Please pardon me for cheering yet another business, but I’m going to toot Winston’s Grille’s horn for their efforts in water reuse and conservation. 

Lately, I feel like a cheerleader for businesses that have greened up their efforts a couple notches, and I apologize if you find it annoying.  I promise my roots are in skepticism and interrogation, but I find myself feeling the need to share truly interesting information shared with me.

My pal Raleigh Native (I know him as Doug) called me a couple days ago, blown away with a little something he stumbled upon while visiting Winston’s Grille in Sutton Station in Raleigh.  I like that he shares Raleigh efforts with me, as I don’t tend to stumble onto anything except neat Durham stuff.

Doug was so excited by Winston’s efforts to reuse and conserve water that he posted it on MyNC.com too.

More and more companies are “going green” (a phrase that frankly makes me ill deep in my gut) in the Triangle, and of course, not everyone is living up to their hype. 

Winston’s, on the otherhand, seems to be proceeding quietly when it comes to their cistern, which collects rainwater from their 8,000 sq. ft. rooftop.  After the cistern is complete, it will look like a giant cedar wine barrel, which is pretty neat.  I have to say, I’m genuinely thrilled about the step they’ve taken toward conserving in an area riddled with drought concerns.

While I have no intentions in making this the one-stop resource to hear or showcase how a local business is getting with the program, being in the Green movement requires cheering on proactive solutions and initiatives in our community.  Cheering on those who take on more than the minimum requirements (ie, most of the local restaurants and chains) is an important step in letting businesses know that our dollars will support business practices we believe in. 

And with the way money flows in the Triangle, not to mention the muriad of competitors in the Triangle food scene, it’s more important than ever to bypass the Crapplebee’s and head for a place with a sense of spirit, vivaciousness and community. 

Locally-owned restaurants are important in supporting sustainability.  But locally-owned options are not necessarily the answer either.  We ate at one of a five-restaurant Raleigh chain, and there is *nothing* sustainable or vegetarian about it… and we won’t be going back.  Sheerly because it’s locally-owned and I’m not into bashing any small business owner, I won’t mention the name.

But next time we dine in Raleigh, I’ll be suggesting Winston’s (hoping I can cheer them for vegetarian options beyond “house salad” as well). 

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue