Case Studies & Quotes

Albuquerque: Frontier Restaurant

The Frontier Restaurant is one of Albuquerque's most beloved eateries. Founded in 1971 by Larry and Dorothy Rainosek, it has long been a central meeting place for families, visitors and students at the nearby University of New Mexico. On their menu you'll find hearty fiesta burgers, delicious breakfast burritos, amazing green chile stew and, of course, the famous Frontier sweet roll–but no bottled water. They proudly serve Albuquerque tap water–filtered, chilled, and complimentary.

"We just want to provide a high-quality, affordable dining experience for our customers, so the big bottled brands don't really make sense here. They create a lot of waste. Plus, we have an excellent filtration system and our water tastes great. Our customers really appreciate it, " –Dorothy Rainosek, owner Frontier

Boulder: Turley’s

Turley’s has provided casual, healthy food to residents of Boulder, Colorado, for more than 30 years. Serving tap water was a no-brainer for this restaurant that sells hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, cage-free eggs and organic produce.

“In this day with all the information we have on bottled water it makes no sense to buy bottled water.  The cost factor is obvious.  Plus the fact that you’re not polluting the planet with additional plastic. It’s a no-brainer.  We have a filtration system here and it’s something that I think the customer appreciates,” Paul Turley -- owner, Turley.

Memphis: Stella

Located in downtown Memphis, Stella serves fine wines and foods in a warm and elegant atmosphere. The menu at Stella can best be described as global contemporary with a Southern flair. The restaurant’s outlook on bottled water, too, is global and contemporary.

“In the interest of being as environmentally conscious as is feasible, it’s an easy choice to no longer sell bottled water. It’s less expensive for the consumer and less environmentally damaging.  Plus we have such good municipal water here in Memphis!” --Cindy Riley, owner Stella .

Ann Arbor: Zingerman’s

Zingerman’s, in Ann Arbor, offers a comfortable hangout spot, events, tastings and a wide variety of foods and drinks. The deli serves thousands of made-to-order sandwiches, coffees, teas, fine farmhouse cheeses, pastries, scones, cakes, pies, gelato, and chocolate and, to accompany it all, tap water.

“We've found filtered tap water to be a completely adequate alternative to bottled still water, and not contributing more plastic bottles to our community’s land fills is a good thing.” --Alex Young, Head Chef at Zingerman’s

Madison: Lombardino’s

Lombardino’s, in Madison, has been a local tradition since 1954. Described by one local newspaper as “the best Italian restaurant in town, by a mile,” the friendly neighborhood eatery serves locally grown produce, eggs and meat. Now, they have pledged to use only local water—straight from the tap.

San Francisco: Incanto

Incanto is an Italian restaurant in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood.  Since it opened in June of 2002, Incanto has exclusively served San Francisco tap water: filtered, chilled, and served either still or sparkling in reusable one-liter carafes. Incanto made the decision to serve San Francisco water instead of selling imported bottled waters because it eliminates an awkward moment for guests and because serving local water goes hand-in-hand with serving locally grown food.

“Offering our guests complimentary filtered San Francisco water with their meal combines the best of generous hospitality, care for our surroundings, and authentic local flavor.  What we sacrifice in profits by not selling bottled water, we more than make up in increased goodwill with our guests,”
said Incanto owner Mark Pastore.

San Francisco: Delfina

Delfina and Pizzeria Delfina are bustling neighborhood restaurants in San Francisco's Mission District . At Delfina, we discontinued serving still bottled water about a year ago. We made the decision to serve tap water because it eliminated the need for storage and disposal of excess bottles and because San Francisco has an excellent municipal water source.

The process required nothing more than installation of  a simple filtration system.
At Pizzeria Delfina, we incorporated a simple filter/chiller system into our original design it has proven to be extremely efficient.  I would incorporate a similar system in any new project I'm involved with.

“I drink tap water all day long”.
–Craig Stoll, Co owner Delfina and Pizzeria Delfina

San Francisco: NOPA

Nopa is a neighborhood gathering place located north of the panhandle of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. At Nopa we have been serving tap water over bottled water since our opening in April 2006. We made the decision to serve tap water because we are a local business wanting to utilize the local resources around us. The process of eliminating bottled water from the menu was an easy choice due to the logistics of storing and recycling bottled water. Making the decision to serve solely tap water has proven to be a sound decision for our guests as well as our business.

One of our biggest commitments to this community is to reduce the waste that we produce in serving 300 to 400 guests a night.

As stated by our partner Allyson Jossel:

“Our goal is to leave a smaller imprint on this world. We’re not amazing. We’re the wave of the future.”