Point Loma Nazarene University’s cafeteria, known as the Caf, earned its certification and recognition as an Ocean-Friendly Restaurant through the Surfrider Foundation two weeks ago.
The rotating carousel of plates, utensils and cups is a daily sight for the PLNU community who eat in the Caf. They enter dirty with food and are taken through a washing process and are reused hundreds of times, until their lifespan ultimately comes to an end. This is just one practice that has helped the Caf earn the certification.
This month, members of the PLNU Surfrider chapter, a club dedicated to ocean protection and conservation, and the Caf collaborated to gain approval for this certification. While the Caf had already met the listed requirements to be recognized as ocean-friendly, this recent recognition prompts the alignment with the university’s mission statement.
To qualify for this certification, restaurants must meet all program criteria and at least three of the optional criteria to qualify, according to the Surfrider website. The mandatory criteria, per the website, include:
• Only reusable foodware for onsite dining
• No plastic bags used for takeout or to-go orders
• Paper straws provided only upon request
• No expanded polystyrene use (aka Styrofoam)
• Proper recycling practices are followed
• Beverages are not sold in plastic bottles
• Single-use utensils, straws, condiments and accessory items are provided only upon request
Optional criteria, such as offering vegetarian and vegan options regularly and conserving water and mitigating pollution, allow each establishment to tailor its sustainability efforts.
Lily Montes De Oca, a third-year environmental studies major and president of the Surfrider club, said she was inspired to bring this program to PLNU after interviewing a Surfrider staff member last year who introduced her to the initiative. Learning that other universities, like the University of California, Santa Barbara, had already made all of their dining halls ocean-friendly, helped shape her vision for PLNU.
“I thought it was super cool and a great opportunity for establishments to pronounce themselves more in the hospitality world, and also establish themselves in the sustainability world,” Montes De Oca said. “I also thought, with our Caf being so close to the ocean, I was like, ‘Why aren’t we already ocean-friendly certified?’”
The certification process moved quickly. Montes De Oca communicated her idea to Timothy Fessler, general manager of PLNU dining, and together, they confirmed that the Caf already met the criteria. They proceeded with the application, which was approved the same day.
According to Fessler, they have also been certified as a Green Restaurant Association three-star member, given by a nonprofit that recognizes restaurants for meeting science-based sustainability standards, in the past year.
For Montes De Oca, this certification served as a stride toward her personal goals: bridging the gap between business and sustainability and building early momentum for her club, which was established this fall.
“Let’s do what we want to do, and make change in our campus for what we want to see, and overall, keep our environment, and the surrounding environment at the forefront,” she said.
Carissa Cannon, a fourth-year media communication major, is a surfer and spends most of her time surrounded by the ocean. She said that this certification is a positive accomplishment for PLNU.
“PLNU’s commitment to sustainability and honoring God’s creation has definitely given me a renewed sense of pride in being part of this community,” Cannon said.
Restaurants that are recognized by the Ocean Friendly Restaurants Program are listed on national and chapter websites, gain access to national vendor discounts on sustainable restaurant and to-go products and tax-deductible donation opportunities, according to Surfrider.
Beyond these perks, the certification supports the deeper mission behind campus dining.
“We want to care for the earth we share and be good stewards of the resources we are given,” Fessler said. “Sustainability efforts support both the PLNU mission and that of Sodexo.”
PLNU’s Surfrider chapter hopes the Caf’s certification will inspire more restaurants and dining spaces to join the larger mission of improving sustainability.
Julia Voss, a third-year environmental studies major and vice president of the Surfrider chapter, said the recognition highlights how many establishments nationwide are already participating, and how that momentum can continue to grow. There are 648 participating restaurants as of this month.
“It sets a new sustainable standard for restaurants to follow, and spreads Surfrider’s mission to a whole new group of people,” Voss said.
Witney Garcia