Uncommon Ground Earns 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant Seal For Second Location

Uncommon Ground, a Wrigleyville staple for 19 years, recently earned an official 3 Star Certification from the Green Restaurant Association for their flagship location on Clark St.

Uncommon Ground's Edgewater restaurant earned the Green Restaurant Association's (GRA) 3 Star mark in May, and the Wrigleyville venue followed suit by reaching the same level. The restaurant's owners' Helen and Michael Cameron began working with the GRA last September and have found the process to be challenging, educational and rewarding.

For 19 years, we've run a restaurant that continually improves its eco-friendly performance," says Helen Cameron. "At a time in history where lots of businesses are making green claims, we're proud to be able to back ours up with a third-party certification that truly means something to our customers. We can do and say all we want in terms of our environmental efforts, but this certification seal allows us to simply stand proud and not say anything at all - our loyal patrons see it and know that we've gone through a transparent program and that our claims are real. Providing them with that level of honesty and legitimacy is of the utmost importance to us."

In accordance to the GRA's Certification guidelines, 3 Star Certified Green Restaurants must meet a minimum of 175 points within their program. Uncommon Ground's Wrigleyville location has earned over 195 points so far by implementing over 55 environmental steps including:

- Sourcing local foods within a 100 mile radius
- Using reclaimed wood in restaurant d�cor and furniture, such as countertops, cabinetry, and tables
- Installing low-flow spray valves that conserve 75% more water than traditional valves
- Collecting rainwater to water plants
- Full scale recycling and composting program
- Incorporating a significant amount of vegetarian and vegan menu items
....and more!

"By earning the 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant mark for not one, but two locations, Uncommon Ground is truly showing their customers that they care about their impact on the environment and they understand the importance of transparency," says Michael Oshman, Executive Director of the Green Restaurant Association. "The GRA's certification allows the owners of Uncommon Ground to clearly show their customers the environmental steps that have earned them this high-level mark. At any time, a patron can visit dinegreen.com and see every step and point that's earned Uncommon Ground points toward certification. This level of accessibility and truth is hugely valuable to customers. It builds trust and trust fosters good business."

In a recent Technomic survey, 94% of consumers polled said they trust a restaurant's green claims when they are verified by a 3rd-party organization as being true. Only 6% trust self-reported claims that are not verified. In addition, 79% said they are more likely to dine at a Certified Green Restaurant over one that is not.

For more information about the GRA's Certification program, visit www.dinegreen.com .