Restaurant owners introduce innovative project with big community impact: 'They want to be tied to a mission'

Local restaurant owners in Phoenix have used city grants to reduce food waste in their kitchens, benefiting the community and the planet. 

KJZZ reported that restaurants like ​​Olla Olla Crepes and Fair Trade Cafe have found creative ways to save food by reusing ingredients or introducing menu items with a lower environmental impact. 

Kailey Mullis, the head of Project REDUCE (which stands for Restaurants Eliminating & Diverting Uneaten food through Compos​ting & Education) with Phoenix's Office of Environmental Programs — the grant program that supports restaurants — told the radio station that city officials and chefs worked with restaurant owners to find convenient and unique strategies to prevent food waste. 

The program is a crucial step in helping the industry become more sustainable, as restaurants are a significant contributor to food waste.

"Every year, Phoenix generates around 270,000 tons of food waste and about 69,000 tons of that is generated from restaurants," Mullis said. "That makes restaurants the second-largest producer of food waste in our city right after households."

Lyndelle Sanjuanero, the head chef and owner of Olla Olla Crepes, is tackling food waste at her restaurant by repurposing ingredients that would have been thrown away otherwise. 

When a catering event left her with enough extra blueberries to feed 200 people, she decided to use them in a house-made blueberry sauce after running the idea by chef Chris Lenza, who helps restaurants participating in Project REDUCE. 

Reusing ingredients has allowed her to significantly pare down the menu, freeing up money to hire more staff. Having fewer menu offerings may seem like a bad move, but customers are generally receptive because it reduces decision fatigue. Restaurants can then focus more on quality rather than quantity, as Nation's Restaurant News explained. 

The grants provided by the city are part of the second phase of Project REDUCE, which focuses on food waste prevention strategies such as waste tracking, menu planning, and composting. According to the city of Phoenix website, the first phase was a major success, as nine participating restaurants successfully diverted 31,000 pounds of food waste from landfills over 10 weeks. 

Fair Trade Cafe owner Stephanie Vasquez told KJZZ that the grant is a game-changer for small businesses, as it gives owners "financial breathing room" and a chance to revamp their menus. She believes that sustainability doesn't have to be complicated and that it can help businesses thrive, as restaurant patrons are more environmentally conscious than ever. 

What's your biggest motivation in trying to reduce your personal food waste? Saving money 💰 Helping the planet 🌎 Not being a wasteful person 😇 I don't think about reducing food waste 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Implementing waste reduction strategies has been a major win at Fair Trade, as the restaurant now fills less than one bag of garbage each day. Vasquez said she hopes the move to separate waste will catch on elsewhere. 

The food waste program shows that sustainability is becoming a larger part of restaurant operations, and restaurant-goers seem excited about the potential to try unconventional menu items that help the environment. 

"I've been in food and beverage for over 17 years, so I've got to watch as consumers evolve," Vasquez said. "And really, they want an experience and they want a purpose and they want to be tied to a mission. So in my opinion, if you're mission-driven and you're purpose-driven, your consumer and your customer is going to support you."

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