A Restaurant with No Trash Can

A restaurant with no trash can. Wow—I love it!

The Back Story

Not long ago during a visit, my teenage niece and I found ourselves running errands and going to the market. Had it been several years ago, we would have just made our selections and had our purchases put in a paper bag.

This time it was a little different. I filled up my reusable water bottle before we left the house. At the grocery market we found ourselves discussing whether we should purchase the fruit we wanted because it came in a plastic carton. At the checkout stand we whipped out our reusable shopping bag.

A few weeks after I returned home, I received the following text from my niece with a photo attached.

Recycle and Compost Bins at The Melt - Photo by Author's Niece EmmaNiece: “@ this restraunt they only had compost and recycle no trash yay <<>;->><>:->><:D>>”

Me: “That is so cool!! What restraint is it? Maybe I can work it into a blog post. I’ll give you photo credit.”

Niece: “It was called the Melt<<>;->><>:->><:D>> ” (additional photo attached)

Me: “Thx : )”

Niece: “Ur welcome it is just right when i walked in there and it said it is completely environmentally friendly i thought of u so I took pics <<>;->><>:->><:D>>”

This exchange made me smile. We both had trouble with the word restaurant (it is a difficult word to spell), and apparently I need to adjust some setting on my phone to display emoticons.

All kidding aside, how many teenage girls would notice the green aspects of restaurant? What really made me smile was that my niece not only noticed but took the time to share it with me.

Sign at The Melt - Photo by Author's Niece EmmaA Restaurant with No Trash Can

Well of course now I was intrigued so went to The Melt website to learn more. I haven’t eaten there but I was hungry for a grilled cheese sandwich after checking out their website. Below is my synopsis.

  • The Melt is a fast casual restaurant specializing in upscale grilled cheese sandwiches.
  • In addition to grilled cheese sandwiches, the simple menu includes items like home-made soups, organic milk, cookies, and whole fresh fruit. They also serve breakfast.
  • Seeing bottled water on the menu was disappointing, however apparently water is also available in a compostable cup.
  • You can order online, get a code, and then scan it when you arrive at the restaurant. Your sandwich is then made fresh.
  • Serving items like cups and utensils are made of compostable materials.
  • There is no trash can for patrons inside the restaurant. Waste bins are labeled recycle and compost.
  • There was a statement on their website that said “Help us fight world hunger” but I couldn’t find an explanation of what that meant.

Combining an American comfort food like grilled cheese with eco-friendly practices seems a tasty idea and a good business model.

Photo Credit: Author’s Niece Emma

Update: Since I wrote this post, I have been to The Melt with my niece and sister. The fontina grilled cheese and creamy wild mushroom soup were delicious. My niece had the gooey chocolate marshmallow s’more melt. They guy at the cash register asked me if I wanted to donate my change to fight world hunger. I did.

Author: Linda Poppenheimer

Linda researches and writes about environmental topics to share information and to spark conversation. Her mission is to live more lightly on Earth and to persuade everyone else to do the same.

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