Paradies Lagardère Achieves Green Restaurant Certification at Nearly All Airport Dining Locations

Paradies Lagardère has achieved Certified Green Restaurant status at more than 98% of its airport dining portfolio, with 210 locations meeting environmental standards set by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA).

The certification covers 210 of the company’s 213 airport dining locations and reflects a year-long effort to improve sustainability practices across energy use, water conservation, waste reduction and materials management, according to the company.

As part of the initiative, the airport concessionaire implemented more than 5,000 environmental actions across its dining operations, earning more than 21,000 GreenPoints under the GRA’s certification framework. The standards evaluate restaurant performance across categories that include energy efficiency, water use, waste diversion, reusable and disposable materials, chemicals and pollution, and food practices.

Company officials said the scale of certification demonstrates how sustainability programs can be applied across high-volume airport food and beverage operations, where operational constraints often differ from street-side restaurants.

“This milestone reflects the passion and teamwork of so many people across our company,” said Valerie Davis, corporate social responsibility manager at Paradies Lagardère. “It’s a meaningful step forward in making airport dining more sustainable, even in fast-paced travel environments.”

Based on national restaurant averages, the certified locations could collectively reduce energy consumption by millions of kilowatt-hours annually, conserve millions of gallons of water and divert significant volumes of waste from landfills, according to estimates tied to the certification benchmarks.

Michael Oshman, founder and CEO of the Green Restaurant Association, said the certification effort represents measurable progress for the broader foodservice industry. “The environmental practices implemented across these locations set an example for what is achievable today,” Oshman said.

All 210 certified locations achieved Level 1 status, the GRA’s entry certification level, which requires documented environmental improvements across multiple operational categories. Paradies Lagardère said it is working with a remaining brand partner to extend certification to its full dining portfolio.

The company said it plans to continue collaborating with the GRA to pursue higher certification levels as part of a broader sustainability strategy focused on responsible sourcing, waste reduction and long-term environmental performance.

Paradies Lagardère operates dining, retail and travel essentials concepts in airports across North America, serving as a major concessionaire partner to airports and airlines nationwide.