Otarian – The Low Carbon Restaurant Arrives in London

Otarian – The Low Carbon Restaurant Arrives in London

PR Newswire — August 18, 2010

LONDON, August 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Otarian, a new boutique fast-casual restaurant chain, is set to have a big impact on the influential London food scene with the opening of its first location in the United Kingdom this summer. Built on a sustainable platform and based on the principles of vegetarianism, Otarian will be the first global chain to carbon footprint all of its menu items according to the internationally recognised PAS 2050 standard. Otarian is also participating in the “road testing” of the World Resources Institute’s new product carbon foot printing standard, which is set to become the new gold standard. This will help diners to understand the environmental impact of their food choices in a highly measurable and quantifiable way.

Otarian provides consumers with a simple and delicious way to do their bit for the planet. For example by swapping your usual meat based lunch for an Otarian Carbon saving combo meal you could save 2.3kg of carbon, that’s equivalent to the CO2e emissions of 4 central London black cab journeys. While if every meat eating Londoner swapped their usual lunch for an Otarian Carbon Saving Combo once a week for a year 0.86 Mt CO2e would be saved – that’s equivalent to turning off the power at the Houses of Parliament for over 70 years.

According to Otarian founder Radhika Oswal, the Otarian concept combines a strong commitment to sustainability with a passion for superb cuisine, resulting in a mouth-watering dining experience that is also good for the planet. The business has been built on the three key pillars of sustainability: Environmental, social, and economical.

“Vegetarianism is the most sustainable way of eating and being. Vegetarian food has a lighter ecological footprint, reduced resource impacts, and lower carbon emissions than non-vegetarian equivalents. Our goal is to provide consumers with the quantifiable and measurable benefits of each delicious vegetarian alternative they choose at Otarian, and thus, empower them to make a positive impact on the environment one meal at a time.” said Mrs. Oswal, a lifelong vegetarian and committed environmentalist.

The diverse Otarian menu features a delicious array of globe-spanning vegetarian choices. These include lighter dishes, such as Mushroom O Cheese Flatbread (GBP3.95) and Beetroot O Feta Salad (from GBP3.95), as well as more substantial meals like Roasted Vegetable Lasagne (GBP6.25) and the Indian Chutney Burger (GBP5.95). Otarian also offers sustainable options to satisfy any sweet tooth, including Choc O Mousse (GBP3.45) and Panna Cotta O Berry (GBP3.45). And the restaurant chain’s “Carbon Saving Combo” meals allow consumers to order a “set” meal that represents an average carbon saving of 2.3kg, which is equivalent to a 16.8 mile drive in an eco car. Over the course of a year, this saving equates to the carbon used to drive from London to Bilbao in Spain in an eco car.

Otarian also represents a significant advancement in sustainable business practices. All decisions about Otarian’s food and operations are made with sustainability at the forefront. Some of these include:

- Dishes that yield lower carbon foot prints than comparable meat-based dishes – “Carbon Saving Combos” provide an average 2.3kgs of carbon savings compared to equivalent meat-based dishes. If you swap your usual meat based lunch for an Otarian Carbon Saving Combo today you could save an average of 2.3 Kg CO2e. That’s equivalent to the CO2e emissions of over 12 central London tube journeys (Covent Garden to Hyde Park Corner)

- No air freight policy – Ingredients that would typically be air freighted, such as Otarian’s fresh herbs from Israel or select produce from California, are instead transported by road. Dishes are reformulated to exclude these ingredients if a reliable supply is unavailable without using air transport

- 98% of restaurant waste composted or recycled – Otarian will have waste collected by private companies to ensure it is recycled or composted and is paying double the price to achieve this rate, which is unprecedented in the fast food sector

- All packaging compostable, recyclable or reusable – Otarian will use innovative materials like bagasse to help minimize the environmental impact of the packaging. Bagasse is a fully bio-degradable by-product of the sugar cane industry that has historically been treated as waste

- Sustainable design and architecture – Otarian leads the way in the fast-casual restaurant design, incorporating sustainable materials throughout the establishment, including floor tiles made from recycled glass, table tops made using recycled plastic, ceiling d?cor made from recycled aluminium, and chairs made from sustainably sourced bamboo

Otarian will open the doors of its first restaurants in London at Wardour Street, Soho and Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden on August 20th, and Regent Street later in the year. Restaurant hours will be 11 am -10 pm, prices range from GBP3.95 – GBP6.25 for a main dish. For more information visit http://www.Otarian.com

Notes to Editors

About Otarian

Otarian is a new boutique global quick service restaurant chain and retail brand built on a sustainable platform. It is based on the principles of vegetarianism and its benefits to human health and the well being of all living creatures and the environment. The first Otarian outlets open in New York and London in 2010. London outlets will be located on Wardour Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, with a Regent Street outlet opening later in 2010. The first New York outlets will be located on Bleecker Street and 8th Avenue with a Lexington Avenue outlet to follow later in the year.

Otarian is the flagship Quick Service Restaurant of the Oswal Group Global operated by its Australian subsidiary, Oswal Projects.

Subject Codes: PC/t.100818110115190, PR/dest.Public, PT/lang.en, IN/LEI, IN/RST, IN/ALT, SU/PDT, SU/ENI, RE/United_Kingdom

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