What Does Green Mean? The Eco-Friendly in Winning Restaurants

In keeping with the times, trends, and increasing concerns of world, 2013 marked the first year of a Best “Green” Restaurant category in the Beijinger Reader Restaurant Awards. Element Fresh won the Readers’ Choice category while The Veggie Table and The Orchard swept up the two Outstandings. The ballot described “green” as the restaurant with the “largest commitment to local/organic sourcing and/or environmentally conscious practices.”

With upwards of ten branches across the country, Element Fresh was the only chain in the group of nominees (including Pure Lotus, Mrs. Shanen's Bagels, Green Bites Dumpling Bar, Backyard Café, and Rug Bagel and Café). Element Fresh turns on the concept of fresh and readers seem satisfied with the quality as they also came out on top for Best Salads, Best Sandwiches, and Best Western Breakfast, in addition to Best Casual Outdoor Dining. Element Fresh was unavailable to comment (any updates from their side will be posted below), but their win in this category surprised me given that I don’t associate them with any notion of sustainability. Fresh, yes. Healthy, yes. Excellent breakfast for which I’ll cycle 40 minutes? Yes. But green? Not so much. Proximity and multiple locations may have something to do with it. And in comparison to the other nominees, Element Fresh dominates with scene with their branding.

Where would my vote have gone? From the start, The Veggie Table’s vegan practice bumps it up in the environmentally conscious ranking. Meat production is generally hugely destructive to the environment and a large contributor to global warming. The Orchard explicitly focuses on organics and even the owner of Mrs. Shanen’s has her own farm from which she sources (very local) produce grown as organically as possible.

So, coming out of the Restaurant Awards, I’m left a bit perplexed by the outcome of this category. Anyone have an enlightening answer?

'GREEN' RESTAURANT NEW
Best
Element Fresh
Outstanding
The Veggie Table
The Orchard

Photo: Cat Nelson (at Mrs. Shanen's Green Cow Organic Farm)