Fresh Sourdough Express
The Fresh Sourdough Express Bakery and Cafe
recently received its "green" certification from the Green
Restaurant Association, becoming the first restaurant in Alaska
to receive that designation.
But owners Donna and Kevin Maltz -- considered socially responsible
"green pioneers" in the foodservice industry -- are not new to
environmental leadership. Donna used her years as an organic
farmer in the late 70s and her degree in social ecology to take
her experiences to a new level with the opening of The Fresh
Sourdough Express in Homer in 1982. Conservation and
sustainability have played a major role in the business's
operations ever since. "We were ahead of our time" in the
energy-saving and green practices the bakery/cafe put in place
over the past two decades, says Donna Maltz.
The owners practice 3 Rs: recycle, reduce, and reuse. From the time they
opened their bakery and cafe, they have composted the
restaurant's waste; recycled paper, aluminum, glass and other
items; powered down unused equipment and lights; and grow and
purchased locally raised food. The Maltz's recently added
low-flow spray nozzles and toilets, replaced old seals and
gaskets and switched to compact florescent light bulbs, full
spectrum lighting and energy efficient ballasts and hand-dryers.
Poster store for being green
Donna Maltz says The Fresh Sourdough Express buys local organic food to
avoid shipping food to Alaska that could raise the restaurant's
carbon footprint. The restaurant grinds its own organic grains,
cooks its nutritionally dense food with organic, wild and local
products, and uses bio-friendly, chemical-free cleaning products
and chlorine-free paper products. The staff wear organically
grown cotton t-shirts.
Long committed to using natural ingredients, Fresh Sourdough Express
developed its own line of organic chocolate products under the
AH!LASKAŽ brand. Today, the products can be found in health food
stores throughout the United States.
Do the right thing
Donna Maltz says the couple's guiding philosophy is to weigh the impact
that every business practice has on the natural environment.
That means "being conscious of everything from the soil to the
table, and from the ceiling to the floor," says Maltz. "We have
always blended ecology and social responsibility into our
foodservice systems, acknowledging nature, the farmers and other
producers of the valuable nourishment that sustains us.
"People starting new restaurants have a tremendous
responsibility to their customers and the environment," she
says. "Twenty six years ago, most people didn't care that we
were a socially responsible eatery." Now, she says, "we are
finally respected for our efforts and have found productive ways
to share the wisdom we have acquired."
Link to the story at
National Restaurant Association
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