As you all know, the restaurant industry is sustaining some of the hardest blows from the COVID-19 crisis, and Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Restaurant (OFR) certified restaurants are no exception. For those unfamiliar with the certification, Surfrider (and its individual chapters) certify restaurants who comply with certain criteria pertaining to recycling and composting practices, reusable vs. disposable tableware, takeout bag and straw materials etc. To learn more about this program, or to become an OFR certified restaurant, please visit https://california.surfrider.org/ocean-friendly-restaurants/
To support these restaurants, Sufrider's San Francisco chapter launched a "gift card initiative" last week, encouraging volunteers and subscribers to order or purchase gift cards from San Francisco's 33 OFR certified restaurants, with the potential of wining a $20 gift card to their chosen OFR. SF Surfrider was really pleased to see the outpouring of support for these institutions, and hopes that this post inspires readers throughout California to look up their local chapter's OFR certified restaurants and to support them through orders, gift cards and GoFundMe campaigns to keep these indispensable institutions alive through this difficult time.
For any Ocean Friendly Restaurant Program Leads: please reach out to OFR@sf.surfrider.org to learn how to launch a similar initiative for your Surfrider branch.