A successful, time-honored business in Northern California projects saving 65% of current energy usage thanks to a new solar-energy system it recently installed, helping to shape the future of the baking industry.

Sugar Bowl Bakery, one of the largest family- and minority-owned bakeries operating in the United States, recently installed solar modules and electric vehicle-charging stations to increase the energy efficiency of the facility. With the installation of a photovoltaic system, Sugar Bowl Bakery, located in the Bay Area, will have the capacity to produce 700,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which offsets 65% of the facility’s current electricity usage.

Sugar Bowl Bakery’s decision to incorporate cutting-edge and renewable technology within its factory will help shape the future of the baking industry.

New research from the National Restaurant Association shows a substantial number of operators are implementing sustainability best practices into their businesses.

A recent survey of 1,000 full-service and quick-service operators by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) found that nearly three quarters of operators recycled used fryer oil, fats and grease. More than six in 10 recycled their cardboard and paper, used compact fluorescent lighting and bought products made of recycled materials. About three in 10 installed faucet aerators to conserve water.

“More operators are looking at ways to increase efficiency—environmentally and fiscally,” said Scott DeFife, executive vice president, Policy and Government Affairs, for the NRA. “Restaurateurs today know a lot more about how sustainability can reduce utility costs and, in some cases, increase profitability.”

Key findings determined that:

A collegiate culinary-arts program in South Florida earns top honors for exemplary practices in—and innovative teaching of—ecological sustainability.

The Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) and Chicago-based Kendall College presented the 2014 CAFÉ/Kendall College Green Award to Miami Culinary Institute (MCI) in Miami, Fla., on June 20 at CAFÉ’s 10th-anniversary national Leadership Conference for foodservice educators, held in metro Salt Lake City.

Karin J. Davis, a chef-instructor and registered sanitarian at Kendall College’s School of Culinary Arts, presented the award, which was accepted by Chef Ana C. Plana, BA, ME, an adjunct culinary instructor at MCI, at CAFÉ’s general-session breakfast at Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Campus in Sandy, Utah.

The 2013 initiative, which has gained much chef and operator support from states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, continues to strive to ensure sustainability of red snapper, grouper and other fish for sale in foodservice.

As part of its efforts to support sustainability practices in the foodservice industry,The National Restaurant Association recently announced it has joined Share the Gulf, a coalition of chefs, restaurateurs, restaurant associations, seafood suppliers, fishermen, consumers and environmentalists working to protect their access to fish in the Gulf states.

“The fresh, local seafood of the Gulf states is essential to the growth of the region’s economy and its varied foodservice businesses,” said Scott DeFife, executive vice president of policy and government affairs for the NRA. “We are committed to helping ensure this seafood is not only fished sustainably so its population continues to grow, but that the voices of small businesses, their employees and customers also are heard.”

The initiative, launched in 2013, aims to ensure the region’s restaurants and grocery businesses maintain an equitable share of the Gulf states’ red-snapper catch.

Incorporating sustainability and social-responsibility elements into an operator’s business is no longer a “nice to have,” according to Technomic, as Americans increasingly demand that foodservice become more responsible and transparent.

Sustainability and social responsibility are taking on greater importance within the foodservice industry, according to a landmark study recently completed by Chicago-based Technomic. The research included input from foodservice consumers, operators and suppliers to better understand the current state and future expectations for these key issues.

In June 2008, Technomic conducted a landmark study on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in foodservice, examining consumer, operator and distributor concerns and priorities relating to the three Ps of corporate social responsibility: people, planet and product. It also identified “best in class” companies and recommended initiatives to formalize a comprehensive CSR strategy.