Several restaurants around the Bay Area have pledged to add another surcharge on their bills to fight climate change. 

The non-profit organization “ZeroFoodprint,” has teamed up with restaurants around the state in hopes of teaching them ways to eliminate their greenhouse-gas emissions.  

Anthony Myint, the co-founder of Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco, helped start the organization.  

“California’s restaurant industry is enormous so if every restaurant was part of the program, sending one-percent to healthy soil, it would raise $1 billion dollars,” Myint says. 

At the bottom of each check at participating restaurants is a “CO2 offset charge.”

The fee is added to raise money to help farmers switch to more environmentally friendly farming practices such as composting and other ways to keep carbon dioxide from the air. 

Mission Chinese Food started adding the CO2 charge on tabs last fall with an explanation right on the menu. 

Diners seem to be able to stomach the extra cost to fight climate change. 

“Since we started I am not aware of anyone who has opted out,” Myint said.

Customers do not have to pay the fee as it is optional. 

Full list of participating Bay Area restaurants: 

  • Mission Chinese Food
  • benu
  • Monsieur Benjamin, San Francisco
  • In Situ 
  • Lord Stanley
  • flour + water
  • State Bird Provisions
  • The Progress
  • Namu Gaji
  • Cala
  • Commonwealth
  • Mikkeller Bar

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