Category Archives: Restaurant

Friday Buffet

Might we see curbside food waste collection in Ohio? Some towns near Columbus are considering it. — — A Little Caesars franchisee in Florida recently started donating all unsold pizzas to a United Way soup kitchen. Never having lived in a Little Caesar’s state (despite enduring their ads), I couldn’t imagine why they had so much excess until […]

May 22, 2009 | Also posted in Composting, Food Recovery, Friday Buffet, Household, Trayless | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Road Foodsters Jane and Michael Stern were discussing their pizza-eating preferences on last weekend’s The Splendid Table when the conversation turned to uneaten crusts. Jane is a serial pizza bone leaver, but that hubby Michael is the beneficiary. Then host Lynne Rossetto Kasper announced that she’s not above asking her fellow diners if they’re planning […]

May 1, 2009 | Also posted in College, Friday Buffet, Hunger | Comments closed

Buffet By Request

Sometimes reducing food waste requires a bit of sacrifice. Perhaps it’s planning out your meals before grocery shopping or simply taking stock of the food you throw out (including the stuff that goes down the garbage disposal). For customers at Stevi B’s, an Atlanta-based chain of all-you-can-eat pizza buffets, it means not having the B.L.T. […]

April 13, 2009 | Posted in Restaurant | Comments closed

Portion Distortion

About a year ago, T.G.I. Friday’s launched their “Right Portion, Right Price” menu, which I applauded. Other restaurants are finally following suit. In a rare bit of positive recession news, cheaper, smaller portions are on offer at many chains, including–drum roll, please–The Cheesecake Factory. The purveyor of waste-inducing portions recently started offering smaller plates priced […]

April 7, 2009 | Posted in Restaurant | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

A Whole Foods worker wanted to eat one of the 30 tuna fish sandwiches that he was supposed to throw away. He set it aside and then the boss objected and threw it out. The guy was then fired for proposing to eat something that was going to be thrown out anyway. Nice. The worker […]

March 20, 2009 | Also posted in Composting, Friday Buffet, Household, Supermarket | Comments closed

Serving More Than Food

Recently, Catherine wrote in to the blog (from Iceland!) asking for “some kind of package regarding food recovery, etc.to give out to restaurants.” I sent her this guide to food recovery put together by the National Restaurant Association and USDA and steered her towards the Restaurant Green Seal. She’s hoping for more materials, though, and […]

January 29, 2009 | Also posted in International | Comments closed

Turning Blue Skies Gray

San Diego’s landfill trash has decreased 12 percent in the last year, partly because of decreased food waste. They’re receiving 15-year waste lows. Great news, right? Not so fast, says NBC San Diego. In their take on the story, they find a way to make the sky fall. Instead of ‘reduced greenhouse gas emissions from […]

January 27, 2009 | Also posted in Waste Stream | Comments closed

When Bread Costs Dough

Here’s a depressing downturn trend: restaurants charging customers for bread. Then again, is that really so bad? As the post on yumsugar suggested, a bread charge might cut down on baked waste. Since health codes require restaurants to toss all remaining bread (and butter!) after it has been served and many folks are off carbs, […]

January 8, 2009 | Posted in Restaurant | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Here’s an alternate take on the 3% wasted food charge discussed here Monday. By the way, that story really has legs… — — Amen–a Secretary of Food. Here’s an online petition to support a reformer for Secretary of Agriculture Food. — — Check out this topical interview with some dude who can’t seem to speak […]

December 12, 2008 | Also posted in Friday Buffet, Household, Unfinished Food Charge | Comments closed

LA’s Green Certification Omission

Los Angeles just announced a green business certification program they plan to launch on a full-scale in six months. The city hopes restaurants, retailers, hotels and others will participate. Years in the making, the program is a joint-effort between the city’s environmental people and The GreenLA Coalition, with the chamber of commerce and convention and […]

December 9, 2008 | Also posted in Composting | Comments closed