Snooze am eatery denver1/8/2024 ![]() To put that into perspective, an average car emits around 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.Jon and Adam Schlegel opened their first Snooze restaurant in Denver, Colorado on April 2, 2006. Since then, the chain has diverted 905 metric tons of carbon dioxide due to the initiative. “When COVID hit, our to go business shot up through the roof and we became really concerned with the damage that all of this deliberately was doing to the environment,” said Birzon. The environment is so important to Snooze that on Earth Day 2020, the casual-dining chain committed to going completely carbon neutral following the increased use of disposables in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. ![]() “But you know that being said, it's just part of what we do,” he continued. “Sometimes it's a little harder to get the floor clean, and we have to scrub it a little harder than everybody else. But it makes it really difficult because our restaurants don’t carry chemicals that are harmful to the environment when they go down the drain,” said Birzon. The main component is composting and a landlord that can arrange for composting pickup at each location.Ĭhemicals - or a lack thereof - are also a major component of Snooze’s core. This is such a part of the brand’s DNA that Birzon says his team has walked out of leases when certain standards of environmental sustainability weren’t met. “ is just like reading – it’s part of our DNA” said Birzon.Įach location participates in recycling programs, and 95% of materials that go through Snooze are composted. The chain also gives employees days off for volunteer work and a chance to pick their own charities in the community.Īnd it’s not just employees that the company cares for it cares for the environment too. “We give 1% of all of our sale back to our local communities through cash or in-kind donations,” said Birzon. That relationship continues throughout the store’s tenure in the space in the form of donations and team member involvement. Before each location fully opens, Snooze holds three community days where proceeds from meals are donated to three local non-profits. And they do just that.”Īnother part of the brand’s strategy involves the community engagement. ![]() “If the mothership starts making decisions that might not be best for the business, we refer to our leads and our managers as our last line of defense that keep us from doing things we shouldn't do. “We refer to our corporate as the mothership,” Birzon said. Through the Snooze Change Maker Board, employees across the country can help leadership enact major changes. Snooze is very proud of its “family members” and supports them with various initiatives including second-chance hiring practices, emergency funds and a say in the future of the company. “When someone says, ‘you’re going to open 12 new restaurants next year,’ what I immediately hear is ‘you’re going to hire close to 700 people next year,’ and that’s an incredible amount of new people to welcome into your family,” said Birzon. In total, there will be 12 new locations, or 24% unit growth in a single year, if all goes according to plan. That’s just the beginning for the concept, which is planning to open in both new and current markets in the next year. The new Atlanta store had over 500 applicants for about 60 positions.ĭavid Birzon, CEO of Snooze an a.m. “The difference is what we can offer people is just a way to feel a little better about what they're doing…be a part of something bigger than yourself.” “ really competitive out there and if competitors around me are willing to pay someone $17 or $18 to start, I'm going to do the same thing,” said Birzon. ![]() All of these help it grow in employees and locations. In the next year, the breakfast chain plans to open another 12 units, expanding into new markets like Las Vegas and Nashville.Īfter 15 years, Birzon feels the chain is ready to expand sustainably - for the chain and for the planet.īirzon and his team feel Snooze has more to offer both customers and employees than many other brands including fair pay, community engagement, a mission and care for both groups. “I can no longer say that we’re a small little restaurant company we’re medium-sized” CEO David Birzon told NRN. Eatery just opened its 50 th location - in Atlanta - and, for the 15-year-old brand, that was a big deal.
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