top of page
Search

Announcing the 2026 Green Restaurant Awards™

  • Michael Oshman
  • Apr 22
  • 9 min read

These Green Winners are Leading the Green Restaurant Movement



North America- On the eve of Earth Day 2026, the prestigious 2026 Green Restaurant Awards™ recognize the restaurants and organizations in the restaurant industry which have accomplished a high level of environmental achievement in their respective categories. The Green Restaurant Awards include categories such as: 

  • Greenest Restaurant 

  • Greenest University 

  • Greenest Caterer 

  • Energy Efficiency Award 



 HERE ARE THE WINNERS: 



GREENEST RESTAURANT 

Certified Green Restaurant® that received the most GreenPoints™ 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Carvers’ Café at Mt. Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota has implemented 80 environmental steps and earned 477.65 GreenPoints™, the most GreenPoints™ of any Certified Green Restaurant®. Carvers’ Cafe has on-site solar panels that produce over 57% of its annual energy usage, on-site BOH composting, and much more. 

 

 


GREENEST CATERER 

Certified Green Caterer™ that received the most GreenPoints™ 

4 Star Certified Green Caterer™ Gilded Tomato Company in Rehoboth, MA is the Greenest Caterer in America, earning more GreenPoints™ than any caterer. Gilded Tomato Company has earned 522.20 GreenPoints™ by implementing 67 environmental steps. This caterer has on-site solar that offsets 74% of its energy usage. Gilded Tomato Company also sources many products locally from its own farm. Recycling batteries, corks, electronics, fluorescent lamps, ink, and soft plastics, along with plastic, glass, aluminum, cardboard, and paper, also helps keep this caterer's waste out of landfills. 

 

 


GREENEST AIRPORT CONTRACTOR  

Airport Contractor with the most Certified Green Restaurants®  

With 260 Certified Green Restaurants® across 23 airports, SSP America is significantly improving its restaurants’ environmental impact by decreasing energy, water, and waste.     

 

 


GREENEST FOOD CONTRACTOR  

Food Contractor with the most Certified Green Restaurants®  

With 167 Certified Green Restaurants® across the U.S., Compass Group is the greenest food contractor in North America. Collectively, Compass Group’s Certified Green Restaurants® have taken over 7,700 environmental steps to earn more than 33,700 GreenPoints™. 

 


GREENEST SMALL CHAIN 

Small Restaurant Chain with the most Certified Green Restaurants® 

Barcade’s chain of 9 restaurants across the U.S. are all Certified Green Restaurants®. With an average of 47 environmental steps and 212 GreenPoints™ per restaurant, this chain is making significant sustainability strides. Barcade requires each of its new locations to open as a Certified Green Restaurant®. 

 

 


GREENEST UNIVERSITY 

University or College with the most Certified Green Restaurants® 

Harvard University has 19 Certified Green Restaurants® located in Cambridge and Boston, MA. Collectively, these Certified Green Restaurants® have implemented more than 960 environmental steps to earn over 3,965 GreenPoints™. 

 

 


GREENEST UNIVERSITY RESTAURANT 

Dining facility at a college or university with the most GreenPoints™ 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Connecticut Hall at University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT is the 2026 Greenest University Restaurant. Connecticut Hall has implemented 103 environmental steps to earn 412.85 GreenPoints™. Connecticut Hall has installed low-flow aerators on its hand sinks, saving enough water to fill over 18 backyard swimming pools every year. 100% of the dining hall’s lights are LEDs, which use significantly less energy and last longer than other bulbs. Connecticut Hall also offers reusable dishware, keeping waste out of landfills.   




GREENEST INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT 

Independent Certified Green Restaurant® that received the most GreenPoints™  

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Maine Beer Company Tasting Room, located in Freeport, ME, has implemented 65 environmental steps to earn 406.07 GreenPoints™. This Certified Green Restaurant® is making significant strides in the Energy Category, earning over 238 GreenPoints™ for Energy Star appliances, occupancy sensors, 100% LED lights, on-site renewable solar energy that generates over 37% of its energy usage, and more. 

 

 


GREENEST NYC RESTAURANT 

New York City-based Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™  

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Well& By Durst, located in New York, NY, has implemented 72 environmental steps to earn 302.11 GreenPoints™. This Certified Green Restaurant® has 100% LED lights, Green-e Energy Certified Green Wind Power that offsets 100% of energy usage, and BOH and FOH composting. 

 

 


GREENEST ZOO RESTAURANT 

Certified Green Restaurant® located at a zoo that received the most GreenPoints™ 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Komodo Kingdom Cafe at Akron Zoo in Akron, OH has implemented 77 environmental steps to earn 366.94 GreenPoints™. This 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® is significantly reducing its energy usage with a geothermal heat pump, 70% LED lighting, restroom occupancy sensors, strip curtains, and an on-site solar array. 

 

 


GREENEST NATIONAL PARK RESTAURANT 

Certified Green Restaurant® located at a national park that received the most GreenPoints™ 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Carvers’ Café at Mt. Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota, also the winner of the 2026 Greenest Restaurant Award, is the greenest national park restaurant. Carvers' Cafe has implemented 80 environmental steps and earned 477.65 GreenPoints™, the most GreenPoints™ of any national park restaurant. 

 

 


GREENEST CORPORATE CAFETERIA  

Certified Green Restaurant® located in a corporate office that received the most GreenPoints™ 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Mars Wrigley GIC – Better Moments Cafe, located in Chicago, IL, has implemented 90 environmental steps to earn 362.07 GreenPoints™. This café is making significant strides in the Energy Category, earning 130.88 GreenPoints™ for a heat recovery system, Energy-Star appliances, occupancy sensors, and more. 

 



GREENEST K-12 SCHOOL 

K-12 School Cafeteria with the most GreenPoints™ 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Westtown School Dining Room, located in West Chester, PA, is the greenest K-12 School Cafeteria in North America. Westtown School Dining Room composts in back and front of house with an on-site composting program. 40% of the main meals this location serves are vegetarian, with another 17% being vegan. Westtown School Dining Room also sources a selection of food items locally, including milk, onions, pea shoots, and more. 

 

 


GREENEST K-12 CONTRACTOR 

K-12 Contractor with the most Certified Green Restaurants® 

Flik Hospitality has 26 Certified Green Restaurants® located across the U.S. in K-12 schools. These Certified Green Restaurants® have collectively taken over 1,100 environmental steps to earn more than 4,985 GreenPoints™.  




REUSABLES & GREEN DISPOSABLES AWARD 

Received the most GreenPoints™ in the Reusables & Disposables Category 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Brodhead Dining Hall at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA earned 119.50 GreenPoints™ in the Reusables & Disposables category. This restaurant serves all to-go orders in reusables, supplies reusable dishes in-house, uses 100% reusables for staff meals, and more. 

 

 


ENERGY CONSERVATION & RENEWABLE ENERGY AWARD 

Received the most GreenPoints™ in the Energy Category 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Carvers’ Café, also the winner of the 2026 Greenest Restaurant Award, earned 339.66 GreenPoints™ in the Energy category. This restaurant has an on-site solar array that generates more than 55% of its energy use, 100% LED lighting, and three walk-in coolers with strip curtains, each of which saves enough energy to power a residential home for an entire year. 

 



SUSTAINABLE FOOD AWARD 

Received the most GreenPoints™ in the Food Category 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Fresh Food Company at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY earned 99.5 GreenPoints™ in the Food category. This dining hall serves 54% vegetarian and an additional 26% vegan main meals. In addition, Fresh Food Company sources a variety of its food locally including poultry, pork, beef, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, and more. Fresh Food Company also serves 100% sustainable seafood. 

 



CHEMICAL & POLLUTION REDUCTION AWARD 

Received the most GreenPoints™ in the Chemicals & Pollution Category 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Putnam Dining at UConn earned 62.05 GreenPoints™ in the Chemicals & Pollution category. This Certified Green Restaurant® is located in a brownfield redevelopment building. Putnam Dining at UConn also uses green hand soaps and green cleaners. 

 



WASTE REDUCTION AWARD 

Received the most GreenPoints™ in the Waste Category 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Cougar Woods Dining Commons at University of Houston in Houston, TX earned 99 GreenPoints™ in the Waste category by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in a landfill with back and front of house composting, weekly food bank donations, reusable dishware, and a recycling program for plastics, glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, grease, batteries, electronics, appliances, and renovation materials. 

 



WATER CONSERVATION AWARD 

Received the most GreenPoints™ in the Water Category 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Connecticut Hall, also the 2026 Greenest University Restaurant, earned 46.93 GreenPoints™ in the Water category. Connecticut Hall is saving 668,400 gallons of water every year, the equivalent of 61.3 backyard swimming pools. This dining hall reuses greywater for mechanical operations, has a boilerless steamer, and uses high efficiency pre-rinse spray valves. 




SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD AWARD 

Received the most GreenPoints™ for Sustainable Seafood 

This year, 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Cougar Woods Dining Commons at University of Houston, 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Mars Wrigley GIC – Better Moments Cafe in Chicago, IL, and 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Fresh Food Company at Western Kentucky University tied for the 2026 Sustainable Seafood Award. These three restaurants each earned 15 GreenPoints™ for serving 100% sustainable seafood. 

 

 


GREEN MARKETING AWARD 

Certified Green Restaurant® which markets their certification in the most creative and effective way 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Fresh Food Company at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY has earned 19.5 GreenPoints™ in the Education & Transparency category. With certification signage, a sustainability event hosted on campus, and more, this Certified Green Restaurant® is implementing creative and effective marketing to be transparent about its sustainability and to educate its students and the public. 

 

 


GREEN SOCIAL MEDIA AWARD 

Certified Green Restaurant(s)® with the most effective and creative social media about certification 

Baylor Eats at Baylor University in Waco, TX highlighted their certifications in engaging and creative ways on Instagram and Facebook during Campus Sustainability Week in October, sharing overviews of their certifications and sustainability initiatives. Baylor University is home to three 3 Star Certified Green Restaurants®: Penland Crossroads Dining, 1845 at Memorial, and East Village Dining Commons. 

 

 


MOST INNOVATIVE RESTAURANT 

A Certified Green Restaurant® that has one or more environmental steps that are unique, noteworthy, and exciting. 

4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® Engrained at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, IL has implemented a variety of unique and innovative environmental steps. This restaurant has a geothermal heat pump, which can reduce its heating and cooling energy consumption by up to 80%. The restaurant's geothermal heating system uses the Earth's temperature to heat and cool the building, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency. There is also often excess heat provided by the system that can be used to heat domestic water for handwashing. According to the Department of Energy, the biggest benefit of a geothermal heat pump is that it uses 70% to 80% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems. In addition, Engrained reduces water waste by reusing rainwater to flush all urinals in their restroom.  


 


GREEN EMPLOYEE LEADER 

An employee in the restaurant industry who is a champion of sustainability at their Certified Green Restaurant® and in the restaurant community 

We are proud to recognize Kevin Kesterson, Director of Resident Dining at UMass Boston, as the recipient of the 2026 Green Employee Leader Award. Through his exceptional leadership and dedication, Kevin has played a pivotal role in bringing numerous restaurants into the Green Restaurant Association’s certification program. His passion for sustainability shines through his efforts to guide and encourage restaurants to adopt impactful environmental changes. Kevin’s commitment to upholding the GRA’s rigorous standards contributes meaningfully to a greener, more sustainable foodservice industry. 

 


GREEN LEADER 

A consumer or anyone at large who is influencing restaurants to become Certified Green Restaurants® 

Courtney White, Director of Sustainability & Environmental Education at Princeton Day School, is the winner of the 2026 Green Leader Award! Through hands-on-learning, Courtney led her environmental science class in working directly with their GRA Sustainability Consultant to successfully complete the recertification process for Princeton Day School’s cafeteria, maintaining its 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® status. Now, she and her students are bringing sustainability beyond the classroom and into their community to inspire local restaurants to think greener. By turning education into action, Courtney is cultivating the next generation of environmental leaders. 



"I applaud all of the 2026 Green Restaurant Award winners on their commitment to improving their environmental impact,” said Michael Oshman, CEO and Founder of the Green Restaurant Association. “These Certified Green Restaurants®, organizations, and employees have set an example for others across North America to follow. By taking great environmental leadership in the restaurant industry, the 2026 Green Restaurant Award™ winners are proving it’s possible for any restaurant, organization, or employee to dramatically improve their environmental footprint today.” 

 


About the Green Restaurant Association  The Green Restaurant Association is a national non-profit organization that provides the only official Certified Green Restaurants® mark in the country. Since 1990, the GRA has pioneered the Green Restaurant® movement and has been the leading voice within the industry encouraging restaurants to listen to consumer demand to green their operations using transparent, science-based certification standards. With their turnkey certification system, the GRA has made it easy for thousands of restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable in a profitable manner. The GRA has been featured on CNN, NBC Nightly News, NPR, and in The New York Times, and The Washington Post. For more information visit www.dinegreen.com. 

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page