Despite the increasing awareness of the need for sustainability, the majority of the restaurant industry has yet to make significant changes to its methods of operation and resource utilization. Its reputation still holds a very traditional outlook that seems to ward off any opportunity to change and move towards sustainable practices. But with the climate crisis, the downfall of the recycling industry since 2015, and scarce natural resources, it is high time for a reevaluation of the industry starting with Bludso’s Bar & Que, a barbecue restaurant located in Los Angeles, California. Although Bludso’s is not a restaurant that most would consider at the forefront of sustainability, their interest in conducting valuable research and willingness to adapt that research into their business practices make them the perfect client to set new sustainability standards for the industry. Our mission through this project with Bludso’s as our eager and open-minded client, is to identify through data analysis the problems rooted in the challenges of moving towards a more sustainably-functioning restaurant with them as our case study. From there, we will assess the solutions that incentivizes not only Bludso’s but all restaurants to change their habits, namely those that are cost-effective to the business. With this methodology, we hope to be able to implement the affordable, feasible, and sustainable practices that will provide the stepping stones for the rest of the restaurant industry to push sustainability to the front burner.
Practicum Project | 2020