Restaurant of the Future
The Restaurant of the Future has been designed to reduce the environmental impact of our restaurant operations. An integrated waste diversion program for guests and team members, energy efficient building design and equipment, and guest education through multiple digital platforms help to reduce the overall environmental impact of our operations.
Toward Zero Waste to Landfill
In the future, we envision that our restaurants will have access to services to divert all materials from landfill. The Restaurant of the Future demonstrates how we will make great strides toward zero waste to landfill with system-wide access to services, working with our guests to increase their awareness of our programs, messaging on our packaging and an integrated recycling and organics collection process throughout the restaurant.
Back-of-House
The majority of our restaurant waste is organic materials generated in the kitchen. In the Restaurant of the Future, coffee grounds will be captured at each of the coffee stations with integrated dewatering bucket stations.
Similarly, recycling will be available throughout the kitchen for small quantities of materials generated during service, and large containers will be available for cardboard, plastic jugs and other bulky recyclable materials.
Front-of-House
Ceramics will continue to be an important tool to reduce waste and deliver a unique guest experience. We will also offer simple and consistent recycling and organics programs for single-use packaging. In the Restaurant of the Future, there will only be two waste streams:
- Organics collection for unfinished food products and paper food packaging
- Recycling for beverage containers, including the hot beverage cup and lid, as well as other plastics
Guest Education
In the Restaurant of the Future, the Recycling Units will not be used to display the accepted materials. Instead we will provide direction to our guests and highlight the benefits of consistent programs through our messages on packaging as well as chain-wide guest education.
- Colour-coded packaging labelling will inform guests on the correct way to dispose of each packaging item once they have consumed the product.
- Supporting instructional infographics and video messages will be throughout the restaurant to support the guest education about our waste diversion program.
Environmental Considerations for Packaging
The environment was a key consideration for the packaging chosen for the Restaurant of the Future. Where possible, the packaging is made from renewable materials or contains recycled content. It was also designed for our in-restaurant recycling and organics programs. Two examples of this are:
- Cold beverage cup – This cup contains 25% recycled plastic. This is also the same plastic material as our pop and water bottles, which makes them widely recyclable.
- Bagasse packaging for food items – Bagasse results after sugar has been extracted from sugarcane. This fibre-based material can easily break down in an organics program along with food waste, and it is made from a renewable material.
Building & Equipment
The Restaurant of the Future is designed for the environment, and will include many features already present in today’s new and renovated restaurants. Equipment and lighting will be chosen for energy efficiency benefits and will improve guest experience. Guest education on the green building features will be included in restaurant via interactive digital screens.
- Some energy saving features of building include:
- Increased glazing (windows) for additional daylight will reduce the need for lighting during the day
- LED lighting with controls
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified millwork
- Low flow water fixtures
- Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging station for guests electric vehicles
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