Pizza Fusion’s first two LEED restaurants receive Gold and Silver certification

 

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 16, 2009 – Pizza Fusion (www.pizzafusion.com), pioneer of the environmental and organic restaurant movements, was recently awarded Gold and Silver certifications by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for its first two restaurants built to LEED specifications – Palm Beach Gardens and Weston, Florida.  This recognition makes Pizza Fusion the first LEED certified pizzeria in the world.

 

“It’s very rewarding to see our first two LEED projects officially comply with the strict specifications of the USGBC’s building and operational standards,” Mike Gordon, vice president of store development and co-founder of Pizza Fusion, explains.  “These certifications represent our commitment to building all our restaurants to this standard as we’ve grown to 19 locations nationwide in the last year.”

 

Pizza Fusion’s restaurants feature a number of unique, eco-efficient products, techniques and designs. Pizza Fusion restaurants’ eco-elements include countertops made of re-used glass bottles from other Pizza Fusions and manufactured using a cradle-to-cradle approach, bamboo flooring, 30% recaptured industrial concrete, non-VOC paints, energy start certified appliances, insulation made from recycled blue jeans, ceiling baffles made from recycled composite board, low voltage lighting, furniture made from reclaimed wood, and much more – all the way down to the 100 percent recycled toilet paper in their bathrooms.

 

“I congratulate Pizza Fusion on the LEED certification of their Palm Beach Gardens and Weston locations,” states Congressman Ron Klein (FL-22). “Pizza Fusion’s extraordinarily high standards for eco-efficiency make them community leaders in green business. Their forward-looking approach is a model for small businesses across South Florida and the nation.”

 

In the United States, restaurants are the top electricity consumer among retail businesses, accounting for 33% of the total consumption. Each restaurant produces an average of 50,000 pounds of waste per year. Pizza Fusion’s LEED certified restaurants reduce water waste by 40 percent and electricity consumption by 20 percent annually.

 

“Pizza Fusion is to be commended for its LEED certification of its Weston and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida locations,” Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, states.  “Pizza Fusion has demonstrated a strong commitment to the environment and by achieving certification they also demonstrate a commitment to the health, comfort and well-being of their customers and employees.”

 

Pizza Fusion is considering likeminded franchise candidates for their national expansion throughout the United States over the next five years.

 

About Pizza Fusion

 

Founded in the best interest of the individual and the environment, Pizza Fusion combines a fresh, organic menu with an industry-leading environmental approach to restaurant service in chic dining destinations built to LEED certification standards. Pizza Fusion specializes in a full-service approach to gourmet pizza, focaccia sandwiches, salads, desserts, and organic beers and wines, all in their purest form – untainted by artificial additives, such as pesticides, preservatives, antibiotics and hormones. With numerous franchises opening across the U.S., Pizza Fusion is pioneering the organic and environmental restaurant movement as the most eco-friendly restaurant in America. For additional information, visit: www.pizzafusion.com.