What does a sustainable restaurant look like?

Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen recently partnered with Zero Foodprint, a company devoted to creating regenerative food systems through collective action. Their company began with a chef who was frustrated with how little impact his restaurants were having on environmental concerns. This got us thinking about our humble restaurant in Crystal Lake, IL.

Since 2008 we have asked ourselves what it means to be a green restaurant. We started with big steps like sourcing local and sustainable ingredients and composting food scraps. Now, with the help of the Green Restaurant Association, we continue to learn to tweak even the smallest things that can make a difference like low-flow faucet aerators, LED lighting, and occupancy sensors. We work with local “green” groups like the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County and Green Drinks to help keep us inspired to do more for the environment.

While we do feel that we are making an impact and proving that by prioritizing environmental sustainability you can build a successful business we still don’t see enough businesses, especially restaurants, following suit. But why?

• Are restaurants scared to invest in green practices due to cost when margins are already slim to none?

• Do operators feel that their client base will leave if they begin charging guests for the increase in the costs of becoming “greener”?

• Is it too labor intensive to train employees to source local and sustainable ingredients?

When we opened Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen this was the feedback we received from producers, family, and friends in regards to making the switch from Duke O’Brian’s to Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen. They didn’t want to see us fail. We may have proved them wrong, but what impact have we truly made in the 16 years since changing our philosophy?

We truly believe that restaurant basics like exceptional service, staff and customer education, and quality products are the heartbeat of Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen. Duke’s wouldn’t have made it as long as we have without those things. But we also know that restaurants need to do something else to stand out in a very saturated market. Especially a mom and pop business.

After putting environmental sustainability as a core value of our business we changed the decision making process away from a profitability focus. (I know. Crazy right?) But that lead to a different focus away from the distraction of numbers. Some could call that naivety I guess, but for us it gave us a new purpose.

This brings us all the way back to the beginning when we questioned our impact. What is it going to take to broaden our positive environmental impact? We can use ourselves as an example of how putting sustainability first can be successful, but we don’t feel that is enough. We want to encourage others not only to implement green practices, but be successful as well.

• When making a dining decision do you ever ask yourself which restaurant experience is going to have the least environmental impact?

• When perusing a menu do you question whether or not the beef for your steak was raised using regenerative practices?

• While enjoying your salad on a patio in summer do you ponder whether the lettuce your eating was grown locally or from somewhere hundreds of miles away?

Those types of questions have lead to all of the progress made in environmental sustainability. Putting the environment closer and closer to the front of mind will lead to impactful change.

We need people like you to not only “vote with your fork,” but ask those types of questions when making your dining and shopping decisions. And Duke’s will continue to ask ourself: What does a sustainable restaurant look like?

Same post with help from AI:

At Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen, sustainability has always been more than a buzzword — it's been a guiding principle. Our recent partnership with Zero Foodprint, an organization dedicated to building regenerative food systems through collective action, inspired us to reflect on our own journey here in Crystal Lake, IL.

Zero Foodprint was started by a chef frustrated with how little his restaurants were doing to help the planet. That story resonated with us — because we've been asking ourselves a similar question for the past 16 years:

What does it really mean to be a green restaurant?

How It Started: Our Sustainability Journey Since 2008

When we opened in 2008, we started big:

• Sourcing local and sustainable ingredients

• Composting food scraps

Over time, we've leaned into the small but powerful changes too. With the guidance of the Green Restaurant Association, we’ve added:

• Low-flow faucet aerators

• LED lighting

• Occupancy sensors to reduce energy waste

We’ve also built strong partnerships with local green groups like the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County and Green Drinks, which continue to inspire and challenge us to do more.

But Why Aren’t More Restaurants Doing This?

We’ve asked ourselves this often. Here are some of the most common concerns we hear:

• “It’s too expensive.”
  Margins in the restaurant industry are razor thin. Investing in green practices feels risky.

• “Customers won’t pay for it.”
  Raising prices to reflect sustainable sourcing can be a tough sell, especially when diners don’t understand the costs behind the choices.

• “It’s too much work.”
  Training staff to source and serve sustainably takes time and consistency.

We heard all of these doubts — even from friends and family — when we transitioned from Duke O’Brian’s to Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen. People were worried we’d fail.

We didn’t.

Profit vs. Purpose: A New Way to Do Business

Exceptional service. Quality ingredients. Staff and guest education. These are the basics that every great restaurant is built on. But to stand out in a saturated market — especially as a local, independent spot — you need more.

For us, that meant putting environmental sustainability at the core of our business. That shift took our focus off the numbers and onto something bigger. Some might call that naïve. We call it purpose-driven.

So… What’s Next?

Sixteen years later, we’re still asking hard questions:

What more can we do to amplify our impact?
How can we help other restaurants do the same — and thrive?

We believe success and sustainability don’t have to be at odds. But it takes more than one restaurant. It takes a shift in the way people think about food.

Ask These Questions When You Dine Out:

Next time you're choosing a place to eat, consider asking yourself:

• Which restaurant experience has the smallest environmental footprint?

• Was this beef raised using regenerative practices?

• Was my lettuce grown locally or shipped from hundreds of miles away?

These questions — once considered fringe — are now driving real change. They help move sustainability closer to the front of mind, and that’s where real progress begins.

Final Thought: Vote With Your Fork

You’ve heard it before — “vote with your fork” — but it’s more than just a catchy phrase. The future of food depends on the questions we ask and the values we support.

So please, ask those questions. Ask them at the farmers market. Ask them in your grocery store. Ask them when you sit down to order dinner.

And we’ll keep asking ourselves:

What does a truly sustainable restaurant look like — and how can Duke’s keep evolving to become one?

Thanks for being part of the journey.