SUSTAINABILITY
Our Sustainability Story
Sustainability is woven into the way we do business. As an employee-owned group rooted in the coastal communities of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, we understand that our success is closely connected to the health of the land, water and neighborhoods we call home. That commitment guides the choices we make every day, from the purveyors we work with to the systems and practices behind the scenes.
“Do the right thing” is one of our longstanding core values.
For our guests. For our employees. For our communities.
Our commitment to the environment is not new. We feel a responsibility to the beautiful locales that our venues, guests and employees reside. Through our longtime support of our local purveyors and our ongoing programs to minimize waste and maximize energy efficiency, our goal is to be a leader in the restaurant industry with regard to sustainability.
In our most substantiative efforts to date, we’ve partnered with Greenplaces, a leader in the sustainability space, to measure our carbon footprint and develop our sustainability strategy.
Here’s a look into what we’ve accomplished together….
Calculating Our Carbon Footprint
Knowing where we are is the best place to start. Through our partnership with Greenplaces, we’ve collected data from our restaurants to calculate our carbon footprints and energy usage. Understanding our carbon emissions and climate impact allows us to prioritize sustainability initiatives that lead to a healthier planet.
Investing in 100% Renewable Energy
We offset our electricity consumption by investing in the production of renewable energy. We fully match the energy used from our business operations with renewables. Starting in 2024, we invested in the Merricourt Wind Farm, located in South Dakota, and we’ve renewed this investment for our consumption in 2025 and will continue to do so onward.
Since 2023, we’ve offset 10,192 metric tons of carbon
That’s like taking 2,215 cars off the road, permanently. What else are we doing to reduce our carbon footprint?
Composting
In 2018, select properties added composting and in 2024 alone, 3,885 forty-eight gallon bins were collected from NRG properties, yielding 388.5 tons of food waste diverted from the landfill.
Carbon Offset Projects
In our most substantiative efforts to date, we’ve partnered with Greenplaces, a leader in the sustainability space, to measure our carbon footprint and develop our sustainability strategy.
Onsite Honey Production
At Castle Hill, through our partnership with Best Bees we’ve installed three bee hives in an effort to protect the biodiversity of our region’s ecosystem, while also reinforcing our own commitment to utilizing the best local products we can get our hands on.
Investing in Renewables
We invested in Wind Energy through purchasing Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to fully match our energy usage with renewables.
Grease Recycling
We partner with Mahoney Environmental to recycle used fryer oil, used cooking oil, and grease trap material, turning these waste products into raw material that can be used to manufacture new products such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.
Energy Reduction Programs
We’ve installed smart thermostats that automatically adjust when spaces are unoccupied, helping to conserve energy. We also use only environmentally friendly refrigerants and continuously upgrade our HVAC systems to high-efficiency models. In 2024, we began implementing advanced energy management systems across our locations, ensuring even greater efficiency and sustainability for the future.
Onsite Garden
At Castle Hill, we grow over 30 varieties of herbs, edible flowers and vegetables in our eleven 8 x 30’ raised beds. Our 100% organically grown garden supplies us with swiss chard, kale, cucumbers, herbs and edible flowers. We proudly use no-till soil-enhancing practices that help sequester carbon and promote pollinator populations.
Local Procurement
Baby Greens Farm, North Kingston, RI
Baffoni’s Poultry, Johnson, RI
Barden Family, Orchard North Scituate, RI
Blackbird Farm, Smithfield, RI
Confreda Greenhouses & Farms, Hope, RI
Farm Fresh RI, Pawtucket, RI
Four Town Farm, Seekonk, MA
Greenview Farms, South Kingston, RI
Kitchen Garden Farm, Sunderland, MA
Maine Grains, Skowhegan, ME
Matunuck Oyster Farm, South Kingstown, RI
Narragansett Creamery, Providence, RI
Rhody Fresh, Hope, RI
RI Mushroom, West Kingstown, RI
Schartner Farms, North Kingstown, RI
Sweet Berry Farm, Middletown, RI
Walrus & Carpenter Oysters, Narragansett, RI
Ward’s Berry, Sharon, MA
Wishing Stone Farm, Little Compton, RI
Partner Spotlight
Kyler Seafood
Breakwater Oyster
