Business
First Watch Reduces Plastic Footprint by 30 Million Straws
Florida-based Daytime Dining concept makes a key investment in environmental sustainability with WinCup’s phade® compostable, eco-friendly drinking straw
About this update from First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Florida-based Daytime Dining concept makes a key investment in environmental sustainability with WinCup’s phade® compostable, eco-friendly drinking straw\nBRADENTON, Fla., Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Watch (NASDAQ: FWRG), the leader in Daytime Dining, has partnered with WinCup, Inc. to replace about 30 million plastic straws annually in its more than 440 restaurants nationwide with phade®, a first-of-its-kind sustainable straw that naturally breaks down in the ocean in a matter of months. The new partners collectively place innovation and environmental sustainability as their core priorities, while providing a customer experience that looks and feels like a traditional plastic straw yet will safely return to nature through composting. Currently, First Watch offers phade® straws in two of its markets and intends to rollout nationally in the next two months. “First Watch is committed to doing the right thing for the communities we serve, and a big part of that is giving our teams and customers the chance to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” said Matt Eisenacher, Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy and Innovation at First Watch. “Several years ago, we started offering plastic straws only by request. Now, we’re taking that next step by responsibly sourcing a straw that degrades naturally within months rather than several decades. In markets where we tested the new straws, our customers raved about them and preferred them over other renewable alternatives like paper straws.” The secret behind phade® lies in its careful development that uses natural, raw materials to create straws that quickly and safely return to the earth in a matter of months after use, a significantly reduced timeline when compared to the hundreds of years it can take traditional petroleum-based straws to leave the environment. This is thanks to the straw’s unique PHA (short for polyhydroxyalkanoate) properties, which because of its organic, plant-based make-up, bacteria treat as a food source in nearly all natural environments. “We are thrilled to partner with First Watch to provide a sustainable resource for its restaurants as the company works to provide innovative options to their customers,” said Michael Winters, WinCup President and Chief Revenue Officer. “We know customers will be excited once they experience phade® as an alter...