Matchbox is Living Green

I visited my favorite restaurant recently, Matchbox on Capitol Hill. I was not there for their specialties, mini burgers or a Belgian beer, but for an eco-tour. I knew management was working with Adrienne Spar, the CEO of Green Living Consulting to help Matchbox integrate green practices that make sense for their business, including helping them improve their energy efficiency, reduce waste, conserve water, improve air quality, and support a green supply chain. I have to say what Matchbox has accomplished so far is impressive (their green efforts are ongoing). By seriously greening their restaurant, Matchbox is reaping aesthetic and financial benefits from their efforts.

Matchbox in Chinatown has been an extremely popular dining destination for the past 5 years. In 2004, it won the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington's award for best new restaurant. A second location opened up recently on Capitol Hill. As far as I can tell, they are two of DC's busier restaurants (I consider an hour wait on a Monday night busy).

Adrienne gave me a guided tour to show me some of Matchbox's green initiatives. I divided them into two types. The first type are right out there in plain sight. They are an integral part of the restaurant that you would see during any visit, impossible to ignore. The energy savings and green building benefits are plain to see, but I was surprised by how much they improved the aesthetics of the restaurant as well. The second type of initiatives are those that are more subtle, not easily visible, but no less important.

Highly Visible

Skylights. Immediately upon entering, I was struck by how open it felt. There is plenty of space in the entryway, but just as important, the there are two skylights that a) dramatically open the space and b) on a sunny day, bathe the bar, part of the dining area and the waiting area in natural light. The skylights allow Matchbox to save on energy cost by reducing the need for lighting in the entryway. This amount of sunlight is rare for a dining establishment in DC. The skylights were also part of the original infrastructure, with only a window replacement, so they conserved building materials and additional renovation expenses by preserving the structure the way they received it in the front half of the restaurant.

Plants. There are plant boxes with the sanseviera plants throughout the first floor dining area. These plants serve as natural air filters and have a tendency to absorb any toxic or poisonous substances. They also are tolerant of low light levels and irregular watering - so they consume few resources while keeping the air clean.

Bricks. The wall pictured below is made up of bricks that are cut in half lengthwise. You enjoy the aesthetic benefit of a wall with exposed brick while using half the materials.

Recycling. Matchbox's pizza boxes are made from recycled materials. Unfortunately, once a pizza box is used it cannot be recycled again but using recycled materials is a step in the green direction. The restaurant also uses recycled content to-go containers for it's other menu options and will soon have plastic containers that are recyclable and microwave safe - a good green option for the many families on Capitol Hill who take advantage of Matchbox's carry-out option.

Matchbox also recycles its plastic, glass, aluminum and cardboard.

Energy efficient hand dryers with air filters. Matchbox went all out on their Dyson hand dryers. This is a newer technology that reduces significant paper waste, is 80% more energy efficient than a regular hand dryer, and has a built in HEPA filter that cleans the air continuously. It also dries hands in about 12 seconds. Drier hands with no paper used and no garbage produced is win-win. These dryers are now being installed in their Chinatown location

Materials Reuse #1. Recovered shuffle boards were used to construct the bar (and it is a very long bar). Left in the property by the previous owner, the Matchbox owners (who were extremely hands on in the construction of both their locations) chose to use the shuffle boards rather than buy and pay for new wood. This saved them money and they happen to look great. See for yourself.

Materials Reuse #2. Recovered wood from a barn covers a wall on the mezzanine level. Again, by reusing materials, Matchbox reduced the amount of virgin wood needed and this is a great example of a green effort adding to the aesthetics. The recovered wood is beautiful and a bit unexpected. It is a nice change up for the space.

Subtle

In renovating the property, the Matchbox owners did much of the work themselves and maintained as much of the original structure as possible. By making as few changes as possible, the renovation produced less waste, and reduced the number of new materials that needed to be bought.

Hay in the wall. Matchbox owners chose this material in their Chinatown store originally because it was inexpensive and provided some texture to the walls. Turns out, hay is green material too as it is a natural resource and a good insulator. Straw bale houses are becoming more and more popular as a green building practice, particularly in the Southwest.

Carbon offsets. Last year Matchbox made contributions to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to offset their wood burning pizza ovens. This year they are considering switching to wind power. Whichever route they take, the Matchbox owners are conscious of their pizza oven's carbon emissions and are looking at options to lower their carbon footprint the best they can without compromising the quality of their food and service that continue to draw those long lines.

As my colleague, Allen Hershkowitz says about going green "It is a process you engage in. It is not a final goal. The objective is to do as much as you can as soon as you can."

Matchbox deserves credit for doing as much as they can starting at the very beginning of their Capitol Hill location. They are showing other restaurants how they can become more efficient, cleaner and frankly, better-looking. Matchbox is definitely ahead of the green practices curve.

Stay tuned for more restaurant and green-businesses reviews.