Saint Louis Zoo – Cafe Kudu

Get Me Here Using Metro Transit

Café Kudu knows that the St. Louis Zoo‘s commitment to protecting animals and their habitats is directly connected to food service. That’s why you’ll find Rain Forest Alliance-certified coffee, recycling and compost bins made from recycled bottles, and helpful signs throughout the restaurant to help customers identify where their waste goes.

The Café stopped using disposable compostable baskets in favor of reusables, and never offer straws or lids, all of which save the café money while reducing the number of single-use items that result from their service. Employees receive their own reusable water bottle, coffee mug, and the #byetobag reusable utensils kit when they’re hired to reduce waste, and they get specific training on proper recycling and composting habits.

For the last few years, Café Kudu has maintained a DIY herb garden for the restaurant, growing thyme, sage, basil, tomatoes, peppers, chives, and green onions in a vertical garden made from repurposed palettes. The café has expanded its vegetarian options, including falafel, the Impossible Enchilada!, and a black bean burger, offering hearty proteins to those who prefer plant-based diets. They serve local beers from Schlafly, 4 Hands, and Urban Chestnut, promoting St. Louis’s finest to tourists visiting the zoo.

Café Kudu is also mindful of its energy consumption, using Energy Star appliances, LED lights, and motion sensors, as well as clever strategies to reduce energy use like adding curtain strips to their walk-in coolers, to lower their energy bills while reducing emissions. They encourage employees to use active transportation to work (like riding bikes or riding the bus) providing passes for Metro. These efforts help to reduce their carbon footprint, which is important to the zoo’s overall conservation goals.

Our zoo excels when it comes to water conservation. They have saved over 2.2 BILLION gallons of water over the last 12 years through monitoring, metering, and purchasing efficient appliances. Café Kudu cares about water because Missouri’s own waterways suffer from pollution, litter, and climate change, which threatens the species that make our rivers unique. The St. Louis Zoo has taken a special interest in hellbenders, which have suffered from a major decline (70%!) in the last decade. They have partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation to successfully breed and release thousands of the adorable salamanders, reintroducing them to their native habitat.

Follow Café Kudu’s examples of waste, water, and energy reduction to contribute to the natural wonderlands and help the unique species that make Missouri such a beautiful state.