Park City Community Foundation and Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau Launch Zero Food Waste Restaurant Cohort

The pilot program will work one-on-one with 20 local restaurants and caterers to save resources and reduce food waste.  

The Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau and Park City Community Foundation have partnered to launch the Zero Food Waste Restaurant Cohort, an innovative pilot program designed to make it easy for local restaurants to reduce waste and save resources. This program, available at no cost to participating businesses, provides hands-on support, financial incentives, and industry expertise to make waste reduction streamlined and effective for our local food service community. 

“This is a great opportunity for local restaurants to work alongside experts to find customized solutions that will help reduce waste and costs for their businesses,” said Morgan Mingle, Director of Sustainable Tourism, who led the creation of this project.  

Food waste is a significant economic and environmental challenge, particularly in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Each year, thousands of dollars’ worth of edible food end up in landfills, contributing to wasted investments, missed opportunities to feed more people, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Restaurants can play a vital role in reducing waste while also improving their bottom line by implementing simple yet impactful changes.  

Interested restaurants and caterers can apply to participate before April 28. A total of 20 businesses will receive:  

• Coverage of Start-Up Costs and Monthly Service Fees: To remove financial barriers and make participation as easy as possible, Park City Community Foundation will cover all start-up costs and initial service fees for food waste diversion — allowing restaurants to focus on learning, piloting, and implementing solutions without worrying about the upfront investment 

• A One-Day Workshop on June 3, 2025: Industry-leading experts from ReFED will facilitate a solutions-oriented workshop covering waste reduction best-practices and creating individualized action plans to waste less and save money.  

• Follow-Up Consulting: Each restaurant will receive 5-7 hours of follow-up consultation free from ReFED on implementing their individual waste reduction plans. 

• Streamlined Onboarding for the Green Business Program: Restaurants will be fast-tracked into the Green Business Program, gaining recognition for their sustainability efforts and benefiting from marketing and promotional opportunities.  

“Being a resort community, it’s critical to have our local businesses participating in the Zero Food Waste movement,” said Andy Hecht, Climate Fund Manager at Park City Community Foundation. “This is a great first step to scaling these solutions to other businesses and organizations, and we’re excited to partner with the Chamber to offer this pilot to leading restaurants in the area.”  

Park City Community Foundation launched the Zero Food Waste initiative in June 2024 with the goal of diverting and eliminating all food waste from Summit County landfill by 2030. While the Community Foundation continues to work on getting households signed up for curbside food waste collection, it is also working with local businesses and partners like the Chamber to scale food waste collection to the business community.  

Park City Chamber & Visitor Bureau led the development of the Sustainable Tourism Plan for Park City and Summit County in 2022. The Plan intends to create a future where community and environmental benefits are valued with the same weight as economic benefits, resulting in a thriving community and welcoming destination. The Zero Food Waste Restaurant Cohort directly aligns with the key objectives outlined in the plan – to support local businesses while reducing our impact as a community. 

Businesses that are interested in partaking in this new program can apply before 11:59pm on April 28: https://pccf.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6mc0MrSg3SRiSAC  

For more information or questions about the Cohort, please contact Andy Hecht at andy@parkcitycf.org.  

About Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau  

Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau represents over 1,000 businesses in Summit County. Founded in 1963 to promote local ski resorts, today, the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau is entrusted with fostering the health and wellbeing of the local community. From maintaining economic stability and addressing environmental concerns to developing sustainable tourism plans and preserving cultural heritage, the organization prides itself on being in the community for the community. Our Mountainkind brand is designed to support destination stewardship. For more information, visit visitparkcity.com. 

About Park City Community Foundation  

The Community Foundation plays a vital role in solving the greatest challenges in greater Park City. It cares for and invests in our people, place, and culture by bringing together local nonprofits, donors, and community leaders to contribute financial resources and innovative ideas to benefit all the people of Park City—now and in the future. As the home of Live PC Give PC, Women’s Giving Fund, Zero Food Waste, and other important initiatives, the Community Foundation has generated more than $60 million in total impact to the greater Park City community and Summit County since its inception in 2007. Learn more about donating, volunteering, fundraising, and getting involved at parkcitycf.org. 

Media Contact 

Megan Fleming Hytjan, Park City Community Foundation, Megan@parkcitycf.org, 970.948.8710