Crushed Red
HQ: St. Louis
Units: 9
Average check: $11-$30
Type: Fast-casual pizza and salads
Before Co-Founders Chris LaRocca and Powell Kalish make any decision, they always ask themselves, “How does this help the environment?”
Crushed Red’s commitment to sustainability starts in the kitchen, which uses as little equipment as possible to cut down on energy and water use. There are no freezers and only one midsize walk-in cooler to hold fresh product delivered daily.
For the equipment the chain does use, energy-efficient models are chosen. This includes the double-stack convection ovens used to roast chicken, corn, potatoes and other foods in-house. The chain also uses an energy- and water-efficient dishwasher and a proprietary, gas-powered stone oven to cook its signature pizzas in 90 seconds. Throughout the space, the chain uses LED lighting for energy and cost savings of well over 50 percent.
Waste management is an important part of Crushed Red’s green mission. The chain composts and recycles over 90 percent of what comes into the restaurant, according to the co-founders. Vegetable stems and scraps, trimmed protein fat and even post-consumer waste go into seven 33-gallon compost bins with locks that are then brought outside for pickup twice a week by a third-party vendor.
The founders focus on using linens and traditional silverware as much as possible to cut down on paper waste. For takeout, catering and delivery (the latter of which was introduced in 2016), the restaurant uses 100 percent compostable and recyclable packaging. Crushed Red also serves beverages in glass bottles to prevent wasted plastic.
A member of the Green Dining Alliance in St. Louis, Crushed Red renews its certification every two years to ensure compliance and continues to add more sustainable initiatives each year.