Sustainability Is More Than Just a Trend for the Oyster Bar Franchise
Concern over climate change and damaged ecosystems have led many restaurants to rethink how they serve and buy food. Restaurant take-out is a top contributor to single-use plastic pollution, according to the Surfrider Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that aims to protect the world’s oceans and beaches. Sustainability is not just a nice-to-have value proposition; it impacts our health as well as the planet. Thankfully, some restaurants are starting to take sustainability more seriously. Shuckin’ Shack, a leading oyster bar franchise, has taken major steps to reduce waste and promote sustainability.
The Wall Street Journal reports that more than $2 billion worth of illegally-caught seafood makes its way into the U.S. each year. Knowing where your food comes from and its impact on ecosystems is important. It matters in today’s world where fresh ingredients are getting harder to source at a reasonable price, even for bar and grill franchises that sell in high volumes. Here’s how Shuckin’ Shack franchise owners help bring sustainability to the community at their locations.
Is Sustainability Really a Problem for the Restaurant Industry?
While the food industry as a whole has been lagging when it comes to sustainability, Shuckin’ Shack has been doing its part. The brand is taking the lead and setting a course where others haven’t, including how they choose to source menu items and restaurant supplies.
If you think about it, an average restaurant’s single-use items like Styrofoam containers are the least environmentally-friendly way to serve to-go food. Customers just end up throwing the whole container away, which eventually makes it to a landfill where it rests for 500 hundred years or so before breaking down. The smallest restaurant can go through more Styrofoam containers than they realize and not give it a second thought.
Sustainability is everyone’s problem because, without clean oceans free of trash and harmful byproducts, the health of fish and seafood will suffer. Smart customers can tell when restaurants try to serve less-than-great seafood. If fish don’t grow to full size or develop with defects, quality suffers.
Shuckin’ Shack’s Commitment to Genuine Sustainability
Any business can say they care about the environment, but until they can source menu items without skyrocketing costs, it’s all lip service. They don’t just pay lip service to sustainability at Shuckin’ Shack. They take action. Shuckin’ Shack improved its supply chain to the point where it can offer guests fair prices and not sacrifice quality in the process. Not only that, but Shuckin’ Shack franchise owners benefit because today’s customers care about sustainability.
James Beard Foundation Smart Catch List
Shuckin’ Shack’s leadership is proud of the fact that it’s officially on the James Beard Foundation Smart Catch List. The non-profit organization is making huge waves in the sustainability movement. You have to start somewhere when it comes to sustainability, so the Shuckin’ Shack team went all-in with the James Beard Foundation, and it’s been a boom for franchise owners. A bar franchise for sale usually doesn’t come with this kind of recognition, but Shuckin’ Shack does.
Certified Ocean-Friendly Establishments
The franchise didn’t stop at the James Beard Foundation. Shuckin’ Shack took things a few steps further and worked in collaboration with the Surf Rider Foundation and the Plastic Ocean Project at 10 locations. Shuckin’ Shack has plans to have all of its locations certified by the end of 2022.
Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition
Shuckin’ Shack is a member of the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition, a group of more than 250 shellfish businesses from 25 U.S. states and Canada working to advocate for sound climate policy. The passionate group of shellfish farmers, harvesters, hatchery operators, wholesalers, retailers, and restauranteurs are committed to bringing about climate action by sharing personal stories about how climate change has impacted their lives and livelihoods.
Wild American Shrimp
You will only find Wild American Shrimp at Shuckin’ Shack restaurant locations, and not every restaurant can say the same thing. All shrimp gets the thumbs up as certified, caught by American fisherman in American waters. It’s their own nod to the “made in America” movement sweeping the country. Restaurant guests want to know that they’re dining somewhere special, somewhere unique, and sustainable sourcing fits right into that need.
Schuckin’ Shack Franchise Opportunity
For more information about the Shuckin’ Shack franchise opportunity, visit shuckinshackfranchise.com or call (720) 824-5141.