If part of your summer vacation plans includes a visit to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks in California, be sure to visit Grants Grove Restaurant. This newly renovated restaurant in the heart of Grants Grove Village is a Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association.

What makes a Certified Green Restaurant?

These are seven environmental categories that restaurants are graded on:

• Water Efficiency
• Waste Reduction and Recycling
• Sustainable Durable Goods & Building Materials
• Sustainable Food
• Energy
• Reusables & Environmentally Preferable Disposables
• Chemical and Pollution Reduction

Points are given based on the percentage of items that meet each criterion. To find out more, visit http://www.dinegreen.com/.

Other Sustainable Highlights

During construction, more than 75 percent of the waste generated was diverted from local landfills. In addition, over 20 percent of the materials used on the project, including structural steel, concrete masonry units and concrete, came from within 500 miles of the project site, helping to reduce transportation needs and promote local businesses.

The building is designed to provide a “connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors, resulting in a great indoor environmental quality.”

According to Grants Grove Restaurant’s site, in order to provide “a healthier work environment, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were designed to exceed the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards for ventilation and thermal comfort. Low-emitting interior materials such as adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpeting and flooring systems were installed to help reduce indoor air contaminants. Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the restaurant.”

The landscaping around the restaurant doesn’t require any watering which reduces bother the amount of water and maintenance required to maintain it.

A new menu was created by Executive Chef Brandon Bollenbacher. It’s design is centered on “locally sourced, sustainable and organic ingredients. Highlights include California-raised grass fed beef, San Joaquin Valley-raised organic poultry and eggs, and Monterey Bay Aquarium-approved seafood.”

For more information about Grants Grove Restaurant, visit http://www.visitsequoia.com/grant-grove-restaurant.aspx.