Restaurants can earn sustainable designation over four levels that indicate level of achievement with the program. Designation levels are based on points achieved relative to number of actions satisfied. Because no two restaurants are the same, this designation has been designed to provide a flexible and adaptable approach to sustainability that is achievable for all our region’s restaurants. Read more about the points system here.

In short, a Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant:

• Attracts more satisfied customers and employees
• Gains good PR in the community while strengthening its bottom line
• Saves money, avoids costs, and conserves resources
• Operates with concern for people and the planet
• Contributes to local farms and businesses, food security, nutrition, and health
• Belongs to a restaurant community positively impacting the environmental quality, social equity, and economic prosperity of our region

Many people hear about a sustainability initiative and assume it’s purely an environmental campaign. While we care very much about the environment and about sustainability, there are many more facets to our evaluation process beyond green initiatives. We consider 149 different actions that are aimed at bettering our environment, our society, and our region. These include actions based on waste reduction, water conservation, energy efficiency, people (such as employees, consumers, and community residents), nutrition, and responsibly sourcing products.

Our designated restaurants are recognized with four different levels of designation, to recognize their commitment to the environment, the economy, and the people of our region.