New York State Restaurant Association Leads Nation Advancing Green Restaurant Practices

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (05/14/2009)(readMedia)-- NEW YORK STATE TO BECOME GREEN RESTAURANT® CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

The Green Restaurant Association and New York State Restaurant Association Partner to make New York the Greenest Restaurant destination in the world.

Today, the national non-profit Green Restaurant Association (GRA) and the New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) announce their official partnership in greening New York's restaurants. With GRA's 19 years as the industry standard for Certified Green Restaurants® and with NYSRA providing leadership for New York State restaurants for more than 70 years, this partnership is the most significant move to date in helping to create an environmentally sustainable restaurant industry.

The partnership between GRA and NYSRA was facilitated through the efforts of Governor David A. Paterson's Green Hospitality & Tourism initiative to coordinate green certification and additional assistance for hospitality industry businesses in the Empire State. The effort is being led by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Other organizations participating include: NYS Hospitality and Tourism Association; NYS Restaurant Association; I Love NY (NYS Tourism Office); NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets; NYS Department of Labor; NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; NYS Energy Research & Development Authority; and NYS Pollution Prevention Institute.

"The New York State Restaurant Association is very proud of our partnership with the Green Restaurant Association," says Andrew Rigie, Director of Operations, "We want to provide our members with the legitimate solutions to make it easy for them to go green. We find that restaurants need the expertise, service, experience, and customized solutions that the GRA offers."

GRA and NYSRA to hold a press conference at 11am, Sunday May 17, 2009 at the NRA Show at the GRA's Green Restaurant® Products Pavilion, booth 1764, South Hall.

Restaurants are responsible for the largest consumption of energy in the retail sector, and New York is the restaurant capital of the world, making it the focal point to create sustainability in the restaurant industry worldwide. This partnership will ensure that everyday more and more restaurants are going green until everyday is Earth Day in New York's restaurant industry.

"We are delighted to be partnering with the New York State Restaurant Association," says Michael Oshman, executive director and founder of the Green Restaurant Association. "We have found a sincere partner who wants to make it easy for their members to go green in the easiest and most comprehensive manner. NYSRA is the first state association to affirm its commitment to greening its state's restaurants by partnering with the GRA. They should be proud of their leadership."

Components of the partnership include: 1. Facilitate the GRA's Green Restaurant® 4.0 Standards program to NYSRA members 2. GRA providing educational resources to NYSRA's website, newsletters, etc. 3. Greening some of NYSRA internal operations 4. Providing a preferred rate to NYSRA members for GRA's consulting and certification services

About New York State Restaurant AssociationThe New York State Restaurant Association is an association of members, for members and by members. For over 70 years NYSRA has been dedicated to protecting, promoting and educating our members so they can better serve the public. With emphasis on information and problem solving, government relations and advocacy, and competitively priced member programs and services, we have become one of the most effective trade organizations in the state. For more information visit www.nysra.org.

About the Green Restaurant AssociationThe Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national non-profit organization, helps the restaurant industry improve its environmental practices through research, environmental consulting, education, and certification. Founded in 1990, long before green was cool, the GRA utilizes a collaborative strategy that involves restaurants, manufacturers, vendors, community organizations, government, media, and restaurant customers. The GRA's model provides a convenient way for all sectors of the restaurant industry, which represents 10% of the total U.S. economy, to become more environmentally sustainable. The GRA has the world's largest database of environmental solutions for the restaurant industry and has been featured on CNN, NBC Nightly News, NPR, in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and in several other media outlets. For more information visit www.dinegreen.com.

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Direct Quotes for Media Use

GRA Quotes:

This partnership is a groundbreaking accomplishment for the Green Restaurant® movement, and for the fate of the industry as a whole. We look forward to greening New York's restaurants and to witnessing the large-scale change that this partnership will inevitably create. - Michael Oshman, Founder and Executive Director of the Green Restaurant Association.

The GRA has the world's largest database of environmental solutions for restaurants, and our 19-year history allows us the expertise and integrity that organizations like NYSRA look for. - Michael Oshman, Founder and Executive Director of the Green Restaurant Association.

NYSRA Quotes:

The New York State Restaurant Association does not want going green to simply be a trend. Our partnership with the GRA will ensure that more and more of New York's restaurants have the resources and support to not only go green, but more importantly to stay green. - Andrew Rigie, director of operations for the Greater NYC Chapters of the New York State Restaurant Association.

Whether sponsoring little league teams, feeding the hungry or providing meals to emergency workers after 9/11, New York's restaurant industry gets involved. Sustaining our planet is no different and the NYSRA/GRA partnership is another example of the New York restaurant industry's commitment to our communities and planet. - Andrew Rigie, director of operations for the Greater NYC Chapters of the New York State Restaurant Association.