The State of Snooze

Guatemala City, Guatemala

My time slowly passed in my native city of Denver, Colorado, naturally I had itchy feet and Wanderlust took hold. Having lived from home to home, mattress to mattress and cheap beer to cheaper beer for the past three months in hopes of the Snooze shuttle launch, I began to see the larger picture. Namely, Life didn't happen in my time frame.

So l did what any kid In the situation would;packed up my belongings and headed off to Central America. Homes, mattresses and beer would be substantially cheaper there anyway. Yet as l played in the dear blue seas of the Bay Islands in Honduras, escorting my fellow man through the corals and currents that lie in the blissful Caribe world, l hoped to pull something larger out of my experience.

While my holistic pursuit aspired for global alteration, quite often l would be content with a solid chat here, a good tip there, or a grand food find. Not to downplay the plethora of burgers and fries my diet consisted of within Roatan, but I knew my largest culinary discovery would come from the legal plant of this region: The great java bean.

So l hung up my fins and left my tarantula infested flat. l jumped on the bus and stared at poorly translated Steven Seagal films whilst devouring plantain chips and downing cola in a Ziploc bag. Thirty five solid hours later, | arrived in Guatemala City. Here I was to meet with the owners of a 100 year old, family-owned coffee finca [farm in Spanish), apparently interested in educating neophyte on the art of the bean.  Attired in the sole pair of pants I brought, cheesy Dive Roatan sweatshirts, and flip flops, I staggered into my coffee contacts family home; a representative of the next great culinary evolution in Colorado.

l thought they were going to give me the chance to change instead I spent the next few hours delving into the life of Guatemala. Then moving onto the coffee bean itself, in which my progressively numbing questions brought outright shock to their faces. It was as if I'd emerged from the wilderness and wanted to know what these annoying fork and spoon things were all about.

Yet they were amazing to me. lf l had to walk away and choose one family to represent the culture and virtues of Guatemala, l'd state we should all raise our youth there. I returned to my hostel at midnight, and guzzled down a few Gallos and wrote a dissertation to my family on coffee and all its glory!

'Did you know there are 13 different types of Arabic, and then one Robust, but Robust is not good because it's grown like  and here is there and yada yada.'

Still, assuredly it’s the greatest research paper I've ever conducted. Rising the next day, I hustle back to my hosts’ house to begin a caffeinated indulgence lo keep the education alive. I think l became addicted, weaned off, addicted and once more all in a spell of my 15 cup day.

Jumping In the truck with Eduardo, we drive for an hour outside of Guatemala city to the Moyuta Volcano, home of the wonderful juice I’m gulping down and Eduardo's home town.

Here, l deem Eduardo mayor, as the town virtually throws a parade as our pick-up bounces about this San Francisco graded streets, though asphalt gives way to dirt. l'm welcomed to his home, where my staggering Spanish allows me to compliment the coffee. gallo pinto, and wonderful home. It stages as the town's funeral well; Convenient really.

Eduardo and l jump back in the truck to head to the plantation where for the next few hours l see firsthand where this magical bean is created. lt's stages, the varieties, the slope and soil of the land, the natural mill and dry bed, the natural means in which it’s generated, the attention to environment and the care for it's continued prosperity.

And it's gorgeous. l'm in the middle of a Guatemalan rainforest surrounded by coffee with the Pacific Ocean way off in the distance. We machete our way through the land, pick native unidentifiable fruit, we fire weapons because, well, I'm not sure why, but there needs to be a first time for anything. This is one of the moments that simply bring a smile fur great fortune and experience.

Yes, l met with other growers. l tasted countless cups of coffee. I've read books from the origins to how Starbucks took over the world. What I was able to discover was great coffee and furthermore, experience, friendship, and culture. As with any great product, there should be a great story. There should be a great message or memory sparked. Here's hoping each sip of Snooze Blend, imported directly from the small farm in Guatemala, will inspire a moment of adventure, determination, or simple tranquility.

CHEERS.

Adam Schlegel

Thanks to all who supported this cause by dining with us at Snooze Ft Collins last Tuesday! We were able to donate $658 to Aragon’s Army and help continue research on Brain Tumor Research.

Snooze is lucky in oh so many ways but one way that we are most thankful for are our Snoozers! We consider our employees family and we take that to a whole other level with the Aragon family. We get to have Miranda and Michael Aragon at Snooze in Boulder and Anthony Aragon at Snooze in Ft Collins. The Aragon family will prove to you what family truly means and this Tuesday March 26th, 2013 we get the opportunity to support Angelo Aragon as well!

Here is Angelo's Story:

I have decided to fight back against brain tumors by participating in the Brain Tumor Walk.

You may already know my story, but as I ask you to join my team (or by making a donation on my behalf if you can't make the walk), I’d like to tell you a little bit more about why this fight is so personal to me.

October 1, 2005 was a date that changed my life forever. On that date I registered for a 5k race in Canon City, Colorado. Back then I was lean and mean and confident that I would win the overall title. And I did win the title! But as soon as I crossed the finish line, I suffered a seizure. I was scared, and in my mind I cried out to God to "not let my life end this way". It turned out to be a malignant tumor. It's been seven years now, but the first two years were hell! I went through two surgeries, seven weeks of radiation, and two full years of chemotherapy. In addition, I had to undergo speech therapy during that time.

As you can see, I have a very personal stake in this battle and it would mean so much to me to have you by side at the Brain Tumor Walk. Please join my team, "Aragon's Army" and unite to fight brain tumors.

Thank you!

Angelo

We are inspired by Angelo and his children and are honored to donate 15% of our total sales from the Ft Collins Snooze this coming Tuesday to his team. So get those belly's ready for pancakes, Benedicts or even Bloody's and help us sponsor The National Brain Tumor Society and the Aragon family!

National Pancake Day

National Pancake Day is Tuesday February 12^th, 2013! Can you think of a better holiday? No present buying, no dressing up… just eating pancakes!!   You don’t even have to cook this for this holiday, we will do that for you. Wait!!? This is a holiday!?!? Is that what you are thinking right now?? Yep! It is to us and you should be joining us. Pancake day falls on “Shrove Tuesday” every year or better known as Fat Tuesday. It was dubbed Pancake day due to people cleaning out their cupboards the day before Lent to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk and sugar before the 40 days of Lent.

Shrove Tuesday was a big day, historically in places like the UK. It was once known as “Half-Holiday”. It started at 11:00 am with the ringing of a church bell.^[10] On Pancake Day, pancake races are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake.^[11] The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, and England in particular, even today. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air, catching them in the pan whilst running. (Wikipedia).

At Snooze AM Eatery we celebrate this fabulous holiday by creating a menu chalk full of creative and fun pancakes. These cakes are $3.50 each and include some old fav’s like the Red Velvet Pancake as well as some new additions like the traditional Fat Tuesday King Cake!! Order as many as you want as 100% of our proceeds from pancakes on this fine holiday will go to help a local garden! If you are in Denver your donation will be going to Denver Urban Gardens. If you are up in the Ft. (FoCo) your pancake contribution is going to help Olander Elementary School raise funds for their school garden; similar to Southglenn who will be donating to Sandburg Elementary and Hillcrest to Monarch School. If you chose to join us in Boulder we are proud partners of the Growe Foundation and will be donating to them on Feb 12^th.

So let your boss know that it’s a holiday, play hookie, call in sick, take a long lunch and join us for National Pancake Day on Feb 12^th!

Think Globally, Eat Pancakes Locally!!

Hello one and all,

As we rapidly approach a new year at Snooze I am feeling reflective, thankful and excited for our family of Snooze folks all around the world.

One young woman from our first batch of snooze hires stopped in last week and it took me back to those early days when we were like wee little toddlers learning to walk the Snooze walk, speak the Snooze language and to play nicely with others.

I remember when Jon first asked the handful of early servers to describe their "happy place".

Now, when I hear coworkers, or former coworkers talk about how much they love Snooze and what a great place it is (was) for them to play, I think Snooze is the "happy place" for so many people. It is definitely the happy place for so many guests as well. I love that we continue to attract so many incredible people to be a part of this experiment in changing the way we all experience breakfast and "work". When one amazing person walks out the door another equally amazing person walks in.

The spirits of Christmas present

We have recently added some new drinks to our bar menu that are sure to warm the cockles of even the Grinchiest of Scrooges. We have also updated our liquor selection to include more local flavors. We will continue to expand upon this in the new year. We have invited Breckenridge bourbon and Montanña rum to hang out with our Leopold brothers family. We have also given citizenship to  Espolon tequila for our morning margaritas and bloody Maria. Try either with our jalapeño infused Espolon.

Let me begin by Prancing out the Rosy Cheeks mimosa

Combining cranberry juice, sparkling wine and Thatcher's organic apple spiced ginger liqueur to wake you up from your long winters nap.

Dashing on with the Newton's Law mimosa

Blending classic flavors of Big B's organic Apple juice, sparkling wine and Leopold's tart Michigan cherry liqueur

It's like that dessert you can't stop eating at the holiday party

Our newest vodka infusion to marry with our ridiculously flavorful house bloody mix is known as the El Mejor we combine Ancho chiles with jicama, tomatillos and lime peal to create a smoky, very slightly tart and complexly spicy flavor heretofore unknown in these here  parts. guaranteed to get you through the Mayan apocalypse. If you don't survive we will double your money back.

Let's be honest….you want one right now….verdad?

Wake up in Footy Pajamas and your day has no choice except perfection

We combine our Mexican grandmother inspired  Snooze hot chocolate with house made peppermint liqueur

this will keep you warm inside until mud season

I hope you all enjoy this season of renewal, hibernation, celebration as much as I do.

Thanks for reading

Per

Planting Another Seed for Sustainability

Introducing the Snooze Green Calendar

Words from Adam Schlegel

Way back when, in the infancy of Snooze, we dreamed big and took one step forward, on just about everything that is Snooze.  Sustainability was one of those steps, electing to add a rarely seen recycling option to our trash haulers pickups.  Revolutionary, huh?  7 years ago it was, and from there we embarked on the great sustainable journey.

Why oh why?  By believing in the very definition of sustainability: acting today to ensure tomorrow is just as good, if not better! From supporting real farmers caring for the land to using renewable energy; supporting our local communities, developing people, always innovating on food and feel, having fun (I'm still waiting to hear this political stump speech).

But sustainability, It's also daunting; is organic good, is all natural meaningless, what the hell is clean coal (BS is what it is, doesn't exist).  So, we at Snooze are all taking a journey, month by month baby steps to learn, grow, maybe stumble, but always progress.  Let's call it Twelve Months of Green, with each month a focus on just one tiny aspect of sustainability.  What does it mean, how does it affect you personally, how can your role create change, how can we all serve as a leaders, how can it all simply progress?  We'll look back in a year and be better than we are today.

Lastly, let's keep the word Green alive, it fits us beautifully.  Green obviously implies environment, and being stewards for her.  It also implies eagerness, perhaps a bit of naivety, but an unwavering determination for better.  I pride myself on being green in most any venture I do, and it’s a characteristic of most all of us at

Snooze.  I'm excited to continue this journey with you all. We encourage anyone, any person or business to borrow this model. We would be honored! We are here to answer your questions and support your changes,  Just ask!

It feels surreal at times getting to play Snooze the way I do.  After nearly 5 1/2 years of planning Snooze, and another 7 years of helping to orchestrate this pipe dream, it turns out that we may just be getting started.

This year began with some thoughtful conversations with Brother Adam, and two dynamic mentors. How can we make Snooze better?  How can we serve better breakfast?  How can we grow a healthy company, create a better lifestyle for our team, and have a great time doing it?  After hours upon days, and retreat after retreat, we have helped find an answer to this equation.

His name is David Birzon.  He moved to Aspen in college for the mountain, the snow, and the lifestyle.  He took a prep job at Paradise Bakery for the season and while loving the downhill skiing, he also found a new love, the restaurant business.  After going back to school for his undergrad, and later his MBA, he was presented with the Cadillac of problems.  What's a smart guy to do with the fancy college degrees?  As it turns out, it was prepping food that he missed.  Why not find a hobby you could get paid for?

Turns out Paradise was started by two brothers.  Turns out that they liked David so much; they made him a floor manager, then a regional manager, then a partner.  He helped Paradise grow a culture.  He assisted the two brothers as they built a family, a sustainable model of business, and helped create a lot of memorable experiences for both guests and employees.  When Panera bread came in to send the two original brothers into retirement (they were over 60 at this point), David agreed to take the reigns and assist the transition for his team.  After a few years of learning and working for “the man”, he decided to move on.  Life in a smaller company was more his fit and he longed to be back in Colorado and to spend time with his family in the mountains.

Well...as it turned out, two brothers in Denver were looking for someone to help them grow in the most sustainable manner possible.  Who can get our culture, believe in our virtues, and embrace the team as family and who ultimately believes in the guest.  The guest is the reason we're all here, the reason we make a difference in the world.  We give people a better day through pancakes, and community efforts, and through having a lot of fun doing so.

We met David this past July through our stellar advisor and friend, Alice.  She called David and explained that a once-in-a-life-time opportunity existed with a brand that is unmatched by anything she's seen.  David drove to Denver the next day and at 7am on Saturday, had his first breakfast at the Ballpark Snooze.  He then went to eat breakfast at 7th and CO, then to Southglenn, and finished his day with another brunch at 2pm in Boulder.  Driving back to Aspen, stuffed and giddy, he called Alice and said, "YEP, this is the ONE"!

Well, it's not quite that easy getting yourself into the Snooze world.  A breakfast with me, then Adam and then beers one day in July, Adam I were a bit surprised.  Mostly because he was just so easy to hang out with; a good problem to have!  The following week, Adam and I booked a house in Aspen and brought our families up to meet David and his family.  Not just the wives, not just the kiddos, but also Mama Snooze, & sister Snooze.  They've been here since the beginning and we embrace the family virtues, so we decided to introduce our families.  We hung with his wife, we ate dinner at his house, we met the brothers of Paradise, and he took us in as his own family.  From there David did a one on one with all the Pillars our awesome leadership team, individually! Each and every member of our team gave a Raving thumbs up!

It's with great pleasure that we now introduce to you, David Birzon, the next CEO of Snooze.  Because that title really doesn't fit our style, his title is OLD MAJOR, a prominent character in Animal Farm.  The wise statesmen, a leader who embraces change, community, the land and people over establishment or “the man”.  He has done what no Snoozer has done before and will now help guide the Mothership towards great opportunities in new communities while embracing what has been created in our current communities.

Great news for me.....I get to jump back on the floor.  I get to interact with the guests and serve breakfast all day and brunch all the time.  Adam is getting to work more closely with his passions sustainability and creating better opportunities for tomorrow.  We are both around to Snoozify David and we’re super psyched.  Less travel for this kid, less time with legal beagles and financial funny duds and all those things that make a company function.  I love what I love and I know what I know.

We've got unbelievable opportunity for our team.  We have unreal opportunity for our guests and getting into new communities.  It feels right!

We welcome Old Major with open arms in the traditional Snooze way.  This guy is a stud and we're excited to see how we can continue to be a huge part of our communities, create fantastic breakfast experiences, and love life along the way.

-Jon, The Host

I spend a good deal of my life talking to people.   Whether I’m talking to our amazing guests or different members of the Snooze family, I’m very conscious that a huge part of my life is spent on words.  In the service industry, the importance of open and honest communication is paramount.  I had the honor and privilege to sit in Magness Arena at DU for the presidential debate a few short weeks ago and it reminded me just how much listening helps shape our interactions.

I was astounded by the sheer magnitude of the event.  The booths, the bands, the protesters, the families, the pageantry.  Before the debate began we were told that there should be “complete silence at all costs”.   As the next hour and a half unfolded before me I realized the importance of “complete silence”.  Sometimes many of us spend so much time talking that we forget what it means to listen to our friends, our families and our guests.  We should work on taking time to listen without distraction or noise surrounding us.  Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, if you were sitting in the arena that evening you definitely were listening in a way that you probably have never had the chance to do at home.   Without commentary from the media or friends, we were afforded the opportunity to listen to the issues unfiltered.

As I left that evening and headed home, I thought about how this evening could help me have better interactions in my personal and professional lives .   Like the candidates, we in the service industry, need to pay attention to body language and tone.  Hearing and listening are two very different things.  Receiving a barrage of sounds is not the same as truly taking the time to hear someone’s words.   In order to be better communicators, we may need to stop what we’re doing and truly listen.  If there is anything that I will carry with me from that amazing evening it is that every once in awhile we all can benefit from “complete silence at all costs”.

When you hear the words “tap the keg”  you think  a keg beer, guys with beards, frat parties, keg stands, solo cups, and the list goes on and on.... I am sure. When Snooze AM Eatery taps a keg we are talking about Champagne!! Yes, I said it CHAMPAGNE! Not just any champagne either, champagne created for Snooze by the local wine genius, Ben Parsons from the Infinite Monkey Theorem. This local wine maker who has recently moved locations in Denver and begun expanding has a whole vat dedicated to “Snooze Booze”. This champagne is made from Albarino grapes and is delicious not only in cocktails like our always popular Mmm Mmm Mimosa or our Hi-C but just to sip on its own as well.

Why Champagne in a keg you ask? Well first of all because it’s never been done before (that we know of) and that’s just cool in itself! Second, Snooze pays attention to details and if we can have our very own “Snooze Booze” why wouldn’t we? Third, we care deeply about the environment and the footprint that Snooze leaves behind. For this very important reason we are excited about the kegs of champagne. Snooze guests guzzle about 10-12 cases of champagne per week per store!! That is roughly 144 gallons a week with our six locations combined. That’s a lot of bottles and while we recycle these bottles and compost their corks we are always looking to do better. The keg of champagne holds about 25 bottles per keg. The amount of reduction we are seeing with champagne on tap makes the whole idea worth it.

Snooze Booze has been on tap and enjoyed at our Boulder location since Memorial Day of this year! The Boulderites are loving some Snooze Booze! As we have to redesign in some locations to make it happen the expansion is a slow process but is being worked on as I type. The next lucky Snooze guests to get Snooze booze will be Ft Collins and Southglenn!! This should be ready for your sipping pleasure by mid-November.

So get ready Snooze fans to get fancy with your kegs- no solo cups, no frat parties, just breakfast and champagne…in a KEG!

Jon Schlegel and Adam Schlegel opened Snooze with the hope of making this world a better place by providing the best breakfast experience possible.  Arnold Coombs took over his family farm, Coombs Family Farms, as a seventh generation Vermont maple syrup farmer on a mission to do good in this world with his syrup.   

It seems almost predestined, then, that our search for the highest quality maple syrup would lead us to finding out about Coombs Family Farms.  What initially got our attention was their storied history, commitment to sustainable and organic farming practices and even the use of sustainable, reduced waste packaging options.  It was the taste, though, that sweet and balanced butterscotch taste that sealed the deal. 

In a twist of sweet irony the very day we first tasted their syrup we were contacted by a representative of Arnold Coombs (at this point they were unaware that we were even interested in their syrup, much less intent on partnering with them) offering a donation of their syrup.  This was in the middle of June during the height of Colorado’s worst fire season in history and they wanted to help out in the Vermont way by donating maple syrup as they had with some fundraisers and pancake breakfasts for first responders in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  I’m still not sure exactly how they found us but as it turns out we were in the midst of planning a fundraiser for the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department, near Fort Collins.  The fire house was lost along with the homes of some of the fire fighters while they fought to save the town’s school house from the fast moving fire.  We gladly accepted their donation as a part of an auction that raised over $10,000 for the cause and solidified our partnership with Coombs Family Farms. 

Pancakes, meet your Syrup.

Snooze First Annual San Diego Luau

On August 14^th, 2012 Snooze Hillcrest employees, friends and family gathered together on the sand and surf of Mission Beach. There was no lack of coconut bikinis, flowery Hawaiian lei’s, grass skirts and roasted whole pig to make it authentic! As Snooze has moved over the mountains and to the beach we have also expanded our ideas of employee parties. From the “Ho Down” in Colorado to the Luau of San Diego we adapt our culture, our food and even our partying!

Some Snooze “Mothershippers” got the opportunity to fly to San Diego to enjoy the day with our beach family and celebrate this family called Snooze. It is always inspiring to see the faces of old who moved to San Diego to help us create and expand to our new community. The staple Snooze faces of Shawna, Matt, Dean, Hatzey, Rivers, Andrew, Devereaux and Nick were shining out in San Diego as they did in the days of Snooze beginnings.  The new, fresh faces of Snooze Hillcrest family members who have so quickly become our sisters and brothers were hula dancing right along with them, enjoying and celebrating that every day we get to be a part of this thing. We get to serve not just breakfast but the BEST breakfast experience possible. Is this a job? Is this for real??

Our Sous Chef Matt Lieurance a vegan himself even buried “Charlie” in his backyard and created a true Hawaiian Luau feast!!

Great times, great crowd, great people and all for the celebration of a family; a family that gets to work and play together!

Dear friends and neighbors of the near and far Snooze Universe,

Each day when I arrive to the playground we call Snooze I know not what to expect, except that: I will meet someone new, see an old friend, laugh, make someone laugh, laugh at myself, hear the word amazing several times (regarding our food) and bond more deeply with my hard working friends.

Summer at Snooze Ballpark is so much fun because we get visited by people from all over the place. So many folks  are here to attend weddings, or on their honeymoon  as well as taking family vacations, business trips with tag-along spouses. Our regular guests mingle with these visitors and offer greetings as well as tips on places to see in the area. The bar is the great melting pot of people for me. So many people come for shows at Red Rocks and can't wait to talk about their experience. Once they do they make friends with other who were at the show or who just love the band that played. I can have a sixty year old woman and a club kid sitting next to each other and, by the time they are done eating, they are exchanging email addresses.

I feel our summer drink menu is the best we have done to date. Amanda Young (our GM from Boulder) inspired us to take things to the next shelf with the addition of our in-house infused Lemon cello (and yes we spelled it like that on purpose) and our horse radish and cilantro infused vodka for the Godfather Bloody Mary. If you do not get the Godfather reference then perhaps you should drink one for your next hair of the dog moment, after you have been sleeping with the fishes. Amanda also runs the first of our restaurants (Boulder) to use our Snooze Booze sparkling wine in a keg. It's all the snap and bubble without the pop of the cork. We are working on the sound effect for the tap btw. For me, our Jon Daley is the most refreshing cocktail going with the mellon baller tasting like summer personified. I also love the gazpacho bloody as it is the most refreshing bloody ever. Any drink on our summer menu is a solid winner so branch out from the usual to try something fun and new

We are now starting our planning of the fall/winter drink menu which is sure to have some fun twists on the AM cocktails we have come to love so much.

happy summer one and all,

Pér

On July 17th, 2012 Snooze was honored to be the Denver Zoo’s first recipient ever of the Polar Bears International “Paw of Approval Award”. Polar Bears International is an organization dedicated to preserving polar bears and their precious arctic habitats through general sustainable actions with a major focus on carbon emissions reduction. The Paw of Approval Award is given to local companies dedicated to supporting a responsible community structure and sustainable business practices with strong strides toward reducing carbon use. There are so many wonderful green businesses in Denver, we are so proud to receive this award.

In working with the Zoo to calculate some carbon numbers for all 6 Snoozes combined, they shared with us some great carbon statistics. Check them out, through sustainable business practices Snooze has achieved:

Good morning Snoozers One and All!

Guess what, we're blogging!  Sounds so 2001 you say?  Well, yes, there's a slight feel in that for us.  Yet we're students of service, food, community, sustainable, and beyond, and lately subscribing to blogs enables a world of insight!  Along with just good old fashion fun.  And we thought, hey, we like fun, and occasionally even have a few good things to say.  Low and behold, The Life and Times of Snooze was born.

Sign up and see the latest and greatest articles.  Whether it'sprose on Snooze's take on the world, quests for changing the planet one pancake at a time, menu ideas/recipes, and so much more, you've found your home.

Your feedback, ideas and sonnets are always welcome.  You, oh grand fan of Snooze, make Snooze what it is.  Thank you for being a part of this adventure.

Cheers - Snooze

I work in a service industry. Indeed, whilst the fruits of our labors manifest themselves into that most tangible and joyous of day’s events, the meal, ultimately we serve. As such, it’s with every action of our people that define, and redefine, just who we are as a company. I can jump up and down from the pedestal of my office preaching competencies, ideals, etc. However, the barista’s engagement with our guests, their understanding of coffee, visits with the dairy farmer, and teaching Sustainability 101 to the newbie; this defines our service and culture.

Engaging our people lie at the core of our service and experience. Make no mistake, the road to actual engagement often feels like a mousetrap. We could shoot for the easy route: a manual, customary sign-off, and inevitably understand the moniker in assume. Or worse, decree rules and procedures, enabling folks to do enough not to get busted, but no incentive to excel.

We elect for the more utilitarian approach. Here are some initial (as we’re always learning) lessons that may set you on the right path.

1. Understand your why

If there is one thing that’s for certain, a half assed attempt at do-gooding will be ripe with failure. Dreadlocks and incense aren’t a requirement, but a fundamental belief in why green equals good is essential. Host an all manager/staff meeting and ask this from the outset, starting with you. This roundtable provides the gamut of ideas: financial, kids, the future, and beyond. Grasping both ideas and passions are essential to any initiative.

2. Find some allies. Immediately.

Infiltrate the ranks while you are at it. Participants vary from the always silent line cook to the eager beaver server bucking for a promotion. Finding all the nooks and crannies of sustainability takes everyone’s input, and ultimately their direction. Empower, enlist, and enlighten these folks. Our leaders teach and attend classes, create store field trips, always generate new ideas, and ensure the greening each and every day.

3. Have fun for the love of everything

Trying to get a volunteer effort going? Asking folks to go above and beyond their normal work and pay? The right thing to do isn’t always going to work (and the alterative of regulation sometimes earns a result, but no passion to build from). If I’m looking new ideas, fresh enthusiasm and a united force, time to switch it up and underline the fun. We host bike tours to fellow businesses, usually a sustainable brewery somewhere in the mix; choosing the right bin for waste has morphed into a pseudo game of “21”, folks shooting for the right bucket. Copa de Verde, a trophy fabricated from broken plateware, provides ultimate bragging rights to the Green Snooze of the Month (based on reducing energy, water & encouraging alternative modes of transportation). Let’s enjoy this revolution!

4. Teach it personally

Every new Snoozer, busser to General Manager, goes through our history, philosophy on service, and yes, Sustainability 101. A simple 30 minutes provide a whirlwind of initiatives, from energy use, to what happens to the compost bucket when it’s hauled away, and on to where that piggy come from. Lessons are taught not only about our Snooze home, but how these changes can affect their personal homes as well (change to an LED at your home, reap the rewards!). Ultimately, our teaching utilizes the power of experience: field trips to farms, recycling plants, and lecturers are part of the norm. Tour a group first to a landfill, then a compost facility, and the message resonates.

An engaged employee provides the ultimate in freedom. The idea or push no longer lies at the individual, the manager, the entrepreneur. It’s for the entire organization to own and develop. We create a beautiful meal, and a collaborative experience defines the service.