Index
- Overview
- Factors In Choosing the Right Dishware for Your Vegan Restaurant
- Why Buy Our Coconut Bowls (And Cutlery!)
- Buying Coconut Bowls Is Beneficial to the Environment
- Less Pollution Is Released Into the Skies and Seas
- Energy Expenditure Is Cut In Half
- Less Waste Production
- Creating a Cohesive Aesthetic
- Commit to Your Aesthetic
- Color Theory Is Everything
- Keep Your Dishware In Good Shape
- Don’t Limit Yourself To Plain Cutlery
- Find A Way To Repurpose
- Summary
How to Choose the Best Bowls for Your Vegan Restaurant (Updated 2020)
According to The Vegan Society, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”
As vegan restaurant owners, it is important to make sustainable choices for everything in your restaurant—from the farms from which you source your products to the dishware they are served in.
Oftentimes, it’s easier for us to buy mass-produced things in bulk. It’s cheaper, more practical, and easily replaceable. But what we fail to realize is that the process of production may not live up to our plant-based ideals. Corporate giants that produce dishware have massive carbon footprints that aren’t being dealt with—which leads to environmental degradation.
At Rainforest Bowls, you can find sustainably made and sourced tableware handcrafted from reclaimed materials. For vegan restaurant owners and other business owners prioritizing sustainability, Rainforest Bowls is your best go-to store for wholesale eco-friendly bowls and utensils.
We need to be mindful of all the items that we purchase because these small steps make for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable world. This rings especially true with business owners, like vegan restaurant owners.
Factors In Choosing the Right Dishware for Your Vegan Restaurant
There are quite a few options when it comes to biodegradable cutlery and dishware. Some are manufactured from renewable plant sources, while others are entirely compostable. Others are created from recycled materials.
With so many choices possible, it tends to be difficult to make a decision on the most suitable dishware to purchase.
We're here to tell you that Rainforest Bowls is your best option! Why? Let's find out!
Biodegradable
Purchasing biodegradable dishware and cutlery is non-negotiable. Too many restaurants give out disposable plastic cutlery without thinking about the repercussion it has on the environment. There are also restaurants that believe using ceramic plates and steel cutlery is the lesser evil, but how about when it’s time to dispose of them?
When bowls crack and spoons rust, they don’t break down and return to the earth. They stay that way for eternity.
How many restaurants are there around the globe? Way too many to count. And how many of those restaurants are actually mindful not just about their food but also their cutlery? Probably just a handful of them.
You can be part of the small group of vegan restauranteurs to instigate change. By switching to biodegradable dishware such as eco-friendly coconut bowls, you’re reducing your contribution to the landfill. Not only that, but people will also remember your restaurant for truly embodying the spirit of being vegan. Call it an imprint, if you will.
Coconut bowls are the beautifully manufactured eco-friendly works of art handcrafted from the discarded coconut shells. Our coconut bowls have made an incredible impact on the environment by saving millions of shells from ending up in landfills. They are 100% natural, BPA- and toxin-free, they don't use any synthetic materials such as plastic during the manufacturing process. Plus, they're so Instagrammable!
Renewable Base Material
Another vital component of sustainability is choosing products made of renewable base materials. Don’t fall for marketing tactics such as a big sign blaring the words ‘limited edition’ or ‘one-time-only’ because these are more often than not things made of non-renewable base materials.
Gold-infused plates sound like a luxurious and unique idea, but have you ever thought about what goes behind getting the gold in the plates? Mining, water pollution, smog released in the air, and that’s just half of it.
Coconuts are essentially an endless source of renewable base material. Coconut trees are grown in almost every country, especially in the tropics and everything from its root to its fruits is utilized. For this reason, it earned the title “the tree of life.”
Cruelty-Free
As someone who has switched to the vegan lifestyle, you would know just how inhumane it is to test products on animals. It’s so important for people to purchase products that don’t engage in animal testing or in the destruction of animal habitats.
Rainforest Bowls’ coconut bowls are byproducts of what would have otherwise become waste. There were no animals harmed in the making of our products nor were their habitats and daily living disrupted.
Free of BPA, Phthalates, Parabens, and Cadmium
Did you know that most commercial plates and cutlery contain some form of BPA, phthalates, and/or parabens? Most people don’t realize that preservatives are present in almost all products and when that builds up in our bodies over time it can cause problems.
Research shows that BPA, or Bisphenol A, can seep into your beverages and from containers or plates formulated with BPA. Prolonged low-level exposure to BPA is a health concern due to BPA's possible effects on the brain, prostate glands, and endocrine system of fetuses, infants, and children. Additionally, it has also shown to affect a child's behavior.
According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, acute inhalation exposure (high levels over a short period) to cadmium can result in flu-like symptoms (chills, fever, and muscle pain) damage the lungs. Chronic exposure (low level over an extended period) can result in kidney, bone, and lung disease.
Why Buy Our Coconut Bowls (And Cutlery!)
Buying Coconut Bowls Is Beneficial to the Environment
The main benefit of choosing biodegradable dishware over those manufactured from petroleum-based plastic is that it's better for the environment, specifically in pollution reduction. It takes less energy and resources to create coconut bowls in comparison to ceramics.
Companies such as Rainforest Bowls limit the use of nonrenewable materials reducing the carbon footprint of cutlery and decreasing greenhouse gasses produced.
Less Pollution Is Released Into the Skies and Seas
The production of biodegradable coconut bowls causes much less environmental pollution than that of ceramic ware or petroleum-based plastic. When our coconut bowls break down after they are discarded, they decompose into non-toxic and harmless elements.
Energy Expenditure Is Cut In Half
Our coconut bowls are 100% handmade. They are artisan-made, and we'd like to keep it that way.
We don't waste any unnecessary energy to create these bowls. They're made with love and last a lifetime with proper care.
Less Waste Production
The amount of disposable cutlery, take-out containers, ceramic plates, metal spoons, and plastic straws, among others, is alarming. They simply end up in landfills for years or even for a lifetime.
Unlike these items, our coconut bowls can actually be reused and recycled into something else, which in turn produces less waste.
Creating a Cohesive Aesthetic
Now that we’ve tackled the environmental benefits of the right dishware for your restaurant, we can move on to the fun stuff!
Commit to Your Aesthetic
Let’s say you choose our coconut bowls as your dishware of choice for your restaurant, but you want steel utensils to go with your bowls. To your customers, subconsciously, the choice looks a bit haphazard.
So, instead of the traditional steel spoons and forks, why not try out Rainforest Bowls’ Coconut Wood Utensils? Crafted from offcuts of coconut timber, these utensils were made to match the coconut bowls perfectly. They also uphold the same environmental philosophy and process that the coconut bowls had undergone.
Apart from Coconut Wood Utensils, we also offer utensils and straws made from one of the world’s most sustainable renewable materials: bamboo. Our Bamboo Utensils and reusable Bamboo Straws are not only biodegradable but also compostable. When it’s time to chuck them out, just cut them into smaller pieces and toss them into a pile of compost. They’ll go back to the earth as healthy compost!
If you're planning to get some eco-friendly straws, get customized bulk bamboo straws at huge discounts from us!
When you have these utensils in your restaurant, you’ll definitely show that you’re committed to your aesthetic. What more could people want than a restaurant that serves great food and is also Instagram-worthy?
Color Theory Is Everything
Utilizing color theory is a bit more of an advanced technique, but graphic and fashion designers have used this tool for the longest time to ensure their work is flattering and appealing. But trust us when we say that these small details are what will set you apart from other restaurants.
Our coconut bowls, wooden utensils, and bamboo straws are artisan products. No two colors are exactly the same, but they do fall into a cool and warm undertone category. With our handcrafted tableware items, you can play around with colors to add style to your restaurant.
In this scenario, you should only pair cool-toned coconut bowls with cool-toned utensils and straws and vise versa for the warm-toned bowls. This will also dictate what you accessorize or decorate your table with.
There’s no harm in purchasing cool or warm-toned dishware. After all, it’s not like it’s something that you can control. But what you can do to elevate your aesthetic is by following color theory.
Keep Your Dishware In Good Shape
It’s not enough to purchase great-looking coconut bowls—you have to maintain them as well. This all falls under creating a cohesive aesthetic.
Part of the cohesion in your restaurant is ensuring that everything has more or less the same quality. It’s off-putting to serve a table five bowls of food, but one is cracked.
You can check out our blog post about how to clean and maintain our coconut bowls for a better idea of how to take care of them.
Don’t Limit Yourself To Plain Cutlery
The beauty of having coconut bowls as your dishware is that you can customize them! Paint them different colors to give them a personal touch, bedazzle them, or carve out intricate little details. The possibilities are endless.
Keep this in mind, restaurants normally target families as their biggest market. You’ll have people of all ages coming into your restaurant and that includes kids. And what do we know about kids? That they’re picky eaters.
But, if they notice that their food is served in a colorful and funky-looking bowl they’ll forget all about their picky eating habits and dive straight in. It doesn’t matter if there are Brussel sprouts or broccoli in their bowls. If it looks cute, it’s chowtime!
Personalizing your dishware will make your customers remember you and your restaurant. They won’t just think about how good their food was but also about how you took the time to serve it well.
Find A Way To Repurpose
If we didn’t mention how versatile our coconut bowls are, then we’ll do it now. There’s so much you can do with them besides using them as serving dishes.
You can turn them into table centerpieces, succulent holders, aroma diffusers, or even hanging wall decorations. Having hints of cutlery here and there is all the rage right now. It’s a great way to tie the aesthetic together and ground your restaurant.
When your bowls are no longer usable for serving food or drinks, it’s the perfect time to turn them into something else. How about an entire wall lined coconut shells to give texture and a sensory appeal to your design? They don’t have to stray far from the table either!
You can convert your old coconut bowls into napkin holders or toothpick stands. Get creative and stay creative. It’s all in the details.
Aside from the aesthetic value of coconut bowls, they’re better for our world. Way too many products are being mass-produced with chemicals and preservatives that will all eventually end up hurting the environment. And what will happen to the world then?
Summary
You may think that your contribution is minuscule compared to what’s happening around the world, but every step counts. Before you know it, other restaurateurs, cafe owners, or even daily customers will make the switch. And who inspired them? You.
Our coconut bowls are offered at wholesale prices. We have high-Performance products at deep discounts. Please email us at sales@rainforestbowls.com or phone us through this number 805-452-0659 for more information.
And more importantly, show us your eco-friendly restaurant aesthetic! Tag us @rainforestbowls on Instagram for a chance to be featured on our page.