Written and published February 2015 by Olivia Engel, Green Dining Alliance Program Coordinator
The Green Dining Alliance is proud to announce the certification of the Saint Louis Zoo‘s restaurant, Café Kudu, in February 2015.
With four green stars, Café Kudu has demonstrated the Zoo’s commitment to protecting our planet’s habitats by serving Rain Forest Alliance-certified coffee, creating a comprehensive and educational recycling and composting system for guests (with waste stations made from recycled bottles), and conserving water and energy in all areas of operations.
The GDA will return to the Zoo in one year to assess progress toward sustainability goals, and to cultivate new strategies for 2017.
The Green Dining Alliance has partnered with St. Louis cultural institutions since its inception in December 2011. Believing that collaboration is key to a better future for the region, sustainability leaders The Magic House and Missouri Botanical Garden were among the first to certify their cafés. Since then, the Missouri History Museum‘s Bixby’s and now Café Kudu have joined their ranks.
Jean Ponzi of the Missouri Botanical Gardens championed the GDA’s efforts at Sassafras Café. “We were the first restaurant in Missouri to earn certification from the Green Restaurant Association, in 2007. When a strong local program was developed, we were pleased to transition to GDA,” states Ponzi. “GDA is uniquely and expertly positioned to help St. Louis restaurants meet sustainability challenges.”
The GDA will continue to work closely with these organizations through the coming years, assisting with goal-setting and on-going education and improvements. To learn more about GDA’s certification program, visit Our Certification.
