It was not completely unexpected when Dave Bailey sought GDA certification for all of his establishments, as he began implementing sustainable practices into his operations 10 years ago at his first restaurant, Baileys’ Chocolate Bar.
“[Bailey] cares about sustainability and has always put into practice many key components,” stated Katie Godoy, Managing Officer for the Baileys’ Restaurants. “We look forward to finding new and more ways to meet this goal.”
Godoy has worked closely with GDA Program Coordinator Olivia Engel to set this goal into action. Since joining GDA, all of Bailey’s restaurants underwent free lighting audits in order to start a phase-in plan for installing energy efficient lighting (they will also be taking advantage of the commercial rebate program offered by Ameren to replace existing bulbs with LEDs).
They’ve also improved their waste diversion at all locations by taking a hard look at their current practices and working with St. Louis Composting. Currently, Baileys’ Range is diverting around 2000 lbs of organic waste from landfills a week, to be composted into new, rich growing material for local farmers and gardeners.
Additionally, their employee manual and training procedures have been updated to ensure all employees execute sustainable practices and understand the commitment to sustainability by each restaurant.
General Manager at Bridge, Kate Cushwa, walks the GDA through operations. GDA Program Manager Engel is happy to find Better Life products – used at all Baileys’ establishments.
A Decade of Sustainable Practices
When the Chocolate Bar opened, Bailey was already sourcing local ingredients, commissioning design work from artists, designers, and printers, and recycling all of his bottles – many of which are reused in the same way today to bring chilled water to the table. He was just 24 at the time.
Today, by utilizing a central commissary at Baileys’ Range, Bailey is able to create a localized economy of scale by purchasing whole, bulk ingredients for his kitchens.
The commissary bakes all of the breads and pastries found at different locations, processes whole, grass-fed pigs and cows from Todd Geisert, Raincrow Ranch, and Jones Heritage Farms, and makes all sauces, spreads, condiments and soups served across the restaurants’ menus.
Though all of his establishments have unique concepts, they carry a common thread of local, scratch-made foods, something in which Dave Bailey takes great pride. He is also conscientious of dietary restrictions and notes vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free selections on each restaurant’s menu.
By seeking out GDA certification, Bailey is further demonstrating to the St. Louis restaurant community that sustainable practices make a strong business model. In an industry often responsible for inefficiency and waste, he continues to work toward sustainability within his restaurant operations and looks forward to partnering with GDA to develop even better standards in the future.
