LEAF restaurants are known for their environmental sustainability. While LEAF certification is an impressive accomplishment, LEAF members are encouraged to continue their sustainability efforts on an on-going basis. The following LEAF restaurants have continued their commitment to the environment with improvements to their businesses that lower their environmental footprint, while providing the same or better service to their customers, and even saving some major dollars with eco-upgrades!
Mountain Mercato, Canmore, Alberta
Tucked away in the beautiful Alberta Rockies, Mountain Mercato honours its beautiful surroundings with its commitment to a low environmental impact. As a LEAF certified cafe, Mountain Mercato was already an environmental leader. Since first becoming LEAF certified they have built a small garden from reclaimed wood pallets and installed water-saving toilets. They have also added a vegan main course to the menu, switched from disposable wooden coffee stir sticks to washing reusable metal spoons, and now support a community program that gets kids involved in growing food. Small improvements that add up to a big difference!
The Coup, Calgary
The Coup post renovation
Being a vegetarian and vegan restaurants is a great place to start for a restaurant that cares about the environment, but for The Coup’s Dalia Kohen, the buck doesn’t stop there. In 2014, The Coup underwent some major renovations that allowed them to achieve an upgrade from Level 2 to Level 3 LEAF certification. Achieving Level 3 LEAF certification is not an easy feat – in fact, to date, only four other Canadian restaurants currently hold Level 3 certification. So how did they do it? When old equipment had served their purpose, they were replaced with Energy Star models, composting and recycling services were expanded, and upgrades to energy efficient and LED lighting were made. They also increased their percentage of organic products and implemented formal sustainability training for staff.
Locals Restaurant, Courtenay, Vancouver Island, B.C.
Locals Restaurant is located in the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. Owners Tricia and Ronald St. Pierre are dedicated to protecting the environment. In the past two years they moved the restaurant into the Old House. Before reopening, some major renovations were done to make the building more energy efficient, and the inside of the restaurant was outfitted with Energy Star equipment, “on demand” kitchen ventilation technology, and low flow faucets and toilets for even more energy and water savings. Other improvements that were made included a larger herb garden, more vegetarian dishes, energy efficient windows and LED lighting.
River Cafe, Calgary
The final restaurant to achieve Level 3 status this year was River Cafe. River Cafe was the first LEAF Certified restaurant in Canada. While they have always been committed to running a sustainable restaurant, the limitations of operating in an older building remained an obstacle. After the flood that hit Calgary in 2013, the restaurant suffered extensive damage. Proprietor Sal Howell took that opportunity to renovate the restaurant and improve it’s efficiency. Upgrades included new Energy Star equipment and water tank. Of note, River Cafe conducted a food waste audit in early 2015 and were subsequently able to reduce food waste by 77%! A great achievement!
The Purple Pastry Chef, Calgary, Alberta
Since food trucks don’t have a lot of the typical items evaluated within the LEAF criteria, they have to score particularly well in all other areas to achieve enough points for LEAF certification. For a food truck such as The Purple Pastry Chef, which sells only baked goods, the achievement is even more impressive. Chantal Zimmer, Owner, has recently expanded into the vegan community, and also offers lactose-free options. Her products are now available at Hearts Choices Cafe and store.
Chic Alors!
Chic Alors!, Quebec, QC
Chic Alors! has made some notable improvements since first becoming LEAF certified. They have changed halogen bulbs to LEDs, saving $700 per month in electricity costs, and they expect to recover their investment in 7 months! In addition, their already low waste output has been cut in half, and a new collection bin will reduce their waste hauling fees. But the work is not done. Planned for the future: a dishwasher upgrade that is expected to save $7000 per year!
