FarmSource program developed

The introduction of our FarmSource program in 2002 pioneered the creation of the infrastructure needed to get local products into the hands of our suppliers and onto the plates of our guests. Through FarmSource, we work with more than 120 local farmers and producers, all within a 150-mile radius of our units. In fact, we have been recognized by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) for our ongoing support of local agriculture through FarmSource. This program greatly reduces the distance food travels from harvest to table. This decreases air pollution, water pollution, traffic congestion and the need for oil.

Because of FarmSource, our guests enjoy fresh, wholesome foods, including:

• Produce that is selected through farmer-based organizations
• Dairy products that come from independently owned and operated local farm families that choose not to treat their herds with rBGH/rBST
• Meat that is produced at USDA-inspected facilities, which source their animals from farms that are within the region and ensure high standards of animal care, well-being and nutrition
• Products from local artisans who devote their time, energy and passion to a limited line of products and emphasize high quality and unique flavors

ENPHG switches to only rBGH/rBST-free milk

We only purchase fluid milk that comes from independently owned family farms that do not use rBST/rBGH to increase their cows’ milk production. We purchase from these dairies because we believe in preserving the natural milk supply for our locations.

Recombinant bovine somatotropin hormone, sometimes referred as BGH, rBGH and BST, is a genetically engineered copy of a naturally occurring hormone produced by cows. The naturally occurring hormone regulates the amount of milk a cow can produce; the genetically engineered copy of the hormone is used specifically to boost those amounts, in turn producing more milk. According to the FDA, no significant difference has been shown and no test can distinguish between milk from rBGH-treated and untreated cows.

ENPHG reduces payroll waste by eliminating paper checks

When you employ nearly 10,000 team members, paychecks add up to quite a bit of paper over the course of a year. We switched to an all-electronic paycard system to reduce this waste.

Parkhurst begins working with local community-supported agriculture programs

From a handful of farms 15 years ago, the community-supported agriculture (CSA) concept has grown to as many as 5,000 nationwide. People sign up for a CSA, pay a regular fee and receive a weekly box of farm goods, generally delivered somewhere in their own neighborhood.

Parkhurst takes it one step further by creating opportunities for smaller farms to sell and deliver fresh produce to our clients’ associates and other guests - while Parkhurst chefs prepare and present recipe ideas using the fresh food harvested from the CSA farms. The farmer gets a dependable source of income and a dependable destination for the produce, and our clients receive fresh fruits and vegetables, far fresher than anything you can get at the store.

Green Standards developed for all ENPHG brands

Our Green Standards provide our restaurants and accounts with guidelines for greening our dining operations. Some of our green standards include:

• Produce – seasonal produce sourced within 150 miles of the facility
• Dairy – produced without the use of rBST
• Meat – purchased from regional farms when available
• Partnering with Seafood Watch to increase our use of sustainable seafood
• Recycled paper used for a majority of marketing materials
• Use of washable, reusable service ware and utensils where applicable
• Napkins made from recycled paper

ENPHG sends representative to European Union Organic Food Waste Tour

In 2006 and 2007, two groups of Pennsylvania professionals, under a USDA sponsored project and assembled by The Pennsylvania State University, traveled to Germany and Austria to investigate the structures, operations, and sustainability of the organic recycling systems that have been developed and implemented in these two countries. The purpose of the trip was to analyze these systems and their applicability to organic recycling for Pennsylvania.

First Parkhurst locations begin composting/organic recycling

Parkhurst develops and implements composting programs that recycle organic waste, such as food and yard wastes, into humus, a soil-like material that can be used in vegetable and flower gardens, landscaping and many other applications.

Several Parkhurst locations are composting pre- and post-consumer food waste. Compostable waste is picked up by local composters who provide sustainable waste management solutions to our accounts.

ENPHG’s Director of Sourcing and Sustainability certified as an organic crop inspector

The International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) is a non-profit, professional association of organic farm, livestock, and process inspectors dedicated to verification of organic production practices. The mission of IOIA is to address issues and concerns relevant to organic inspectors, to provide quality inspector training and to promote integrity and consistency in the organic certification process.

Jamie Moore, Director of Sourcing and Sustainability, manages our relationships with local farmers. Jamie sought IOIA certification so he would be knowledgeable about the growing practices of the farmers and producers that we purchase from.

Placemats removed from Eat'n Park restaurants

While being an important tool for marketing, we have eliminated placemats, which saves a tremendous amount of paper as well as the landfill space they occupy once they’ve been used. Producing placemats required more than 325,000 pounds of paper every year, the equivalent of more than 250 trees.

Eat’n Park restaurants switch all lighting to energy-efficient CFL bulbs and LED lights

CFL’s emit the same light as classic incandescent bulbs but use 75% or 80% less electricity. To illustrate the impact of this, if every one of the 110 million American households bought just one CFL for their house and used it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people.

Eat’n Park Hospitality Group receives Glynwood Harvest Award for Innovation and Leadership in the Sustainable Food Movement

Glynwood, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to save farming in the Northeast, awarded Eat’n Park Hospitality Group the 7th Annual Harvest Award. This award highlights innovative work being done to increase access to fresh, locally-produced food, and recognizes leaders across the country who support regional agricultural systems.

Eat'n Park begins recycling used fryer oil into bio-diesel fuel

We use trans-fat-free canola oil in all of our locations, which is the preferred oil to be recycled into biodiesel fuel.  We are working with bio-fuel producers in an effort to convert 100% of our spent oil to biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel is a vegetable oil-based fuel that runs in unmodified diesel engines - cars, buses, trucks, construction equipment, boats, generators, and oil home heating units. Biodiesel is usually made from soy or canola oil, and can also be made from recycled fryer oil. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that Bio-diesel can reduce carbon emissions by 50%.

Eat’n Park Hospitality Group is recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine for “Best Green Operations”

Pittsburgh Magazine recognized us for the steps we’ve taken across all divisions to reduce our environmental impact, including:

• Reducing paper waste by eliminating paper placemats and paper towels at Eat’n Park Restaurants
• Establishing sustainability committees within the educational institutions and businesses that we serve through our Parkhurst division
• Developing composting and waste recycling programs at our Parkhurst accounts

Eat’n Park opens the first LEED-Gold certified restaurant in the City of Pittsburgh

The Waterworks/Fox Chapel Eat’n Park opened in July 2010. Designed to reduce energy consumption and overall impact on the environment, LEED-certified buildings like this one often have unique (and sometimes not-so-obvious) features that contribute to the structure’s energy efficiency.

The Waterworks Eat’n Park is packed, inside and out, with features that reduce our environmental impact. Some, like the 40-foot wind turbine that generates some of the restaurant’s power, are obvious. Others, like induction stovetops, aren’t visible to most visitors.

We harvest natural light through the use of skylights and an exposed lobby structure, allowing us to reduce the power used through electric lights whenever it’s bright outside. The restaurant is equipped with light sensors to automatically dim the electric lights when it’s bright. Additionally, our parking lot features reserved spaces for carpooling and low-emissions vehicles.

Digital Smileage introduced to reduce printed marketing materials

Digital Smileage is the term we’ve coined for our digital marketing screens, which allow us to save trees and landfill space by reducing or eliminating printed marketing materials wherever Digital Smileage is used. Digital Smileage has replaced items such as daily specials cards, brochures, handouts, and menu boards at several of our Parkhurst accounts and Eat’n Park restaurant locations.

Know Your Source program introduced to Parkhurst

Through our “Know your Source” program, we have physically have identified the sourceswhere our products originated. We visit with these farms and/or manufacturers to fully understand their growing practices, sustainable accomplishments and their social commitment to their employees and the communities where they do business.

Parkhurst transitions to cage-free eggs

100% of Parkhurst’s shell eggs are a cage-free organic product. This accounts for almost 20% of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group’s total shell egg purchases.

Parkhurst’s cage-free eggs come from a producer who allows hens to engage in natural behaviors like nesting, perching and dust-bathing. Cage-free hens live in large flocks that are able to walk, spread their wings and lay their eggs in nests.

Grower's Manual introduced for backyard gardens at Parkhurst accounts

At many of our Parkhurst locations, guests enjoy fresh produce, vegetables and herbs that are grown in containers, greenhouses or college-based farms located right on our clients' property. Onsite gardening provides a fresh and consistent food source to dining and helps our clients become more sustainable. Our Grower's Manual assists our accounts in creating and maintaining these gardens.

Parkhurst’s Google account receives “Zero Waste” certification from Pennsylvania Resource Council

“Zero Waste in Pittsburgh” (ZIP) certification is intended to encourage, reward and acknowledge organizations that have taken important steps towards reducing the waste they produce through recycling, composting and source reduction measures. Parkhurst became the first foodservice company in Allegheny County to receive this certification, for the steps they’ve taken at out Google account.

Co-mingled recycling introduced in Eat’n Park restaurants

Eat’n Park restaurants have long been recycling cardboard products. Thanks to the proliferation of co-mingled recycling, most of our locations are now also able to recycle plastic, glass, and paper products.

Parkhurst’s four Bayer Healthcare accounts achieve 90% waste diversion from landfills

Our Parkhurst teams at these four accounts worked together to implement a comprehensive composting program to complement the recycling that they were already doing at these locations. Implementation of the program included extensive team member training and partnership with a local composting operator. Now, between recycling and composting, 90% of Bayer Healthcare’s waste is diverted from landfills. Additionally, the compost created by the program is used to fertilize the sites’ onsite gardens, from which fresh produce and herbs are incorporated into the daily menu features.

ENPHG purchases over $23 million in locally-produced food through our FarmSource program

More than just local produce, FarmSource encompasses four distinct categories: Produce, Meat, Dairy, and Artisan. These products are sourced from within 150 miles of our facilities.

ENPHG develops farmer/chef collaboration track for 21st Annual PASA “Farming for Future” conference

During this track, chefs were introduced to local producers and their products; they discussed preparation techniques and learned how others are using local foods. In addition to organizing the session, our chefs from Parkhurst were among the attendees.

ENPHG participates in Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day

Food Revolution Day is a global day of action to raise awareness about the importance of good food and better food education for everyone by focusing on three simple actions – cook it, share it, live it. Eat’n Park Restaurants participated by offering a free Salad Bar to kids under 10, while Parkhurst Dining highlighted dishes featuring fresh ingredients, and with every order, included a recipe book and spice pack to encourage guests to do their own healthy cooking. 

Parkhurst Dining launches a blog with a focus on Sustainability

DineAtParkhurst.wordpress.com follows our chefs and managers as they visit and learn more about our local farmers, producers, and manufacturers. Knowing the source of our food is extremely important to us, and through this blog, we're able to share that information with our guests and clients.

Parkhurst expands the reach of FarmSource with entry into new market

The acquisition of the Bridgewater College account in Virginia gave us the opportunity to expand our FarmSource program into this market, extending the network of local farms that we partner with.

“Garden Primer” starts for new campuses

Through a collaboration with Grow Pittsburgh, the “Garden Primer” is a teaching class for Parkhurst Chefs showcasing how to grow organic gardens. 

Eat’n Park Restaurants Support Local Food Banks Through Salad Bar Sales

For one week, Eat’n Park pledged to donate 50¢ of every Soup, Salad & Fruit Bar entrée sold to local food banks in every community throughout our service area in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and West Virginia. With the help of our wonderful guests, we were able to raise a total of $12,884 to support our local food banks in their efforts to purchase local produce for their communities. 

Eat’n Park Restaurants use LEED principles in all newly remodeled restaurants and rebuilds.

After building our LEED-Gold Certified restaurant at the Waterworks in Fox Chapel, we have continued to apply LEED principles to our newly remodeled restaurants and rebuilds. A few of these upgrades include the addition of LED lighting, induction cooking, the use of Energy Star Appliances and low flow faucets and toilets to help reduce water consumption. 

Parkhurst Dining participates in Baltimore Integration Partnership

The Baltimore Integration Partnership is a coalition of 10 anchor institutions and local foundations and nonprofits that promote job creation through local hiring and buying.