Ruby Tuesday Goes Green
April 17 2009 - 12:05PM
Business Wire
Ruby Tuesday restaurants are celebrating Earth Day this year
with several new green initiatives. The international chain has
more than 900 company-owned and franchised restaurants and almost
50,000 employees, and nearly all are taking part in one way or
another. Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22,
2009.
Ruby Tuesday first made a commitment to minimize the negative
impact on the planet and improve the company�s green standards
several years ago. �It started with small changes, with regard to
our supplies and paper products,� says Richard Johnson, who
directed Ruby Tuesday�s initial green program. He says the company
is now taking it to the next level with the launch of a website
solely dedicated to this initiative, www.AGreenRuby.com, so they
can track all changes and share updates with their guests.
One of the most significant changes is to Ruby Tuesday�s
signature fresh garden bar, but Executive Vice President Kimberly
Grant says: �Not to worry. All of our customers� favorite items are
still there!� Ruby Tuesday is reducing its landfill waste by 320
tons per year by challenging the salad dressing vendors to
repackage their products. �We went from using large rigid plastic
containers to much sleeker pouches,� says Grant. As a result, Ken�s
Salad Dressings received Ruby Tuesday�s 2009 Supplier of the Year
Award for Change.
�From the trucks that deliver the fresh produce and meats to the
restaurants to the menus our customers hold in their hands, we�re
making a concerted effort to change the way we do business,� says
Senior VP Mark Young. Delivery trucks no longer idle while parked
at Ruby Tuesday restaurants, so exhaust emissions and fuel usage
are reduced. �We�re also streamlining our delivery routes to be as
efficient as possible,� Young added.
When it comes to the menu, Ruby Tuesday is partnering with
printers who are also committed to making the world a better place.
For example, the menu is printed on Mohawk paper, which is made
from wind-generated electricity. Young says: �Our printers recycle,
and they use soy-based inks to cut down the use of toxic
chemicals.�
Inside the restaurant, Ruby Tuesday is now using a stackable
glassware rack that consumes less water and soap thanks to an
innovative �wave� design. Other energy efficiencies in the kitchen
include fluorescent bulbs that illuminate the hood and cooler and
low-flow pre-rinse nozzles.
At the Ruby Tuesday Restaurant Support Center, in Maryville, TN,
an energy management schedule has been implemented, which means at
night and on weekends, the building will be cooler in the winter
and warmer in the summer. �We�re also recycling all of the
fluorescent light bulbs from the center,� says Grant. The company
has switched to reusable ink cartridges for its printers as well.
�Did you know it takes 450 years for just one cartridge to
decompose? When I heard that, I just knew we had to make the
switch.�
Johnson says Ruby Tuesday will continue to look for ways to
build a safer, healthier, and cleaner world. �And come April 22, we
welcome anyone who would like to celebrate Earth Day to join us at
a local Ruby Tuesday restaurant for a flavorful and valuable dining
experience with a twist that�s green.�
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE: RT). More information about Ruby Tuesday is available at
www.RubyTuesday.com.
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