|
National
Park Service and Delaware North Celebrate
|
New,
Ecofriendly Restaurant with Ribbon Cutting
|
Ceremony
and Menu Tasting
|
|
|
New Grant
Grove Restaurant features locally sourced menu and used
|
sustainable materials and construction
techniques to meet LEED Gold standards
|
|
Sequoia & Kings Canyon
National Parks, CA – October 2017 / Newsmaker Alert
/ Wednesday (September 28) the National Park Service and concessioner
Delaware North dedicated the
new Grant
Grove Restaurant in Sequoia
& Kings Canyon National Parks, an eatery built with sustainable
materials and construction techniques to achieve Leadership in Engineering
and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards.
Delaware North completed
a 10-month, $6.3 million ecofriendly redesign and reconstruction of the
restaurant, which opened June 30. The new 8,000-square-foot restaurant
accommodates about 225 diners at once in indoor and outdoor seating areas
that include an outdoor deck and courtyard. It replaces the original restaurant,
which was built in the 1970s with a seating capacity of only 74.
|
|
The new structure includes
a striking indoor space with high ceilings and large exposed beams, a fireplace,
natural wood tables and chairs with color schemes that complement the rockwork,
and large windows with improved views of the majestic giant sequoia trees
overlooking Bradley Meadow. An open concept floor plan provides a better
cooking facility, as well as a more enjoyable and convenient dining area
for guests.
The official ribbon cutting
was carried out by Laura Joss, Pacific West Regional Director for the National
Park Service. Afterward, Woody Smeck, superintendent of Sequoia & Kinds
Canyon National Parks, spoke of the investment concessionaires have made
to visitor services to parks nationwide.
|
|
“This restaurant demonstrates
the commitment of national park concessionaires, like Delaware North, to
meeting the needs of the visiting public. Today we recognize Delaware North
for their central role in completing this new restaurant – a building that
will support the experiences and adventures of the visiting public for
years to come.”
Smeck joined the regional
director in presenting Scott Socha, president of Delaware North’s parks
and resorts business, a framed photo of a Giant Sequoia. Joss thanked staff
from Delaware North and Parks’ staff for their efforts in making the new
restaurant a reality.
Delaware North anticipates
receiving notification on the LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building
Council later this year.
“Delaware North is incredibly
proud to have worked with the National Park Service to create an updated,
more convenient and more sustainable dining option for visitors to Sequoia
and Kings Canyon National Parks,” Socha said. “Our team used great care
in safeguarding the surrounding natural environment and preserving the
beautiful setting while enhancing the overall visitor experience.”
A
video showing photos of the 10-month construction can be found here.
Among the “green” highlights:
-
More than 75 percent of the
waste generated during construction was diverted from being landfilled.
-
Water consumption has been reduced
by 40 percent with low-flow plumbing fixtures and landscaping that does
not need irrigation.
-
The restaurant building is 30
percent more energy efficient than a conventional building, thanks to LED
lighting and windows designed to bring the natural light inside.
-
Heating, ventilation and air
conditioning (HVAC) systems were designed to exceed the American Society
of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards
for ventilation and thermal comfort.
Socha said Delaware North has
also pledged to make the restaurant a zero-waste facility by 2020.
At the ceremony, Delaware
North Executive Chef Brandon Bollenbacher and his team offered a sampling
of the restaurant’s new menu, which is centered on locally sourced, sustainable
and organic ingredients. In addition, it was announced that the restaurant
has been certified as a Green Restaurant® by the Green Restaurant Association.
Menu highlights include California-raised
grass-fed beef, San Joaquin Valley-raised organic poultry and eggs, and
Monterey Bay Aquarium-approved seafood. Local farms and vendors, including
Mountain Produce (Fresno, Calif.) and Sierra Seafood (Oakhurst, Calif.),
will supply additional meat, poultry, seafood, produce, dairy and grains.
To-go items such as pizza,
sandwiches, coffee and ice cream are also available at a walk-up window
for those in a rush or wanting to maximize their outdoor time.
Completion of the new Grant
Grove Restaurant follows Delaware North’s renovation since 2014 of the
Grant Grove Cabins, John Muir Lodge and Cedar Grove Lodge at Sequoia &
Kings Canyon National Parks.
About Sequoia and Kings
Canyon National Parks
Sequoia and Kings Canyon
National Parks lie side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada east of the
San Joaquin Valley. This dramatic landscape, with elevations ranging from
1,370 to 14,494 feet, testifies to nature’s size, beauty, and diversity,
with huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and
the world’s largest trees. The park features 14 campgrounds and lodging
at Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia; the John Muir Lodge, Grant Grove Cabins and
Cedar Grove Lodge in Kings Canyon; and the Bearpaw Meadow High Sierra Camp.
For more information on Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, visit
www.NPS.gov/seki
and www.VisitSequoia.com.
About Delaware North’s
Parks and Resorts Business
Delaware
North’s parks and resorts business operates lodging, food and beverage
and retail services, recreational activities, and educational programming
at destinations throughout North America and Australia. Delaware North
operates in many of the United States’ iconic national and state parks,
including Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Niagara
Falls State Park, as well as at cultural attractions such as Kennedy Space
Center Visitors Complex. Its portfolio of owned hotels includes lodging
properties in park gateway communities and luxury resorts in the United
States and Australia. One of the largest privately-held hospitality and
food service companies in the world, Delaware North has been owned and
led by the Jacobs family for more than 100 years. The company has global
operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues,
national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, and airports.
About
Delaware North
Delaware
North is one of the largest privately-held hospitality and food service
companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family
for more than 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile
places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks,
destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our
thousands of employee associates are dedicated to creating special experiences
one guest at a time in serving more than 500 million guests annually. Delaware
North has annual revenue of about $3 billion in the sports, travel hospitality,
restaurants and catering, parks, resorts, gaming, and specialty retail
industries. Learn more about Delaware North at www.DelawareNorth.com.
Facebook
/ LinkedIn
/ Twitter
Media
Contact:
Glen
White
Manager-Corporate
Communications
Delaware
North
716-858-5753
|
|