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A Chef’s Place in the California Drought

Sep 30, 2015

By Justin Braly, Synergy Restaurant Consultants

Chefs in California are spoiled. We have artisan poultry farmers (Liberty Ducks), same-day seafood availability (Catalina Offshore Products) and an unrivaled bounty of produce (Chino Farm). But we also feel the effects of the immense elephant in the room: the drought.

Not only will Californians have to deal with a drier than normal fire season, but crops will struggle, meaning that jobs may face the chopping block and commodity prices will increase.

Water Conservation

As a consultant who travels across the country regularly, it is clear how most people outside of the region are generally unaware of the drought’s severity.  Most restaurateurs elsewhere in the U.S. aren’t aware of California’s law that prohibits serving complimentary water to diners unless it is requested. This measure, a state rule passed by Governor Jerry Brown earlier this year, was designed to raise awareness of the water shortage while reducing water waste.

Some restaurants find unique ways to deliver the message:  At Ladera Grill, a Morgan Hill, CA, restaurant, management places succulents on each table with a toothpick sign speaking to water conservation: a humorous approach to a serious problem.

Taking the initiative to the next level, chef John Cox of The Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur has come up with a way to save 300,000 gallons of water per year in his restaurant by using compressed air in lieu of water to rinse plates.

What if more people thought like Chef Cox?  Is it our duty as chefs and restaurant operators to help our dire case? Per the California Restaurant Association, nearly 65,000 dining establishments exist in California. And California is not only the source for much of the produce available in the United States, but also a microcosm for what’s going on in much of the rest of the country.

If a fraction of us step up to the plate in addressing this problem in whatever way we can, we as an industry can look forward to a less arid future.

Crop photo credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture CC by 2.0