American-Ethnic Chefs Lead the Way on Good Food 100 Restaurant List

(Gerry Furth-Sides) American mainstream chefs known for their ethnic or ethnic-inspired cuisines, Mary Sue Milliken (Border Grill) and Suzanne Goin (AOC, Luque), represented the “ethnic good segment” of restaurants in the The Good Food Media Network’s recently released annual  Good Food 100 Restaurants list.

The Good Food 100 Restaurants™ is an annual list of restaurants that educates eaters and celebrates restaurants for being transparent with their purchasing practices. Carefully curated based on the quantitative measurement of chefs’ sourcing data, the Good Food 100 spotlights those that are building a better food system by supporting state, regional and national good food producers and purveyors. The Good Food 100 is produced and published by the Good Food Media Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating eaters by cultivating a conversation and community around the people and businesses changing the food system for good. For more information, please visit www.goodfood100restaurants.org. Follow Good Food 100 Restaurants on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The list is in its second year, and is gaining momentum/recognition among chefs, according to according to spokesperson, Lindsay Spivak. The questionaire is made available to all restaurant owners,” she told us.  “We reach out to sustainably-minded restaurants with information to encourage them to apply. Other than that, it’s word of mouth and recommendations from other participating chefs/restaurants.”

Conducted in conjunction with the Business Research Division (BRD) of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, an analysis of restaurants’ food purchasing data found that the overall food purchases of the 125 participating restaurants totaled $120.1 million. Of this, restaurants reported domestic spending $80.1 million on good food, which translates to a $255 million economic impact on the national good food economy.

“Food is better when it’s fulfilling, not just filling,” said Sara Brito, co-founder and president, Good Food Media Network. “We know that to be truly good, food has to be good for every link of the food chain. The Good Food 100 Restaurants analysis demonstrates that there is a tangible economic benefit as well. A dollar spent on good food is more than tripled in terms of its economic impact. That’s a profound effect.”

Corresponding with the economic report, the Good Food 100 Restaurants list is carefully curated based on the quantitative measurement of participating restaurants’ self-reported annual food purchasing data. Restaurants are rated with two to six links—symbolizing links in the food chain—based on the percent of total good food purchases. These purchases support state, regional and national good food producers and purveyors.

“Transparency in food sourcing is an increasingly important issue. By offering a snapshot of what happens behind kitchen doors and restaurants’ commitment to sustainable purchasing practices, the Good Food 100 holds chefs accountable and instills consumer confidence so eaters are empowered to make the best possible dining decisions,” added Brito. “Congratulations to all the 2018 Good Food 100 Restaurants. We look forward to continuing our collective mission of creating a good food system for all.”

To read the full economic report and learn more about the list, please visit the Good Food 100 Restaurants website.

 

 

 

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