National Restaurant Association Names Kendall College Educational Partner of Conserve Environmental

Washington, D.C., April 29, 2009 - The National Restaurant Association today announced that Kendall College has become an official educational partner of the Association’s Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative. Conserve’s mission is to help the nation’s nearly one million restaurant and foodservice locations reduce their environmental impact while maintaining economic vitality. Kendall College joins the Turner Foundation, ENERGY STAR, and the Food Service Technology Center as Conserve partners.

“We are pleased to welcome Kendall College as an educational partner of our Conserve sustainability initiative,” said National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney. “Kendall’s educational expertise in sustainability and outreach to the foodservice industry add a great dimension to our effort. The restaurant industry is forecast to add nearly two million jobs in the next decade. Today’s students are tomorrow’s industry leaders and culinary stars, so it is crucial to our industry’s future success that awareness, knowledge and commitment to environmental sustainability are established at every level.”

Conserve.restaurant.org serves as a portal to vital resources that help foodservice operators embark and continue to progress on their own sustainability journey, providing tips, tools and resources to assists restaurant and foodservice operators. Conserve offers solutions to how to “go green” at little or no expense. In fact, many of the tips help operators save money and enhance their financial bottom-line while reducing their carbon footprint.

“Kendall is proud to join with the National Restaurant Association’s Conserve initiative in addressing what is arguably the most important issue of our generation,” said Kendall College School of Culinary Arts Dean Christopher Koetke, CEC CCE. “We launched our own sustainability education program for the foodservice industry at the same time Association launched Conserve and it was apparent from the beginning that our missions were very synergistic; working together enhances the efforts of both organizations.”

Kendall’s School of Culinary Arts embarked on its eco-friendly journey in 2005, under the leadership of Dean Koetke. The school has developed a robust sustainability curriculum and guiding principles that are an integral part of both its educational programs and operational practices. It addresses everything from composting, recycling and energy-conservation programs to sourcing locally grown, organic ingredients. The school also operates its own sustainable garden that grows produce for its restaurants and teaches students the basics of sustainable agriculture.

Kendall launched its sustainability education program in 2008 with the production of a sustainability video that explains the basics of environmental sustainability and offers some simple actions operators can take to become more sustainable. Like Conserve’s tips, many of the video’s steps also result in net operational savings. Kendall’s program is a natural extension of its own long-term commitment and progress toward environmental sustainability.

In 2007, Kendall College was the recipient of the Green Award presented by Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI). Created in 1996 to recognize and applaud exemplary efforts in ecology and environmentally sensitive hospitality operations, it was only the fifth such award presented by FCSI — which does not commit to an annual presentation unless a worthy recipient is evident — and the first ever to a culinary-training program.

Founded in 1985, the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts is among the premiere culinary-training programs in the United States, offering associate and bachelor degrees and certificates in culinary arts as well as associate degrees and certificates in baking/pastry. Kendall occupies a stunning, urban “Riverworks” campus in Chicago. The American Culinary Federation has accredited its culinary arts program since 1988.

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve.

Media Contact:
Amber Cerda, acerda@kendall.edu, 312-752-2472
Maria Alexandra Velez, mvelez@kendall.edu, 443-627-7112