Patrons of Sauce restaurants probably won't notice any difference in the look or feel of their takeout containers, but picking up a food order now is better for the environment.
Sauce, part of the Fox Restaurant Concepts chain, has introduced its first "green" packaging. Takeout cups, boxes, straws, napkins, bags and plasticware are all recyclable, made from recycled materials that biodegrade more quickly.
Sauce, which has three Tucson locations, and another Fox concept restaurant, True Food Kitchen, with locations in the Phoenix area and California, are the first in the 31-restaurant company to go green.
"The first phase was to come up with items we are using currently and replace what we're already using" with products made from recycled materials, said Mike Geavaras, vice president of operations for Sauce.
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Eventually all of the Fox restaurants will use these types of products.
The second phase will involve working with suppliers to develop programs that encourage recycling and sustainability.
"It's a little bit more expensive and I think that's where a lot of times recycling campaigns run into a problem," Geavaras said. "There is a cost to being thoughtful, but it's the right direction. We all agree this is something we need to do. This is a good cost of doing business."
He said the company won't pass the extra cost on to customers.
It's not just Fox Restaurant Concepts that is switching to green packaging. Sustainability and reducing environmental impact are key areas of focus for the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association.
A 2011 Restaurant Association survey found nearly three out of four restaurant owners purchase products made from recycled materials. Restaurant operators in the West and Northeast were more likely than owners in other states to purchase such products.
Even though most of those restaurateurs say the cost of doing business has not increased after switching to recycled products, only 34 percent are willing to pay more for those products.
The shift is something customers want. The survey found three out of four adults buy recycled products when possible.
Arizona's numbers differ from the national survey, but still indicate an interest in renewable packaging. The 2011 survey conducted by the Arizona Hospitality Research & Resource Center at Northern Arizona University showed 39 percent of restaurants used biodegradable, compostable containers for takeout food instead of Styrofoam. Almost half the survey respondents said their restaurant has a policy of buying products containing recycled materials. More than 67 percent said the driving force behind their sustainability initiatives was concern for the environment, while a third cited pressure from customers.
Geavaras doesn't have to wait for customer feedback to gauge the impact of the changes the chain is making.
After three months, "It is already a success, just being more thoughtful in choosing things that are better for the environment," he said. "We need to continue to move in the right direction and think of ways to keep this program moving."
Did you know?
Fox Restaurant Concepts founder Sam Fox, above, began with a single restaurant, Tucson's Wildflower, in 1998. Today the company boasts 31 restaurants across five states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas and Kansas - that employ nearly 2,000 people.
Contact reporter Kimberly Matas at kmatas@azstarnet.com or at 573-4191.