I find that there are some days in life that I just want a cheeseburger. Normally not one to go in for burgers and fries or other traditional drive-in fare, I am thus rather particular about where I go when the craving strikes. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the place my family and I like to go is Burgerville, a regional chain of thirty-nine locations in Oregon and Washington with markedly higher levels of both food and service that would be expected from other superficially similar restaurants. We like it not for these qualities alone, but also for its environmentally sustainable business practices and its policy of using local products in their menu offerings – Tillamook cheese, Keystone Walla Walla sweet onions, and Country Natural beef to mention only a few. They even recycle their cooking oil. And upon our most recent visit, we added another reason to praise and patronize our local establishment: its encouragement of children to get outside, experience, and learn about nature.
Our daughter, being nine years old, straddles the line between ordering Kids Meals and adult fare. During our last visit, she was not particularly hungry and chose a Kids Meal. With that, she of course received a prize. However rather than some cheesy movie tie-in or some such piece of modern chaff, in her bag was included a lovely piece of sidewalk chalk in the shape of a bumble bee.
“Cute.” I thought, “and at least she can use it longer than the time it takes to take it home from the restaurant.” Then I looked at it more closely. On the package of the chalk was a charming scene of a bee with some greenery, as well as information about bees and their importance to the local environment.
I was stunned – and quite impressed. In all the years of our occasional visits to Burgerville, I had known that they were better than average in terms of being a good business member of the regional community but this was something more. This was a sign of a business with a deeper understanding of and concern for both our environment and our children. Investigating this further, I found their website to carry the following statement:
With each kid’s meal purchased, kids will receive fun and colorful sidewalk chalk – a dark blue butterfly, purple dragonfly, green bumble bee or a light blue moon. Have fun with your kids discussing the roles of insects and the moon in our ecosystem. Don’t worry parents! Even though the chalk is not for children under the age of three, it is safe for children and both the chalk and packaging comply with US safety regulations.
Needless to say, I’m now an ardent fan of Burgerville. Buying their supplies from local farmers, promoting outdoor activities for children, looking at the larger overall picture; they clearly “get it.” As a result, they will also get my family’s business when we want to grab a burger. Should you find yourself in Oregon or Washington and craving one of the tastiest and most environmentally sound and sustainable burgers you’ll ever eat, direct your journey to their nearest location – and bring the kids; they’ll love it.
