While it is important for all people to be aware of their surrounding environment, it is particularly important for the food industry. The Emory in Ferndale has proven to be well aware of this, and has shown many of its green colors by the way its owners and employees conduct business.
The Emory, which was named after a hard-working farmer from the Toledo area, has a number of environmental initiatives and practices that make it a one-of-a-kind place to dine. For example, the hardwood behind the bar was harvested from felled trees from the owner’s family farm in 1986, and much of that same hardwood has been used in the benches, chairs and window wills within the restaurant.
Before the restaurant opened in 2005, and before construction even began, The Emory was gutted down to nothing and all usable material was stockpiled. Much of that material was then incorporated into the new construction.
But it doesn’t end there. The Emory also funds its own recycling program, and its delivery/pick up vehicle runs on oil that was used for making fries, onion rings and cheese sticks instead of running on traditional gasoline.
Co-owner Chris Johnston said it is particularly important that restaurants make a good effort to be green. “I would be hard pressed to think of a business that has so many opportunities to pass or fail miserably when it comes to environmental impact than a restaurant,” he said.
Johnston also believes of the things that also makes The Emory different from other restaurants in addition to its environmental practices is its simple menu, which focuses on handmade items such as beef from Detroit’s Fair Meat Packing and buns from Royal Oak’s Hermann’s Bakery.
Jennifer Griffin, Contributing Writer and Public Relations, GreeningDetroit.com
Jennifer is pursuing a degree in Journalism and English from Wayne State University, and she is also a Contributing Writer for The South End.
