Can we do better?

On April 22, 2008, the Seattle PI mentioned tidbit bistro in the article “On Dining: When one restaurant door closes, another opens” by Leslie Kelly. Here is the article:

Green day
After checking out my options at dinegreen.com on Tuesday, I made a reservation at Tidbit Bistro (2359 10th Ave.). This Capitol Hill venue -- specializing in Euro-inspired tapas and small plates, with a just-added weekend brunch -- recently became a certified green restaurant because of its commitment to recycling, composting and avoiding polystyrene foam in favor of biodegradable to-go boxes.
Tidbit also gets its linens from a certified green supplier, uses biodegradable detergents and sanitizers and prints its menu on recycled paper.
I was surprised to find Tidbit was the lone Seattle restaurant listed on the Dine Green site, a nonprofit launched in 1990 as a resource for restaurants looking to become more environmentally conscious. Can we do better?

While we were nicely surprised to receive a mention in this article, we are not surprised that we are the only certified green restaurant in Seattle. Being green, whether you are certified or not, means several additional expenses and not many businesses are willing to pay for green services that cost a lot more than their non-green counterparts. Being certified is also a long-term commitment with additional steps that will be needed every year. To answer the writer’s question: Can we do better? Surely, but only if people support green restaurants and green businesses.