Green Restaurant Association Presents Green Awards

In anticipation of Earth Day 2026 (April 22), the Green Restaurant Association announced the 2026 Green Restaurant Award winners. The awards recognize restaurants and organizations in the restaurant industry that have accomplished a high level of environmental achievement in their categories.

The 2026 winners include the following:

GREENEST RESTAURANT: Carvers’ Cafe at Mt. Rushmore, Keystone, S.D.
GREENEST CATERER: Gilded Tomato Co., Rehoboth, Mass.
GREENEST AIRPORT CONTRACTOR: SSP America
GREENEST FOOD CONTRACTOR: Compass
GREENEST SMALL CHAIN: Barcade
GREENEST UNIVERSITY: Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., and Boston
GREENEST UNIVERSITY RESTAURANT: Connecticut Hall at University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn.
GREENEST INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT: Maine Beer Co. Tasting Room, Freeport, Maine
GREENEST NYC RESTAURANT: Well& By Durst
GREENEST ZOO RESTAURANT: Komodo Kingdom Cafe at Akron Zoo, Akron, Ohio
GREENEST NATIONAL PARK RESTAURANT: Carvers’ Cafe
GREENEST CORPORATE CAFETERIA: Mars Wrigley GIC—Better Moments Cafe, Chicago
GREENEST K-12 SCHOOL: Westtown School Dining Room, West Chester, Pa.
GREENEST K-12 CONTRACTOR: Flik Hospitality

GRA also announced a series of other awards, including the Energy Conservation & Renewable Energy Award (Carvers’ Cafe) and the Water Conservation Award (Connecticut Hall).

“By taking great environmental leadership in the restaurant industry, the 2026 Green Restaurant Award winners are proving it’s possible for any restaurant, organization, or employee to dramatically improve their environmental footprint today,” says Michael Oshman, CEO and founder of the GRA, in the release.