Photo from Brigid Sweeney
With America’s change in eating habits shifting towards a greener and more wholesome experience, it was only a matter of time before restaurants started promoting organic food and healthier, fresh meal choices. According to William D. Dowd, an Upstate NY Restaurant Examiner, as of Saturday, October 1, 2011, the first restaurant in the U.S. to be certified Animal Welfare Approved and open for business. The little 50’s style diner Grazin’ is located in Hudson, New York and is “recently re-open(ing) its doors with several important changes that earned it the certification” said the writers of the Huffington Post.
(Click here to view the video showing Grazin’ and it’s new innovations)
The hype on this current change has made the public knowledgeable of the fact that there’s a good chance their favorite places to grab a bite might not be up to par with this upstate New York diner. In order to achieve this Animal Welfare Approved rating, “all of a restaurant’s meat, dairy and egg products [must come] from Animal Welfare Approved farms,” said an employee of Drovers CattleNetwork. The Huffington Post also pointed out that having to hold up to a standard of this sort means only using farms that are family owned, and other restaurants in the country also buy from farms of this type but have never applied for the certification.
With media grouping all other restaurants into the “anti-animal welfare” category, they are put in a position where people desiring to be ecological and live a green life will opt to make their own food or seek a different place. This can create a bad rap for those who believe in the same ethics and principles when they have also been working to stand out with the organic/ green fad.
One restaurant in particular falls into this category and has just recently discussed their 3rd Quarter results with media representatives. Chipotle’s Chairman and Co-executive officer Steve Ells stated “we evaluate how our ingredients are raised or grown, improve our recipes and cooking techniques, and improve our kitchen equipment, all with the objective of serving better-tasting food made from sustainably raised ingredients.” Ells points out to some that although they might not be aware of it, they (Chipotle) too have gone to the lengths of choosing to purchase quality food for all their restaurants.
Being in the state that the U.S.’s economy is currently in; hype of any type can do dramatic things for a business. As the public sees what is happening to and in the world they inhabit, they’ve started to change and adapt parts of their lifestyles allowing things like conserving and local farming to become big players. When there is positive coverage on a place like Grazin’, there is no doubt of a positive outcome and hopefully a profitable business that wouldn’t have done well if the “Animal Welfare” change hadn’t happened. At the same time though, places being criticized for not being “fair to animals” or “sustainable” are looking at possibly suffering dramatic drops in customers and a loss in profits. Creating a good image in the public’s eye has become increasingly more important as the times have changed.
Organic and Locally Grown Foods: Are They Naturally Better? 
It is really interesting how restaurants have caught on to the trend of eating healthy and becoming associated with positive treatment towards animals. I think this is a step in the right direction for the restaurant industry and I really hope to see more restaurants getting their produce and meats from Animal Welfare Approved Farms. I got the opportunity to sit in on a gues lecture in an advertising class by the marketing director of Chipotle and one of the main points I remember is their strong emphasis on gathering their ingredients from organic farms like the ones you discuss. It is amazing how these restaurants take the time and money to evaluate and make sure that they have the best ingredients for their food. I think this will really pay off and soon other restaurants wont have a choice and will be forced to do the same, otherwise they will see a serious lack of business. I agree that we are moving towards a greener, more organic lifestyle and paying attention to the food we eat and how and where it is made is very important. It is interesting that once we see that there is a better, healthier option when it comes to eating, we start to neglect other companies that do not offer this new and improved way of eating.
Good job drawing attention towards this trend in eating out. I must say I like your Grazin’ example much more than Chipotle. I feel like a huge national corporational QSR (quick serve restaurant) like Chipotle really pushes their brand essence of “Food with Integrity” for mainly PR points. It’s actually kind of ridiculous how far they push it. I remember in my intro to advertising class a rep, Denver area manager I believe, came in to talk to our class and he was a great charismatic guy but he was pretty much just regurgitating their brand message, almost brainwashing us before handing out free burrito cards. And don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Chipotle, more than anyone, and I think it’s great that they obtain their meat and other ingredients in the sustainable way that they do, but I feel like it’s very superficial and trendy.
Contrastly, a local diner like Grazin’ in Hudson, NY made the sustainable switch-over not just for a business boost but to satisfy the local residents’s needs and desires. There is something less superficial when it is on a local level as opposed to a national one.
This past Sunday my parents took me out to dinner in D.C. to this new “sustainable” restaurant called Founding Farmers. Business was booming there for a Sunday night; they definitely found their niche in a big city. However when I was looking over the menu being harassed by the waiter with tidbits and facts about recommendations and the eating experience, I interrupted to ask where the meat came from. Assuming it was from a local farm in suburban Maryland or Virginia, I was so surprised at the response of “Montana.” I lost entire respect for the whole sustainability image of the restaurant, but nonetheless enjoyed a great meal.
Good write up!
-Sam Chavis
This post intrigued me because of its title. So many times we are told that eating out is bad for us; bad for our health and bad for the environment. I liked that you linked to the video of the news story. I was able to watch the footage and get a feel for the ideals that this restaurant is pursuing. I thought it was interesting that you included Chipotle in this blog. I didn’t know that they were a company that is interested in making better food, not just in taste, but in hopes of saving the environment as well. Since Chipotle is not able to advertise as an ‘animal welfare’ restaurant what other ways are they able to advertise to get the word out to environmental consumers that they are actually doing their best to minimize their environmental impact? I went to Chipotle’s website and found that they are very vocal about their support of local farms and fresh, untainted ingredients they put in their burritos. Is there some kind of government title or award that they could advertise to increase the awareness of their product?
Fascinating post, good job on showing two very good examples of ‘green’ restaurants.
Lynia-
This is great news! I like how you mention the separation between the restaurants that offer organic food and healthier, fresh meal choices vs. the “anti-animal welfare” category. Chipotle is a great example, since it may be considered a fast food restaurant chain. It is interesting that even the CEO states that people might not be aware of their efforts to sell healthy, sustainable food. Great analysis!
-Steph