Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association partners with National Restaurant Association to launch Conserve initiative in Canada

TORONTO, June 21, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) and the National Restaurant Association (NRA) have signed an agreement to launch a Canadian version of the Conserve Sustainability Education Program^SM. The initiative will provide Canadian restaurant operators and foodservice establishments with tools and information to become more environmentally friendly in areas ranging from energy use to waste management.

"Environmental sustainability is a growing area of interest for our members and their customers.  We look forward to leveraging Conserve's best practices and lessons into a uniquely Canadian program that will help our members reduce their environmental footprint, as well as saving them time and money," said Garth Whyte, President and CEO of CRFA. "The Conserve program will be an important resource for operators across our country."

"We are so pleased to begin this partnership with our friends in the Canadian restaurant and foodservice industry," said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. "The National Restaurant Association launched the Conserve initiative to raise awareness and provide resources to every U.S. restaurant operator regardless of size, and it has been exciting to see how Conserve has grown in just a few short years."

The Conserve program in Canada is expected to launch this fall and will have an online presence to ensure operators can easily access educational materials, including videos and case studies, similar to the original program but customized for the Canadian market.

The Conserve Sustainability Education Program is an online resource designed to initiate and inspire environmentally friendly actions that also improve a company's bottom line. The program focuses on ways to reduce energy, waste and water.

CRFA is one of Canada's largest business associations, with more than 30,000 members representing restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and other foodservice providers.  Canada's $63-billion restaurant industry employs more than one million people in communities across the country.

Media Contact:  Prasanthi Vasanthakumar, CRFA Communications Specialist, [phone] or [email protected]

CRFA Conserve Program Contact:  Stephanie Jones, VP Ontario and Sustainability, [phone] or [email protected]