TORONTO, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restaurants Canada is proud to announce that it has received the 2019 ENERGY STAR® Recruit of the Year Award, which recognizes leadership and innovation in promoting ENERGY STAR® certified products and raising the profile of ENERGY STAR® in Canada.
“We are honoured to have received the 2019 ENERGY STAR® Recruit of the Year Award in recognition of our work furthering environmental sustainability within our industry,” said Shanna Munro, President and CEO of Restaurants Canada. “With restaurants being among the most energy-intensive commercial spaces, utilities are one of the highest costs facing restaurateurs. ENERGY STAR® is an integral component in helping foodservice businesses reach their energy efficiency goals and we are proud to raise their profile among our members.”
Over the past year, Restaurants Canada has:
• Launched the Foodservice Energy Challenge to encourage foodservice businesses to adopt ENERGY STAR® certified products and other energy efficiency measures to save energy and money. This challenge was promoted in MENU magazine (which has a readership of about 66,000 foodservice professionals across Canada), on the Restaurants Canada website and through the association’s e-newsletter, blog and social media channels. You can follow the journey of selected participants at https://info.restaurantscanada.org/energy-challenge.
• Hosted an Eco Pavilion at the 2018 and 2019 RC Show, Canada’s largest foodservice and hospitality trade show. The pavilion featured ENERGY STAR® products, services and initiatives focused on sustainability; such as LEAF (Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice) certification and IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator) energy efficiency programs.
• Highlighted sustainability as the theme of the 2019 RC Show and encouraged foodservice professionals to attend the Save On Energy Forum, where they could learn about resources and incentives available to improve energy efficiency and gain insights from companies across the foodservice spectrum on how they have lowered their energy usage and saved money.
• Developed a Sustainability Best Practices Guide with The Next Course and LEAF to give foodservice operators a starting place for implementing low-impact operations and embracing future-ready foodservice. This guide can be downloaded at https://info.restaurantscanada.org/sustainability-best-practices-guide.
The 2019 ENERGY STAR® Recruit of the Year Award was presented to Shanna Munro, Restaurants Canada President and CEO, and David Lefebvre, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Federal and Quebec, by Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, at an award ceremony in Ottawa on May 14.
Environmental sustainability is a growing concern for restaurants today. Nine out of 10 foodservice operators responding to a 2018 Restaurants Canada survey said they plan to continue or improve on their current level of environmentally sustainable operations over the next three years.
Restaurants Canada looks forward to continuing to play a leading role equipping foodservice businesses with the tools and information they need to navigate environment-related challenges and embrace opportunities for sustainable growth.
About Restaurants Canada
Restaurants Canada represents a growing community of more than 30,000 businesses, advancing their potential through services, research and advocacy. Canada’s foodservice sector is an $89 billion industry, directly employs 1.2 million Canadians, is the number one source of first jobs and serves 22 million customers every day.
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