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This story was produced in collaboration with Civil Eats.
Rifrullo Café, a charming farm-to-table establishment located in Brookline, Massachusetts, buzzes with activity on a warm July morning. Guests enjoy their coffee on the shady outdoor patio, while inside, others engage in conversations or work on their laptops, anticipating dishes like Turkish poached eggs with harissa-spiced eggplant or cinnamon custard French toast.
The restaurant’s rustic-modern atmosphere, eclectic dishware, and a chalkboard sign encouraging visitors to “be yourself, make friends, find harmony, and relax,” reflect not just a welcoming ambiance but also reasonable pricing, with items costing up to $16 for a salmon burger. Chef-owner Colleen Marnell-Suhanosky established the café in 2013, drawing from her experience working under notable Boston chef Lydia Shire and at various East Coast locations, including New York City’s Gramercy Tavern.
“Community, environment. It’s part of my DNA . . . As a chef, I have a responsibility to do my best to create good environments for people, customers, and the community,” Marnell-Suhanosky articulated.
To enhance the environment she fosters, Marnell-Suhanosky has implemented numerous strategies to minimize Rifrullo’s environmental impact, such as composting all food scraps, a crucial step in the fight against climate change. Food waste that ends up in landfills releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Globally, food waste constitutes around eight percent of greenhouse gas emissions, with the U.S. producing emissions comparable to 42 coal-fired power plants annually.
Furthermore, restaurants face lesser-known but significant sources of waste contributing to climate change, including energy consumption associated with cooking, refrigeration, and climate control systems, as well as water usage and waste from packaging. Collectively, food service buildings in the U.S., which include restaurants, consume around 365 trillion BTUs of energy yearly, equivalent to the carbon footprint of approximately 110,611 gasoline-powered vehicles.
Additionally, restaurants account for 15 percent of water used by commercial buildings in the U.S., closely related to energy use—older dishwashers, for instance, are often inefficient in both energy and water usage. Furthermore, restaurants use nearly 1 trillion disposable pieces of food service ware and packaging every year, according to Upstream, an organization advocating for the reuse industry.
Kitchens as Energy Hogs
Richard Young, the director of Frontier Energy, a national energy consulting firm, noted that commercial kitchens use between two and ten times more energy per square foot than other types of businesses.
The primary consumers of energy in kitchen environments include heating, cooling, refrigeration, and cooking equipment, followed by artificial lighting. Young noted that energy usage can significantly differ between seemingly similar establishments based on their cooking methods. For example, a chain-style charbroiler may consume up to four times more energy than a griddle, and geographic location plays a role as well—restaurants located in hot states like Texas will require more air conditioning than those in cooler areas like Brookline.
To address energy concerns, Marnell-Suhanosky transitioned from gas to energy-efficient electric induction ovens four years ago and recently added an induction cooktop, resulting in a fully electric kitchen.
“It’s just been a game changer,” she remarked. “It’s much cleaner. We could not expel the fumes that would come off the gas stove and the filth that it creates.”
Induction cooktops generally emit about half the greenhouse gas emissions compared to gas ranges, although this varies based on the cleanliness of the electricity source. An induction oven powered entirely by renewable sources would produce no greenhouse gases. Induction units are also perceived as safer since there is no open flame, easier to clean, and they maintain a cooler kitchen environment. However, the costs can be significantly higher—ranging from three to four times that of gas models. Many chefs still favor gas due to its precise heat control and the capability to blister foods like chiles over an open flame.
In California, the local Restaurant Association recently collaborated with SoCalGas to oppose a 2019 ordinance prohibiting natural gas in new constructions. This measure would not have impacted existing restaurants, but the association argued that the rule would constrain options for new establishments.
Contrarily, some restaurateurs see value in induction.
Emily Lyall, operations manager at Lafayette Public House, a coffee bar and kitchen in California, expressed enthusiasm for using induction, having purchased two induction ovens. Although one gas stove is still in operation, it is rarely used, and the menu is crafted without dependence on gas for most cooking.
Concerns remain that the same forces that halted California’s gas ordinance might target Massachusetts next, where Brookline and nine other communities have prohibited gas appliances in new buildings, as have New York State and over 100 localities nationwide.
Chains like Chipotle and McDonald’s are vying to create all-electric kitchens powered by renewable energy. The Greater Boston vegetarian chain Clover Food Lab has primarily electrified its thirteen locations with induction cooking technology.
Though adapting to induction cooking takes time and training, Young noted that chefs often fall in love with the technology within days, often preferring it over gas once they become accustomed.
Rifrullo’s kitchen staff echo this sentiment; cook Luz Sanguna, while preparing huevos rancheros, remarked that the induction cooktop is “much better” as it cooks faster and doesn’t burn food.
“I wish I would’ve done it a long time ago,” Marnell-Suhanosky added.
More Energy Guzzlers
Energy consumption isn’t solely confined to cooking equipment; refrigerators and HVAC systems also draw substantial energy.
“There’s about a 30 percent waste factor going on out there,” stated Al Subbloie, founder and CEO of Budderfly, a Connecticut-based enterprise focused on helping businesses curtail energy costs.
Budderfly provides the financial backing for restaurants to acquire newer, energy-efficient appliances including lighting, refrigeration controls, thermostats, heat pump technology, induction ovens, and solar panels. The company manages utility bills at no charge, sharing savings with restaurants when energy costs decrease. Generally, restaurants collect three to six percent of the savings, resulting in benefits without upfront investments, as Subbloie noted, “I removed the friction of doing the right thing.”
This model is particularly effective for established restaurants or chains with multiple locations. For example, Budderfly assisted a Sonic franchise owner in New York with solar panel installations that now fulfill 35 to 40 percent of his energy requirements. The firm also upgraded an HVAC system at another site, significantly decreasing energy consumption by 20 percent.
The HVAC installation would have been financially burdensome for the franchise owner if self-funded; “We got a share of the savings, and we didn’t put up anything, and it’s good for the world,” he remarked. He now aims to implement electric vehicle chargers at his Sonic locations.
Energy Solutions for Smaller Restaurants
While Frontier Energy supports restaurants in enhancing energy efficiency, it does not offer funding for new equipment, which can be financially out of reach for smaller establishments.
Young acknowledged, “We really try to work with mom-and-pop shops, but they often become ‘hard-to-reach customers’ as they are focused on survival.”
Chef Edward Lee, who operates three restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C., concurs with this perspective. “Every chef or restaurateur I know is genuinely concerned about waste, but when running a small independent restaurant, finding the time and resources to tackle these issues can feel overwhelming,” he expressed.
He added, “For smaller restaurants, the tendency is often to purchase the least expensive fryer available. However, that low-cost fryer typically incurs greater operational expenses compared to pricier, more efficient units found in chain eateries.”
Independent establishments can access assistance through energy audit and equipment rebate initiatives sponsored by utilities, should their state offer such programs. For instance, Marnell-Suhanosky received a complimentary energy audit from her electric provider, which subsequently installed LED bulbs and a shutoff valve for her walk-in refrigerator that regulates the cooling system based on temperature. “It’s been a big energy saver,” she noted. She also benefited from rebates for her induction ovens.
Currently, around 16 states offer restaurants rebates for energy-efficient equipment acquisitions. Frontier Energy administers California’s program, providing a $1,000 discount on a $5,000 four-burner induction cooktop. California’s Energy Wise site also features efficiency ratings for over 3,500 types of commercial restaurant equipment, along with design guides, cost calculators, and virtual training accessible to all restaurateurs.
Reducing Water Use
Restaurants can be significant consumers of water, requiring it for handwashing, pre-rinsing dishes for washing, and the dishwashing process itself.
“It’s remarkable how quickly water is consumed in a quick-service operation or in an Asian restaurant that utilizes woks, which demand massive amounts of water,” Young explained. He advocates for energy-efficient appliances as the primary means of reducing water use, including straightforward adjustments, such as fitting a low-flow pre-rinse spray valve on faucets. “In California, we initiated a giveaway program that distributed thousands of pre-rinse spray valves, which yielded substantial water savings.”
Marnell-Suhanosky has also made incremental changes to reduce water consumption. Regular customers, members of the nonprofit climate advocacy organization Mothers Out Front, assisted her in adding gaskets to all water taps to prevent leaks.
Lyall at Lafayette Public House has similarly trained her staff to ensure dishwashers are fully loaded prior to operation. “In a restaurant setting, where water runs for twelve hours daily, even small actions and improved staff training can significantly enhance water efficiency,” she stated.
Paring Down Plastics
Plastic pollution poses numerous environmental threats, affecting marine life, contaminating food sources, and infiltrating the human body as microplastics. Plastics, primarily derived from fossil fuels, contribute tremendously to climate change. The manufacturing process is highly energy-intensive, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions throughout its entire lifecycle, and plastic production has now exceeded vehicle emissions as a rising consumption of oil in manufacturing.
In her restaurant, Marnell-Suhanosky opts against plastic-packaged food or beverages. For takeout services, she utilizes compostable containers and wooden utensils. Additionally, she offers customers access to a reusable container program called Recirclable, which allows patrons to borrow durable plastic containers at no charge, with the expectation that they return them after use through a mobile app.
Environmental authorities propose that transitioning from single-use to reusable systems represents a significant opportunity to combat plastic pollution, and this trend is gradually gaining traction among restaurants and kitchens nationwide. While reusable containers are more expensive initially, businesses typically start to see savings fairly quickly.
However, customer acceptance appears slower. “It requires extensive education. People often find it hard to understand,” stated Marnell-Suhanosky, who is focusing on communicating with her loyal customers to build familiarity with the process, hoping it will gain popularity. Such discussions are critical; a similar reuse program in Oakland recently failed partly due to confusion and logistical challenges for consumers.
Moreover, reuse systems function optimally when they are widely accessible to customers. To that end, some larger restaurants are beginning to collaborate on reusable container initiatives at the municipal level. For example, the city of Petaluma, California, has seen Starbucks contribute to the establishment of an experimental reusable cup initiative, known as the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project, which includes multiple Starbucks locations along with various local eateries.
Companies such as Chipotle are working to decrease their plastic footprint by transitioning to compostable takeout containers made partly from plant materials designed to decompose in commercial compost facilities. However, compostable options can be imperfect; the U.S. lacks a reliable composting infrastructure, and it remains unclear if compostable materials are safe for soil recycling due to potential chemical additives.
Clover Food Lab in Boston consistently utilizes compostable serviceware across its thirteen locations, as Senior Vice President Christopher Anderson highlighted. However, he noted, “We have philosophical debates about packaging daily, especially as trends evolve.”
Anderson raised concerns about whether plastic containers, which may be recyclable, truly represent a better alternative compared to compostable ones, given the limited access many have to commercial composting programs. “Ultimately, I believe in reductionism as the best route, which means embracing reusable options over disposables,” he argues.
For Marnell-Suhanosky, the struggle with plastic packaging extends to conserving kitchen staples. “It’s frustrating. Items like mayonnaise and soy sauce typically come in plastic.” She has limited time available to seek out alternatives.
Lee shares a similar challenge. “But what if we communicated with our suppliers and insisted on rejecting deliveries packaged in single-use plastics? Can we establish systems for shipping perishables in reusable bags?”
A Zero-Gas, Zero-Plastic Kitchen
In fact, Lee is advocating for such a shift through a new nonprofit restaurant venture launching in Washington, D.C., this October in partnership with a local university. Named Shia, the restaurant aims for a zero-gas, zero-plastic operation that will test various sustainable practices and share its insights with other independent eateries.
“Our objective is to develop waste-reduction models rooted in practical solutions that are achievable for restaurants. While many ideas exist, they often cater to large-scale operations, not those typically employed by smaller venues,” he explained.
Lee, who has spearheaded several initiatives to support restaurant staff during the pandemic, now hopes to guide the sector through this transitional period and “create a pathway to the restaurant of the future.”
“Our mission encompasses inspiring, educating, and fostering discussions to encourage longstanding restaurants to adopt innovative models,” he stated.
Such endeavors could prove invaluable to chefs like Marnell-Suhanosky, who often struggle to identify the most cost-effective sustainability practices amid their busy schedules.
“It can be overwhelming thinking about waste control and landfills,” she admitted. “But I try to remind myself that every small effort counts toward greater change. As chefs collaborate, it will gradually become the norm.”
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