3 eco-responsible restaurant success stories told by Écotable

Malou asked Écotable, the company that helps restaurants become greener, to tell us about several success stories among its customers. Why do we do this? Because starting out on an eco-responsible path can seem like a mountain to climb. But in reality, the repercussions are often beneficial, not only for the environment and the restaurant's economy, but also for its image. Here are three examples gathered from the Écotable team, illustrating the strong measures taken by 3 restaurants, which have had positive repercussions on several levels. Labeled or not, the following restaurants have chosen to work with Écotable to reduce their environmental impact. On its "Impact par Écotable" platform, the company evaluates restaurant practices, using questionnaires and invoices. The environmental and social audit is then used to decide whether or not to award the Ecotable label, based on precise specifications.

To respect the seasons, PNY removes tomatoes from its winter burgers

French burger chain PNY, whose 8 Parisian restaurants carry the ecotable label, proves that it's possible to offer burgers - the very symbol of "junk food" - and still be eco-responsible. With homemade fries, extensively farmed meats and vegan and vegetarian alternatives, the group is implementing practices in favor of taste, quality and eco-responsibility. In 2021, following the analysis of its practices on"Impact by Ecotable", PNY has identified areas for improvement. In particular, respect for the seasons. The recipe for the group's best-selling "Golden" burger contained tomatoes in both summer and winter. The group estimates that it consumed 1,338 kg of tomatoes out of season in 2020. Seasonality plays a major role in a product's environmental impact.

"Écotable has enabled us to question some of our practices. For example, putting out tomatoes in winter has encouraged us to scrupulously respect the seasonal nature of our produce," explains Annabelle Guirauden. The group has now been awarded the 1 Ecotable label, and has no hesitation in communicating this decision transparently with its customers. On its website, PNY explains what the Ecotable label implies, and looks back at its ecological commitments, decisions which have a positive impact on the environment ...

• Following the example of Contraste, several gourmet restaurants with the Ecotable label have removed eel, an endangered fish species, from their menus.
• The menu of Djawa, an Indonesian restaurant chain supported by Ecotable, is now 40% vegetarian/vegan, which greatly reduces its carbon impact.
• Many restaurants have stopped sourcing egg products from caged hens.
• Soon to become compulsory, restaurants such as Anona, chef Thibaut Spiwack's restaurant in Paris, have already adopted biowaste recovery.

Marlette withdraws the avocado toast, its best seller, from its menu and communicates on this ecological choice.

In 2020, Cafés Marlette made a decision that many restaurants don't dare make: to remove avocado from their menu. The brand, which serves brunch at five Parisian addresses (with the 1 macaron Écotable label), decided to stop serving "Avocado toast" for ecological reasons. Marlette estimates that the star dish of its coffee shops accounted for 60% of savory orders, representing a volume of 50 tons of avocado per year.Marlette shares in a publication the reasons why the cafés will no longer serve avocado. The news quickly had a snowball effect. Scarlette Joubert, Marlette's co-founder, explains that the publication turned into a buzz around Marlette, with 4,000 likes and nearly 400 comments, and the relay of media such as theHuffington Post, Bfm tv, Le Parisien, ELLE and others.

Two years on, Scarlette Joubert looks back on this decision and considers it a success story for Marlette: "We've gained credibility with our loyal customers. People really appreciated this choice and this transparency. It's been very positive in terms of image. A majority of our customers were very happy that we were committed to the subject."

Ground Control bans disposable tableware and plans to reduce its annual waste production by 70%.

Ground Control is a cultural and festive venue housed in a former SNCF hangar in Paris. Since it opened, the food court's restaurants had been serving their dishes in disposable containers, generating 1,700 tonnes of waste a year. Ground Control decided to switch to solid dishes, with the installation of a dishwasher and the collection of bio-waste. A major change in terms of logistics and materials, this measure aims to reduce the site's waste production by 70% in one year. Zamir Syed, Ground Control's Director of Operations, spearheaded the project. He selected the most eco-friendly options, from cleaning products to the dishwashing machine itself, including crockery and cutlery. Since March 2022, the venue has been equipped with clearing stations where dishes can be deposited and waste sorted. Signage has been adapted, as has the work of the restaurants and runners. A shared dishwashing area washes 10,000 glasses, 1,500 plates and 3,000 place settings every day. A few weeks after this major measure, Zamir Syed is delighted. So are the customers, bartenders and restaurant owners, even if there are still some operational adjustments to be made.