Case Study - Reducing Food Waste - Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland 2017 Pilot Test

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dozel

Reducing Food Waste case study covering Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland from May to October 2017, including a WWF and AH&LA pilot initiative supported by The Rockefeller Foundation. The program introduces baseline waste measurement using pre-service and post-service bin calibration, continuous trend comparisons, and management-led interventions. It also emphasizes a food-rescue and diversion approach, encouraging suitable prepared food donations and composting practices to prevent landfill disposal.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Case Study: Reducing Food Waste

Hotel background and governance

The pilot test and waste measurement

Roadmap process and baseline findings

Case Study: Reducing Food Waste Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland, May – October 2017 Pedro Ballesteros has been baking bread at Red Star Tavern in the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland, in Oregon, for more than ten years. Until recently, he would go through a sack of flour every day, and a significant portion of the bread he baked was discarded when customers didn’t eat it. Hotel Monaco This is just one example of the food waste challenge facing the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland, one of ten hotels participating in a national campaign by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA), with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, faced. Located on S.W. Alder St. in downtown Portland OR, the hotel has 221 guestrooms, 8,226 square feet of meeting / banquet space. The hotel is the home of Red Star Tavern. Red Star Tavern is operated by Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, as is the hotel, although, per Kimpton operating conventions, each group (hotel and restaurant) reports to a different division of the company. Red Star Tavern is responsible for the restaurant and bar, room service, and all catering / banquet functions; the Director of Catering works with both groups. Management and workers at Red Star Tavern were enthusiastic and helpful. On a final breakfast visit to the property the server asked oneof the consultants if he wanted jam served with his toast – a clear indicator that food waste concerns have been embedded into Red Star Tavern’s culture. Our key contacts for the pilot, led by Executive Chef Dolan Lane, included Sous Chef Jacob Mickelson, Director of Catering Carole Lombardi, Restaurant Mangers Ashleigh Gall and Jacob Matson, Baker Pedro Ballesteros, Bartender Brandon Lockman, Manager Will Stevens and Allison Ferre, PR. Red Star Tavern is typically led by a General Manager – however, its GM resigned at the end of July, and Chef Lane seamlessly stepped into a dual role for the remainder of the pilot test. The Pilot Test WWF launched the initiative in March of 2017 with a Guidance document, ordering waste bins, “calibration” weigh-ins, email and phone communication, and a visit from a WWF executive. Hotels were given guidance for creating baseline waste measurements, with a target of beginning in late April. Hotels used two types of bins, each distinguished by its color. Yellow bins capture “Pre-Service” Executive Chef Dolan Lane waste, such as kitchen prep waste, and green bins capture “Post-Service” waste, food that had been given to guests (via plate or buffet) and that could not be re-used. Baseline measurements would continue for two weeks. Measurements were made by the hotels’ reporting the volume of the bins’ fill by percentage, with WWF converting the volume measurements to pounds. Success would be determined by comparing the Pre-Service and Post-Service waste trends to the waste amounts established in the baseline period. Red Star Tavern began its measurements on May 1, using two 44-gallon Brute bins. While the Pilot Test was conducted through June for most hotels, the Monaco test was extended into late October. Finally, WWF encouraged the donations / rescue of (suitable) food that has been prepared but not consumed. And when food waste does occur, WWF encouraged the diversion of food waste through practices such as composting, that would keep food waste out of landfills. The Roadmap Process While the pilot waste measurement methodology was consistent throughout the test, WWF wanted to experiment with some additional types of interventions to study their impact on reducing food waste. Atthe Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland, WWF wanted to see what impact a customized strategic plan developed at the property level would have on reducing food waste. Facilitated by an outside consulting team, a Food Waste Strategic Road Map was developed for the property in May of 2017. The consultantsand authors of this study are: • Dr. Steve Schein, a corporate sus

FAQs

What waste measurement method did the hotel use during the pilot test?

The pilot used two bin types to track pre-service waste and post-service waste. Hotels measured bin fill by percentage and WWF converted those measurements into pounds for trend comparison.

How was success determined in the reduction program?

Success was determined by comparing pre-service and post-service waste trends to amounts established during the baseline measurement period.

What additional actions did WWF encourage beyond measurement?

WWF encouraged rescuing suitable prepared food through donation and diverting unavoidable waste through practices such as composting to keep it out of landfills.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dozel