Green Story

Youngs Restaurant, a Durham staple has been around for 89 years; Owned by only two families for nearly a century.  Young's is the premiere breakfast spot for students and locals. When you do as much business as Young's -- waits on weeekends are not uncommon -- you're going to make a lot of omelettes. So in an effort to support local farms, Young's purchases all of their eggs locally.  They have also recently transitioned all of their to-go containers and other in-house storing options to compostable products, and are partnering with the UNH compost facility in order to recycle all organic waste. Young's is also moving towards becoming a "zero waste" operation complete with an extensive recycling program, composting, and increased utilization of plant-based products; Steps that reduce energy use by 68%, in turn lowering the businesses overall carbon footprint.

The renovation of their dining room had Young's thinking of a way to lower their impact and use a renewable product, so they found a wood pulp material made entirely of recycled by-products instead of virgin wood.  They've also taken many steps to reduce energy consumption through efficient lights and compressors that use less energy to cool.  Now that Young's has embraced this as a holistic approach to their business, they are looking at recycled t-shirts, a heavier emphasis on local products, more compostable options, and even an herb garden near the front sidewalk from which they will make teas and seasonal dishes!