west~bourne is an all day, LA-inspired restaurant in Soho, New York. As a fundamentally community-oriented, mission-driven business, we're rethinking what it means to be a responsible hospitality company. Recognizing that our environment is in critical condition and that our food system and the way we dine are inextricably tied to the situation we've found ourselves in, we knew we'd had to build sustainability and zero waste practices into our business in every aspect. From the architectural design of our restaurant, to the organization and development of our menu to be seasonal, as local as possible, plant-based and root-to-stem, our team's training program to our partnership decisions, we see everything through the lens of sustainability.
Working with our sustainability consultants at the Foodprint Group, in partnership with our stockists, farmers, providers, wine makers, brand designers at Foda, and in collaboration with the team at TRUE, we were able to develop programs and systems which allowed us to push the boundary on what is conventionally thought possible of sustainable restaurants.
“I hear it a lot: ‘It’s just restaurants, that’s just the way it is,’" said west~bourne owner Camilla Marcus. “I think [this certification] is just to prove that it is very doable. I think if this industry is going to survive, we constantly have to innovate and be responsible in what we’re doing. We are appreciative of the flexibility and unwavering willingness of TRUE to have us pilot this program which required much nimble thinking and creativity. Here's to a lasting relationship in the future to push the boundaries of which industries and companies can strive for zero waste goals (and other aligned principles of business and culture)."