Sustainable entrepreneurship is a hot topic in every sector but in the hospitality and food industry, it’s a concept that has been readily adopted. This is because the hospitality sector has the unique opportunity to contribute to sustainability. Changes to your hospitality business can significantly impact waste production, waste management, energy and water consumption and your social responsibility efforts.
Why should your hospitality and food business commit to sustainable entrepreneurship?
Committing to sustainable entrepreneurship not only benefits the environment — there are numerous benefits for your business as well. Examples include cost savings, an improved reputation, a better food cost percentage, a competitive advantage and increased employee satisfaction. Let’s explore these factors in greater detail:
- Cost savings: sustainable entrepreneurship leads to considerable cost savings. Energy efficient appliances, reducing waste and saving water can reduce your operational costs and your food cost percentage.
- Reputation and customer loyalty: consumers increasingly place value on sustainability and environmentally friendliness. Businesses that make a clear commitment to sustainable entrepreneurship build a better reputation and attract more customers who consciously choose sustainable options. This leads to increased customer loyalty, as consumers are motivated to return to businesses that share their values.
- Competitive advantage: sustainable entrepreneurship is a differentiating factor in a competitive market. If you position your business as sustainable, you can distinguish yourself from your competitors and gain a strong USP. In addition, consumers are often prepared to pay higher prices for sustainable options, which is great for your food cost percentage.
- Employee satisfaction: sustainable entrepreneurship includes treating your employees well, which translates to a fair salary, attractive working hours, fringe benefits etc. In short, by giving your employees what they deserve, they’ll enjoy working at your business and you’ll retain them for longer.
Now you understand the benefits sustainable entrepreneurship can offer your business, you might be wondering how you can make this transition. We have a few tips for you.
Tip 1: reduce your waste production
Some tips for avoiding food waste.
- Optimise your stock
- Portion sizes
- Menu composition
- Re-use ingredients
- Use products with a long shelf life
Tip 2: partner with local suppliers
he origins of your product also have a strong impact on your environmental footprint. Therefore, you should partner up with local suppliers. This will not only decrease transport emissions but also allow you to support the local economy. In addition, partnering with a local supplier like a butcher for meat, a fishmonger for fish, or a farmer for vegetables can often result in cost savings for you.
Tip 3: minimize water and energy consumption
Another important step towards sustainable entrepreneurship is minimising your water and energy consumption. This is often the largest investment but you’ll make that money back in due course. Are any of your most frequently used kitchen appliances on the older side? Replace appliances such as fridges, dishwashers, ovens and hobs with newer models that have an “A” energy label.
There are other investments you can make, such as purchasing solar panels, a water pump, water-saving toilets, automatic taps, LED lighting, efficient heating elements etc
Tip 4: motivate your customers to make sustainable choices
Your customers can also impact the sustainability of your business. So, try to encourage them to make environmentally-friendly choices. Some examples:
- Include vegetarian and vegan products in your menu.
- Highlight dishes with seasonal products.
- Give customers who bring their own sustainable packaging with them a discount.
- Use organic products and encourage customers to choose them.
- Provide free tap water as well as bottled water.
Always give your customers several options to maintain customer satisfaction but give them a little push in a sustainable direction.
