Living the Green
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Well, another Earth Day has come and gone.
Eco-poseurs: feel free to pack up your blatantly exploitative business practices/faux conservationist concerns for the next 364 days.
Everyone else: enjoy the year-round spoils of environmental awareness at Open Kitchen’s Bistro.
Though their recycling-friendly discounts–5 percent off any order for customers who use “green” transportation (walking/biking/skating/driving a hybrid/utilizing public transportation) and/or 5 percent off for bringing in your own reusable containers (coffee mugs/carryout packaging)–have been firmly in place since opening, service manager Holly Camalier said they’re still working on getting the word out to activist guests.
The green discounts are good at lunch or dinner. And guests who participate in both activities (transport and self-recycling) are eligible for a cumulative 10 percent discount.
Meanwhile, Camalier continues searching for innovative ways to reduce Open Kitchen’s highly scrutinized carbon footprint, an in-house obsession that already includes:
* Recycling all possible materials (glass, plastic, paper and cardboard);
* Using corn-based or fully compostable materials;
* Contributing cooking grease for reuse as biofuel; and,
* Sending used coffee grounds to a Virginia Tech professor developing new, high energy fuel logs.
“It’s hard to keep a restaurant green. But we do what we can,” Camalier said.
–Warren
Tags: dining incentives, discounts, Earth Day, Gut Check, Holly Camalier, hospitality, Northern Virginia Magazine, Open Kitchen Bistro, recycling, Warren Rojas