Anatomy of: sustainability

Wood if they could

Reclaimed timber from an old barn furnishes the flooring, the ceiling beams and the paneling along the front of the counter. Future plans include incorporating more recycled wood into tabletops and banquettes.

To reduce energy output, the restaurant utilizes fluorescent lamps for 70 percent of its lighting. But the biggest energy drain (in any home or workplace) is the electricity and gas required to keep a 100-gallon water heater hot. Solar panels and tankless water heaters grace the other Tender Greens locations. Lyman estimates, “Nine, maybe 10 months out of the year, we won’t be using any gas [to heat] water. For electricity, I’m hoping we save about 50 percent on what it would cost to heat water normally.”