change.

A green restaurant is an environmentally friendly restaurant that operates in a sustainable manner, incorporating practices and procedures that minimize the impact of the restaurant's operations on the environment. This includes implementing energy-efficient measures, using sustainable materials for construction and furnishings, reducing waste and using environmentally friendly products.

There are several reasons why green restaurants are important. First, they help reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of the restaurant industry. The restaurant industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, and energy consumption, and green restaurants help mitigate these negative impacts.

Second, green restaurants can help attract environmentally conscious customers who prefer to patronize businesses that share their values. This can help increase the restaurant's customer base and revenue. Third, implementing sustainable practices can also help reduce operating costs for the restaurant, by reducing energy consumption and waste disposal costs.

Commenting on the same Vejay Anand, CEO of microbrewery brand Ironhill stated, “green restaurants have been gaining traction in India with climate change, sustainability and health being the key themes under discussion. With the proliferation of social media and the increasing access to information, citizens have more knowledge than any generation before, and this has led consumers to be mindful of their consumption and the choices that they make, which in turn can be seen in the renewed focus on eco-friendly businesses, across segments. This coupled with the government’s push for environmentally sustainable solution has led to an increasing interest in reforming businesses to meet sustainability goals.”

Restaurants have a substantial consumption of energy, be it in terms of power, water or food sources. So it is essential that we as an industry prioritize the use of renewable sources of energy, procure ethically source ingredients and raw materials, conserve water and energy while also establishing norms for waste management – which could help reduce the environmental impact.

Much before the advent of modern techniques, cuisine and the explosion of vegetarianism and veganism, India was already leading the way for environmental sustainability, through the use of traditional cooking techniques, ethically sourced organic ingredients and the presence of a predominantly vegetarian population. 

Anand further stated that with the government also promoting the use of traditional methods, indigenous and organic ingredients and incentives for meeting sustainability demands, it is in the interest of restaurants to ride the trend and eventually adopt eco-friendliness and sustainability in their long-term growth manifesto. He feels that with a burgeoning population that is significantly more aware and conscious of their choices, adopting environmentally friendly measures will help restaurants contribute to a sustainable future while also capturing the growing base of environmentally conscious consumers.

There are many restaurants in India those who have taken the idea of green restaurants seriously. Indian Accent is a fine dining restaurant that has implemented several sustainable practices, such as using energy-efficient lighting and equipment, composting food waste, and sourcing ingredients from local and organic farms. 

Sulagna (Shuli) Ghosh, founder and creative director of Kolkata’s Sienna Store & Café, began her venture riding on her mother’s creativity. The Kolkata store was set up to retail the products made at her mother’s workshop in Shantiniketan. A small café was set up to cater to the patrons who might be looking for some comfort food at the end of the shopping. Rooted in supporting local arts and crafts, the menu focused on using ingredients sourced from local organic farms. Slowly, the simple yet tasty menu found favours with diners. Before the pandemic struck, Ghosh was already into expansion mode for the café. “Our menu is shaped around seasonal and local produce and therefore changes every week,” said Ghosh. “We try to remain sustainable by working with local farms, Tona Organics and Kopaipaar. We also have a zero waste policy as we use peels and bones for stock, gravy, paste and sauce.”

Many restaurants in India are educating their customers about sustainability and encouraging them to make environmentally friendly choices. This can include providing information about the restaurant's sustainable practices, offering vegetarian or vegan options, or encouraging customers to bring their own reusable containers.

An environmentally friendly menu is one of the most effective ways to drive a restaurant’s sustainability goals. The food selection at a restaurant can hold a significant amount of embodied carbon. Embodied carbon means that food’s carbon footprint is more than just a piece of poultry on your plate. It is the entire lifecycle of a food, including all the greenhouse gas emissions produced by growing, rearing, farming, processing, transporting, storing, cooking, and disposing of that food.

“It is not the cuisine,” said Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar, owner of Edible Archives restaurant in Anjuna, Goa, “but the ingredients.” According to her, in many cases, it is possible to replace imported ingredients with local produce to make an international dish. “One can try using India’s indigenous rice varieties to make say, sushi or risotto,” she said talking of her own experience of using the 'dadshal' rice variety grown in West Bengal. Drawing on her experience of working abroad, she said, “In countries like Japan, the chefs take immense pride in the ingredients available locally and crafting dishes out of them.”