Jumping on the locavore trend, Silver Diner Development Inc. has revamped its menu to include a broader array of healthy food choices, and is sourcing food locally where feasible despite higher costs. The initiative, already in place in the company’s street locations, was expanded to its airport location at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) in recent months.
Robert Giaimo, co-founder and CEO of Silver Diner, says the efforts have gotten rave reviews from travelers, many of whom are searching for healthier options and are interested in fresh and local ingredients. “Our company sales have been up 15% and that’s because this has been wildly popular,” he says. “It started on the street, people said it couldn’t be done in an airport but we’ve proven that it can.” He notes that the company’s under-600-calorie options – such as grilled flounder or mango vegetarian stir fry – have been particularly popular.
The farm-to-airport initiative and the broader companywide effort are highly seasonal given the company’s locations at BWI and the Washington DC area. “In the wintertime we’re not going to be able to get a majority of our products locally because of the part of the country we’re in,” Giaimo says. “But during the growing season, the majority of our products are fresh and local.” Some items, of course, are available locally year-round.
The menu at the airport incorporates a food supply that is locally grown and raised, offering chicken, eggs, produce, milk, artisan breads and locally roasted coffee. All products are shipped within a few hours, rather than days. In addition, the company boasts hormone-free meats and a variety of healthier items.
“Our mission is to give people healthy choices,” Giaimo says. “This isn’t a health-food restaurant, but you can eat burgers and fries and make better choices. The burger your eating is all hormone-free meat and the roll your having is all natural, organic roll made in a local bakery.”
Sourcing local comes at a cost. By committing to locally grown and produced products, Silver Diner estimates that the raw costs will increase by nearly $750,000 a year, but the cost to its customers remains unchanged. At the airport Silver Diner, the increased cost is estimated at $100,000, Giaimo says.
“Because we’re on street pricing at the airport, that’s just a cost that we’re taking,” Giaimo says. “We think the higher quality food will help us generate more business. It’s an investment in where the customer is going.”
