Q&A: Bagel Place Employee Discusses Dining Sustainably at CSU.
In the Fort Collins community, many restaurants, local and chain, have made sustainability a priority for their business. Likewise, Colorado State University has been known as one of the leading universities when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and advocating on behalf of the environment.
Some people are skeptical of how sustainable the university actually is versus how good they are at convincing the public of how environmentally conscious they are, otherwise known as greenwashing. What really matters and makes a positive impact is the actions the university is taking to promote sustainability and encouraging its students to value the environment.
The Lory Student Center (LSC) is a hub on campus with 20 dining options. With this many restaurants, there is a lot of potential for excess food waste, packaging, and cheap options at the cost of the Earth. There is also a huge opportunity to use this dining center to move the university further in sustainable practices and shape the future habits of students. Anja Sandrock, an employee at the Bagel Place in the LSC, says that the latter is more prominent, although there are still some issues to overcome.
I chatted with Anja to find out more about what it’s like working at the Bagel Place, the Bagel Place’s sustainability efforts, and how those efforts are encouraging students to carry out more environmentally friendly food choices.
Q: When did you start working at the bagel place?
A: I started the fall of 2018, which was my freshman year. So I have been there for almost three years now.
Q: What was it like when you started working?
A: At first it was overwhelming because I didn’t know what I was doing. It was also super fun because I was working with people my own age and always surrounded by people. Now with the coronavirus, it is less lively in the LSC, but still great to be with my coworkers.
Q: When you started working there, were there any sustainability practices they trained you on or you knew about?
A: At the time that I started working there I did not know about any practices, and they didn’t specifically train me on any. I feel like I started to learn those as I took on more shifts and became aware of the Bagel Place’s efforts.
Q: What type of efforts?
A: CSU in general has taken an initiative to be more environmentally aware, so in The Bagel Place we have reduced the number of products that come in plastic packaging as well as making changes in the food that we provide. We now offer gluten-free bagels and plan to have dairy-free cream cheese. Also, our eggs and cheese are ethically sourced and that is something that the Bagel Place really cares about.
The Bagel Place serves bagels that are locally made at the Gibs New York Bagel shop in Fort Collins and Consuelos Burritos which is a local small business. Serving locally made bagels not only guarantees freshness and quality but also reduces our carbon footprint.
I still think there are a lot of things that we could improve to be better citizens of the Earth.
Q: What things would you want to change?
A: As of now, our meat is not sourced as sustainably and ethically as I think it should be. For me personally, I try to reduce my meat consumption because I know the effects it has on the environment so that is an issue that I really care about changing within the Bagel Place.
Q: Besides sourcing the meat differently, if you could implement a change in the bagel place’s sustainability, what do you think would make the greatest impact?
A: I would like to change the cleaning products to brands that are better for the environment like Seventh Generation. I also think it would create a healthier environment because we are using cleaning products right next to the food we serve. I think it would make a ginormous difference even if the customers couldn’t see it.
Q: Say you implemented this change, but to cover the cost of the more expensive cleaning products you need to raise the prices of the bagels. How do you think customers would react to an increase in price in return for more eco-friendly practices in the restaurant they are supporting?
A: I honestly don’t think that many customers would notice because it wouldn’t affect the prices very much. I also think that if they did notice and we explained it to them most of them would still support us; maybe even more. It would probably make our customers more loyal too because they know we are committed to improving the quality and impact of the Bagel Place.
Q: How do you think most of your customers view the sustainable practices at the bagel place? Do you guys get many requests for more options or to change your methods?
A: We mostly get requests for health reasons like asking for more gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options. Other than that, I am not aware of any because I think we are staying on top of the curve as far as sustainable packaging goes, and that is really all the customers see. Our straws and napkins are compostable and I think our customers really appreciate that.
Q: You mentioned a lot of amazing actions the bagel place is taking to promote sustainability and how you believe it is making an impression on students. How do you think consumers and employees can encourage other restaurants to be more sustainable?
A: As a consumer, I try to only support places where I can feel good about buying their products. This makes me feel better about my purchases because I know I am supporting people who are committed to preserving the environment.
I think sustainability is a continuously evolving issue and is very relevant today. Our environment is falling apart and it is our responsibility as consumers and employees to hold businesses accountable to be as eco-friendly as possible.
I think it will also help open up the highest value opportunities for profitable growth within businesses and promote relationships with consumers. Consumers, especially local people, value when a restaurant is taking care of the same environment they love. It creates loyalty and long-lasting change to save the planet.