planet love

The average fast food place goes from a vacant lot to selling burgers in six weeks. That's just not our style. We open our restaurants as neighbors... where people live and work. We delight in moving into generations-old buildings. We may have to update plumbing and electricity, but we cherish an old tin ceiling, or plaster walls, or those itsy bitsy tiles on the floor from the '30s. We want to be part of a vibrant community. We don't want to knock down the old one.

As responsible neighbors, we believe in using local craftspeople to create or refurbish our restaurants with non-toxic, reclaimed, sustainable and energy-efficient building materials like:

• salvaged or FSC-certified, sustainably harvested wood such as bamboo
• environmentally-sensitive insulation such as mineral wool and cellulose made from recycled paper
• Vermont slate, clay, or locally-made tile when available
• Energy Star equipment
• LED lighting
• VOC-free paints
• countertops of concrete, soapstone, or marmoleum