Inc. Magazine's 'Green 50' spotlights Burgerville, a small fast food burger chain with 39 locations in the Northwest, including one a few blocks down the street from me. I do not regularly frequent fast food establishments, but after getting my trusty Chinook Book this year from Ecotrust, I found a 2-for-1 coupon good for a free burger at Burgerville, and I figured I'd give it a try.
An unusually high level of commitment to local sustainablility is evident as soon as you enter Burgerville. From local berry shakes, seasonal sweet potato fries, Oregon Country Beef, and wind power - it is quite clear that Burgerville is making a concerted effort to be Worldchanging.
That's why it was exciting to see Burgerville's efforts applauded on a national scale. This month, Inc. Magazine deems Burgerville a convert:
Someone call Eric Schlosser. Burgerville is out to redeem the greatly maligned fast-food industry, one environmentally friendly burger at time.Founded in 1922 as a small creamery--it now has 39 locations in Oregon and Washington--the family-owned business always had a fresh-and-local identity. It traditionally sold shakes made from local blackberries and onion rings made from Walla Walla onions. Three years ago, Burgerville decided to take it further and shoot for near-complete sustainability. That meant starting with the beef for its burgers. Burgerville decided to buy all its beef, some 35,000 pounds per week, from the Country Natural Beef co-op, whose members raise humanely treated, grain-fed cows without using antibiotics or growth hormones.
Last year, Burgerville went even further, purchasing enough wind power from local utilities to power all of its facilities. That has eliminated 17.4 million pounds of carbon emissions annually--the equivalent of taking 1,700 cars off the road. Last fall, the company instituted a program to transform cooking oil, a restaurant's largest waste product, into clean-burning biodiesel.
In addition to Oregon Country Beef, Burgerville serves cheese produced by the Tillamook County Creamery Association, a dairy co-operative headquartered in Tillamook County. Seasonal treats (like Northwest Huckleberry Milkshakes, Pumpkin Milkshakes, and Sweet Potato Fries) and the availability of Gardenburgers are perhaps enough to convince even the most stubborn anti-fast-food folks to at least give Burgerville a try. The Jukebox is a lot of fun too.
Audio: Burgerville at The Splendid Table
