When Miami-based Grassfed Hospitality cofounders Josh Hackler, Sebastián Vargas, and Pili Restrepo Hackler created their restaurant group during the height of the pandemic, they knew that sustainability would be a crucial value that informed all aspects of their operations.
Within the Grassfed Hospitality portfolio, Los Félix is a Michelin-starred restaurant that celebrates the indigenous cooking of the Americas with a focus on heritage corn from Mexico, while Krüs Kitchen is a seafood-driven restaurant with a rotating seasonal menu. Both restaurants only serve natural wines, have eliminated seed oils*, and use local dairy farms to procure cheeses, cream, and butter made with raw dairy. **
Clearly, these efforts have paid off, because Grassfed Hospitality’s restaurants now have two Michelin Green Stars between them (given to restaurants that are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to sustainability practices). These are the only two Green Stars currently awarded in Miami and are two of only three in the state of Florida.
However, according to Grassfed Hospitality’s founders, they did not implement these standards to earn accolades: rather, they want to set the standard as changemakers in the industry.
“For us, it has never been about attaining these stars,” Vargas said. “There’s no such thing for us as striving for a green star or anything else. We’re staying true to what we believe in and how we want to grow our business … it’s a choice and a practice that we’ve chosen since day one … It’s not like if we’re not being sustainable, we’re suddenly going to make more money or have more or fewer people coming to the restaurants.”
Besides the aforementioned practices, Grassfed Hospitality also implemented a composting program, and only sources seafood caught using sustainable fishing practices.
“The fishermen are telling us, ‘This is what we have,’ and that’s [what we serve,]” Hackler said. “We don’t take any fish under 30 pounds so that we can really focus on restoring and regenerating fish species in South Florida.”
While Grassfed’s executives admit that many of their choices have added operational expenses to their bottom line, they would not have it any other way.
“When we first started working with seed oil-free solutions, it was four times more expensive than using conventional oil,” Hackler said. “That was a hurdle to get over. Also, figuring out consistency is hard because when you’re working with small farms, it can be a challenge to source everything you need consistently, and have something on the menu for a longer period of time.”
Despite these challenges, Grassfed Hospitality plans to take these sustainability standards with them as they open future restaurants. This fall, the restaurant group is opening its first restaurant outside of Miami, in Atlanta. The restaurant will be called Süm, and will feature Italian cuisine, open-fire cooking, and a cocktail bar on the 17th floor that overlooks the Atlanta skyline.
“We’re really excited about implementing all of our sustainability efforts and working with local farms in that area,” Hackler said. “Customers that come to our restaurants may not realize [all of the sustainability practices] that we do, so it’s on us to educate them.”
* It should be noted that scientists and doctors have not found health risks specifically linked to seed oils. Seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which have been associated with better cardiovascular health, according to recent studies. However, omega-3 fatty acids are considered to be the healthier option because they have more nutrients. Seed oils are also often used in unhealthy foods like deep-fried snacks high in sodium and sugar, which might be part of the backlash against them.
** The CDC warns that the consumption of raw milk comes with the risk of exposure to foodborne illnesses like E. coli, listeria, and salmonella.
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