Incredible LEED-Certified Restaurants

Named as one of the hottest trends of 2011, restaurants with green credentials has proven to be less of a trend and more of an industry standard. Fine dining establishments are usually the ones striving for such principled design and execution of their restaurants.  Surprisingly several fast food chains are working towards LEED-certification as well, including some McDonald’s, Arby’s, and Subway locations. We’ve chosen three outstanding and incredible LEED-certified restaurants we think you’ll enjoy.

Red Stag Supper Club

The term supper club evokes a dark restaurant from 40 or 50 years ago, but Red Stag is nothing of the sort. The first LEED-certified restaurant in Minnesota, Red Stag opened in 2007. This modern take on the classic supper club celebrates its inspiration with contemporized supper club fare. They support local and sustainable agriculture.  They are also Minnesota Fish Smart certified and follow Monterey Bay Seafood Watch guidelines. Chef Sarah Master is a Minnesota native happy to share her extensive knowledge of local, sustainable food and her love of classic Midwestern cooking with a modern flair.

Founding Farmers

Self-billed as the “Greenest Restaurant in DC”, Founding Farmers is owned by more than 40,000 local, family farmers that provide the restaurant with most of its supply. Featuring an innovative, American menu, Founding Farmers has become a popular local chain. Their Pennsylvania Avenue location opened in 2008 and received its LEED-Certification at the Gold level.

Providence

Los Angeles is never one to shy away from a trend, rather, they lead the charge and LEED-Certification is not new to Angelenos. Providence is one of the city’s finest examples. For more than 10 years, they’ve worked hard to elevate the standard of modern American seafood, and they’ve done so quite well.  Including earning two Michelin Stars along the way as well as accolades touting Providence as one of the top restaurants in the United States. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Providence’s LEED-Certification is just the icing on the cake for its customers.

Earning a LEED-Certification is based on earning a score based on the following criteria: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Bonus points are for restaurants building in a priority region or if the project demonstrates exceptional innovation and leadership in design. Restaurants scoring 40 out of 110 possible points are certified as LEED, however, there are three more levels beyond the certification level: Silver with 50+ points, Gold with 60+ points, and Platinum with 80+ points. If LEED and green are terms you like to associate with a restaurant, you’ll want to take a look how fine, eco-friendly ingredients are cultivated. So, tell us, which of these restaurants will you try?