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The MAD Foundation, a non-profit organization launched by René Redzepi, the Chef-Owner of world-renowned restaurant Noma, recently hosted a panel discussion questioning whether a restaurant can simultaneously do well and do good (i.e. stay profitable by doing right by its staff, community and the planet).

Sharing their experiences and ideas were panelists Mark Bittman, food journalist and founder of Community Kitchen; Edward Lee, chef of 618 Magnolia and co-founder of The LEE Initiative; and Erin Wade, author and founder of Homeroom restaurant.

So, can a restaurant do well and do good? All of the panelists believe it's possible, but they also acknowledge the road to getting there is filled with obstacles.

Here are some highlights from the conversation.

What does “doing good” look like for a restaurant?

When asked if he could make a restaurant that did everything right, Bittman said it would have to be a nonprofit. He’s in the process of creating Community Kitchen, a non-profit restaurant that aims to have positive community relationships and a sliding scale for payment, which would entail offering a discount to low-income customers and a tax on high-income customers.

Chef Lee’s idea of success added a focus on sustainability. He envisioned a future with zero gas and plastic pollution — or at least significant waste reduction.

Wade added equity and fair working conditions to the mix. Her hope is to see more restaurants led by people of color and by women. She said she wants businesses to focus on being collaborative, cooperative and meaningful, which, in practice, looks like employees being treated well, with open book policies in place to promote transparency within the business. She also supports restorative justice instead of discipline.

The list of ideal ways to "do good" is nearly endless. Some additional points mentioned by the panelists were:

• Proper work-life balance for employees
• Reducing a business' carbon footprint
• Advocating for social justice
• Providing physical accessibility to all customers
• Meeting environmental sustainability goals

The big question is how to implement these progressive changes while still making a profit.

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Chef Lee acknowledged that restaurants have been run the same way for over 80 years, and that getting independent businesses to implement change is will take time. Confronting the challenge of doing right by their employees, community and the environment is an enormous undertaking for owners.

Chef Lee's non-profit, The LEE Initiative, tackles one of these issues at a time. They first create models using data, which allow restaurant owners to see how these systems work, with the intention for business owners to adopt the changes if they can. If everyone addresses a different problem, or even just part of one, Chef Lee envisions this knowledge and experience continually being shared and built-upon.

The panelists also emphasized the importance of thoughtful conversations (like this panel).

Who can help restaurants?

Wade advocated for increased government regulation and support in areas from healthcare and education to environmental standards. She believes that if the US government provides universal healthcare for citizens, restaurants and other employers won’t have to. 

She also cited wooden cutlery’s prominence in Europe (after the E.U. banned disposable plastic cutlery) as an example of how the U.S. government could create and enforce environmental standards, and she suggested that teaching financial literacy would help entrepreneurs in and outside the restaurant industry.

Related: What is Food & Beverage Management?

What can consumers do?

A restaurant owner in the audience expressed frustration with their experience trying to do well and good. As part of a bigger capitalist system, they argued that their impact would be a fraction of McDonald’s impact if they both stopped purchasing plastic straws. The owner also suggested that consumers don't choose good restaurants; they choose "cool" restaurants.

Chef Lee’s response? We cannot lecture, yell or shame consumers or business partners into doing good. Instead, we must incentivize — and we must start somewhere.

As an example, Chef Lee shared an anecdote:

Realizing they had an excess of plastic spice containers, The LEE Initiative asked their supplier if they could return the plastic containers to be reused. The supplier declined. Chef Lee’s team contacted multiple spice companies to see if any would create a new system to reduce plastic. After multiple conversations, they found a small company open to working on their terms.

While this won't move the needle right now, Chef Lee has plans to promote the spice company's efforts in hopes that other restaurants will take note. It's also possible that in the future, as consumer awareness and preferences change, their old supplier will lose accounts and thus rethink their business practices.

Big thanks to MAD for such an interesting discussion!