retail space to sell indigenous prod- ucts like maple syrup, wild rice, fro- zen meals, housemade tortillas, as well as a hot bar, tea bar, commer- cial kitchen and education studio. “It’s one thing if I give somebody two pounds of dried corn, but will they know what to do with it in their home?” he said. His award-winning restaurant (named the best new restaurant of 2022 by the James Beard Foundation among other accolades), with Satur- day dinner reservations booked out for about a month, is the engine for Sherman’s broader vision. Owmani serves intensely regional and sea- sonal dishes, focusing on ingredi- ents like wild rice, sweet potatoes, bison and elk. “Our restaurant does very well,” Sherman said. “We make quite a bit of sales throughout the year. A big chunk of that is food costs, and a big chunk of that food cost is be- ing spent directly on indigenous producers … Owamni really serves a purpose. It creates skill sets of hir- ing. We have 100 people working at Owamni throughout the year, and about 70% of our staff is identifying as indigenous. Because of our inten- tionality of purchasing from indige- nous producers, we’re just moving a ton of money towards indigenous producers.” For his next act, Sherman is looking at replicating his operation around the country, starting in Boz- eman, Montana, and Anchorage, and expanding from there. “There’s no purpose to live in fear,” Sherman said. “So, the best thing we can do is at least try to make the next generation stronger.” MAKING THE CASE ON CAPITOL HILL Individual operators like Sherman, and larger restaurant chains, can no doubt have an impact on climate change and related issues. But lobbying elected officials for systems change is the most effective way to make process on these global issues, experts agree. The James Beard Foundation
launched its Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival campaign ear- ly this year to mobilize restaurant owners to push their representa- tives in D.C. to slow the impacts of climate change. The group has been holding roundtables with chefs and law- makers around the country this year to highlight the economic impacts of climate change and will host a congressional briefing on Dec. 5. Specifically, JBF is fighting for a version of the Farm Bill to in- clude conservation funding for climate-smart agriculture and it is seeking to protect the $20 billion in climate-smart agriculture funding provided by the Inflation Reduc- tion Act. Climate-smart agriculture addresses some of the problems caused by climate change through practices focused on building resil- ient systems by adapting growing operations to climate conditions. “There’s not one solution,” the JBF’s McBride said. “There’s not one miracle, one miracle solution to solving anything having to do with climate change or its economic im- pact on restaurants … [We’re] focus- ing on the big picture of legislative change and also giving them oper- ation-level solutions that are much more immediate.” COMMUNICATING THE CAUSE TO DINERS Getting diners on board with issues related to climate change is another story, though. But as the crisis intensifies, it may be up to restaurant operators to explain why meals cost more or why certain ingredients may no longer be on the menu. A consumer-facing campaign is next on the JBF’s agen- da, McBride said. “Diners don’t want to think about climate change when they’re going out for dinner,” she said. “They really don’t, so it’s very hard for them to understand why they’re suddenly paying a lot more for their dinner. They think chefs are lining their pockets. We know that’s any- thing but the truth.”
7
JANUARY 2025 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
Powered by FlippingBook