NYS Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Gets Two-Year EPA Grant to Green NYC Restaurants

NEW YORK CITY (06/10/2010)(readMedia)-- (New York, N.Y.) – The New York State Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NYSRA) announced today that it has been awarded a two-year $96,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant to help NYC restaurants operate in a more environmentally friendly manner.

The Green Restaurant Initiative (GRI) will focus on providing restaurants with the tools and support necessary to reduce water, energy and hazardous waste usage. This will be accomplished through training workshops, a local website, a green workbook guide, a green hotline and a comprehensive databank of resources that can aid in the greening process. A major goal of the grant is to promote the greening process while positively increasing a restaurant's bottom line.

The foodservice industry is the retail world's largest energy user and therefore enjoys the potential for significant environmental impact. The GRI will work with the New York State Energy Research Development Authority, Consolidated Edison, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and other local and national organizations who have expressed interest in the program. Alan Someck, the grant director, looks to transform the attitudes and actions of restaurant operators by educating and facilitating a shift to green methods of doing business. It is anticipated that the New York program will be a model that other cities can use to directly affect a restaurant's success and contribution to a better environment.

"New York's hospitality industry is consistently at the cutting edge of new ideas, trends, programs and approaches so this is a natural fit for the way we approach our business," said Rick Sampson, NYSRA President. "Through the GRI program, and in conjunction with our various partners including the Green Restaurant Association, we look forward to further advancing the way restaurants and other foodservice operators conduct business create a greener future for everyone."

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The New York State Restaurant Association, founded in 1935, is the leading business association for the restaurant and hospitality industry in New York State. Comprised of more than 56,000 restaurants, bars, clubs, New York restaurants represent more than 628,000 employees and sales of approximately $27 billion - making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. Along with the New York State Restaurant Association and New York State Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, NYSRA and its chapters work to represent, educate and promote the rapidly growing hospitality industry. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.nysra.org/.