Restauranteurs Go Green

It takes a village. At least that's what some operators in Chicago and New York City believe when it comes to going green.

Chicago restaurateurs Dan Rosenthal—whose three restaurant concepts include fast casual Sopraffina Marketcaffè and full-service Trattoria No. 10 in Chicago—and Ina

Pinkney, owner of Ina's, a popular breakfast and lunch spot, found that even making a switch to biodegradable plastic carryout bags would be cost-prohibitive for their respective operations. Yet they didn't feel comfortable continuing with their old practices. Explains Rosenthal: “Can I afford it? No. Can I afford to not do anything? No.”

So with the help of Chicago-based Delta Institute and the Chicago Department of Environment, Rosenthal and Pinkney are assembling a green-buying co-op for Chicago foodservice operators. Rosenthal believes that the combined buying power of multiple operators will let them negotiate better prices among approved green vendors and bring green within reach.

“We have to move the green movement into the mainstream,” Rosenthal says.

In New York City, restaurateur Carlos Suarez started Green Rabbits in August with restaurant operators and design professionals from New York, London and Berlin. Rather than calling for the use of green products, the group focuses on social regeneration—Suarez's long-term plans include building rooftop gardens for urban schools.