The Stone House, a new wine and cheese bar, looks at retail and food service sustainability

...link via Angie Fretz

I like to eat. Those that know me, you know I like to eat. I also like to drink a plethora of beverages. I like fresh squeezed juice, I have a passion for coffee, I like cheap shwag beer and non-cheap micro-brews, and I love wine. So when I see a new cool place opening up around the country, I get excited. Especially when it's cheese (which I love), and Wine (which I have already stated my previous mention of love for). Now, you are saying, "Justin! What does this have to do with home energy usage or sustainability at all?".

Great question...

I have journeyed to many coffee houses. One of my biggest complaints about coffee houses are how they are not taking proper steps to reassure a sustainable practice. For some examples: non-recycling offered on the premise (even though their cups are #1s or #2s, yes, I'm looking at your Starbucks), thrown away coffee grounds, and preferred disposable containers offered to in-house purchases instead of washable cups and dishes.  I am singling out coffee shops because it is easy to assess all the waste that takes place in one. Fine sit down dining is a little harder, because you don't know what goes on in the kitchen. Coffee shops, fast food restaurants, and other in and out type locals, its a lot easier, and you know what I see? I see a lot of waste! There are some great independent local coffee shops that I've seen, one of them being The Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe, AZ, that deals great with waste. But it is rare when a new bar lets you see what helped them make some responsible decisions.

The Stone House, a new wine and cheese bar in Eureka Springs, AR has designed a restaurant based around sustainable practices. The owners renovated an old 1800s stone built house in Eurka Springs, and given it a new chance for a new life. This is sustainable urban planning at it's finest, true cradle to cradle usage. They use locally grown organic produce in their meals. The best part of all, which was inspired by Jay Fretz, is the use off biodegradable and compostable food service products that would normally being thrown in the trash. The Stone House went looking for a supplier of these materials and found a company called World Centric. World Centric states on their sustainability page:

"Sustainability is the idea that civilization as a whole can act in a way that supports not only social equality but also protects the earth’s ecosystems and natural resources for generations to come. At World Centric we try our best to do our part - in the products we sell, how we run our business, what we do with our profits and the values we hold. We list the things we are currently doing to be a sustainable company..."

This a great news for entrepreneurs like The Stone House, and other upstart restaurants that want to be environmentally responsible. It also gives us as consumers, choices of where we want our spending dollars to go and in what directions we want to see new businesses develop. Also, another great thing for us at home is World Centric products are available for home use at Whole Foods, and Cost Plus World Market.

So here I am raising a glass of wine to the success of The Stone House! We need more businesses like you and your vision of how to run a business! If you know of any other sustainable run food service businesses, let us know, we would love to share!

The Stone House on Facebook

The Stone House while being renovated.The inside of The Stone House near the end of renovation.

--- Justin J. Stewart (link Via Angie Fretz).