Gerardo Moceri has a passion for sustainability. “Back in Italy, my grandparents did everything sustainably because that’s how things were done. Food was local and healthy; and it brought the community together. I’m trying to recreate that here.” His restaurant was recently awarded the Bronze/Conservationist level of the Sustainable Business Certification. “I want to be a resource for other restaurant owners. After I do the research—about everything from the most sustainable take-out containers to regional sources for produce and meats—I plan to share it with my colleagues in the region. They can just ask me.”

Moceri and his son (Gerardo, Jr.) worked with the Sustainability Alliance to develop a sustainability plan. They had already taken some impressive steps, like replacing their dishwasher with one that uses half the water. But they also have worked with Greco and Sons to find the most sustainable take-out containers, signed up with Sedona Compost to take their food waste, and joined Straw-Free Sedona.

Like the old days, Moceri wants to source locally, or at least regionally. “The vast majority of our produce is organic and much is local. We offer a lot of vegan options. I get some flack from my European customers but I’ve found a great source of prosciutto from Colorado and buy olive oil from the US, not Italy. We’re working with a farm in California that sets aside land to grow our tomatoes.”

Moceri’s son is soon to graduate from ASU where he’s been studying sustainability. As a class project, he put together what will become their first sustainability report. What’s next? “We want to develop metrics so we can track our progress. We want to become a zero waste, carbon neutral operation and better measure our positive contributions to the community.”

You can find the most current list of certified organizations at SustainabilityAllianceAZ.org. Click on the certification badge on the right.

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