Green Restaurant Association
Green Restaurant Association is a 1990-founded nonprofit that certifies restaurants, vendors, and food service operators using its proprietary GreenPoints™ scoring system across eight environmental categories. It serves enterprise clients including SSP America, Compass Group, Harvard University, and independents across 50 states and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersMiami, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Green Restaurant Association does
Green Restaurant Association (GRA) is a U.S.-based international nonprofit organization founded in 1990 by CEO Michael Oshman and headquartered in Miami, Florida. The organization pioneered the Green Restaurant® certification movement and operates as the sole provider of the only official Certified Green Restaurants® mark in the country. GRA certifies restaurants, food service operators, manufacturers, distributors, and service providers using its proprietary GreenPoints™ scoring system, which evaluates environmental performance across eight categories: Energy, Water, Waste, Food, Chemicals, Disposables, Building, and Education. Certifications are issued on a four-tier (1 to 4 Star) basis, supplemented by specialty badges such as Near-Zero Waste, Clean Chemicals, Vegan, Vegetarian, Sustainable Seafood, and SustainaBuild.
GRA's product and service platform spans multiple revenue streams: restaurant certification fees (quote-based, recurring), product and service certification fees for vendors, employee accreditation (GRAE) at $20 per test, and donations. Distribution is driven by Sustainability Consultants who guide clients through a five-step certification process (assessment, strategizing, implementation, certification, communication), supplemented by the Green My Restaurant interactive assessment tool, a quarterly newsletter (Green Restaurant News™) reaching 45,000+ industry professionals, and a 2026 strategic partnership with the Texas Restaurant Association. The organization's reach extends to Certified Green Restaurants in 50 states, territories, and provinces, with marquee enterprise clients including SSP America (260+ restaurants across 23 airports), Compass Group (167 restaurants), Harvard University (19 restaurants), and Flik Hospitality (26 K-12 schools). Additional consumer-facing and ecosystem products include Tip the Planet (3% bill offset), the Pledge for the Planet program, and the Sustainable Recipes Platform.
Green Restaurant Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Green Restaurant Association
- Legal name
- Green Restaurant Association
- Website
- https://dinegreen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Green Restaurant Association is a 1990-founded nonprofit that certifies restaurants, vendors, and food service operators using its proprietary GreenPoints™ scoring system across eight environmental categories. It serves enterprise clients including SSP America, Compass Group, Harvard University, and independents across 50 states and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Green Restaurant Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Certification Services
- SIC
- Services-Services, Nec (8900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Certification Program Administration & Scheme Management (Standard Owners) (AFALACAC), Pre-Assessment, Gap Assessment & Certification Readiness Services (AFALACAE)
Keywords
Where Green Restaurant Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miami
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Green Restaurant Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Restaurant Certification Fees: Fees for restaurants to become Certified Green Restaurants through assessment, consultation, and certification process
- Product & Service Certification: Fees for manufacturers and distributors to certify their green products and services
- Employee Accreditation: $20 per employee for Green Restaurant Accredited Employee (GRAE) certification test and accreditation
- Donations: One-time and monthly donation options for supporters of the organization
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Employee Accreditation Test |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Green Restaurant Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Green Restaurant Association certifies restaurants and food service operators for environmental sustainability through its proprietary GreenPoints™ scoring system, awarding Certified Green Restaurant® designations at 1–4 Star levels across eight environmental categories. It also certifies manufacturers, distributors, service providers, and individual restaurant employees, with a 5-step certification process supported by expert Sustainability Consultants.
Product overview
The Green Restaurant Association operates a unified certification platform centered on the Certified Green Restaurant® program, which awards restaurants 1-4 star ratings based on GreenPoints™ earned across eight environmental categories (Energy, Water, Waste, Food, Chemicals, Disposables, Building, and Education). The platform includes complementary services: Green My Restaurant (assessment tool), employee accreditation (GRAE), vendor/product certification for manufacturers and distributors, Tip the Planet (consumer offset feature), Green Restaurant News™ (quarterly publication), and the Sustainable Recipes platform. The company also offers the Pledge for the Planet program and a Sustainability Internship. Founded in 1990, GRA has certified restaurants across 47 states and Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Certified Green Restaurant® Certification The primary certification program that awards restaurants with Level 1–4 Star ratings based on GreenPoints™ earned across eight environmental categories (Energy, Water, Waste, Food, Chemicals, Disposables, Building, and Education). Designed for restaurants, restaurant chains, corporate cafeterias, university dining, K-12 cafeterias, caterers, and airport restaurants.
- Green My Restaurant Tool An interactive assessment tool that helps restaurants discover their sustainability baseline by evaluating their environmental practices across GRA's categories before pursuing certification.
- Green Restaurant Accredited Employee (GRAE) An employee accreditation program offering sustainability education across six environmental categories with a test-based certification ($20 cost, 39 questions, must answer 35 correctly to pass). For restaurant employees seeking professional sustainability credentials.
- Certified Green Product Certification Product certification program for manufacturers of green products, including categories for Energy, Water, Reusables, Disposables, Food and Beverage, Chemicals, Grease Collector, Linens, Pest Control, Recycler, and Composter. Enables manufacturers to differentiate and gain credibility through GRA endorsement.
- Certified Green Distributor™ Program Certification program for distributors of green products, allowing restaurants to easily identify and source certified sustainable products from approved distributors.
- Certified Green Service Program Certification program for service providers (composting, recycling, pest control, etc.) that serve restaurants, allowing these vendors to demonstrate environmental sustainability credentials.
Quantifiable outcome
- Boloco restaurants achieved $2,000-$8,000 savings in annual waste hauling fees
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Green Restaurant Association
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Green Restaurant Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Green Restaurant Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Texas Restaurant AssociationcorePartnership between GRA and TRA to help Texas restaurants strengthen operations through Certified Green Restaurant certification. Includes free webinars, Sustainability Consultants, and marketing support. Aimed at preparing Texas restaurants for increased attention during 2026 global soccer events. In early 2026, GRA reached 10% of its partnership goal with Texas restaurants.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Green Restaurant Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rainforest Alliance: International nonprofit that certifies sustainable sourcing in agriculture, forestry, and tourism. Comparable to GRA's supplier-side certification (e.g., sustainable seafood) and tiered certification model, but operates at upstream supply-chain level.
- NSF International: Global public-health and safety organization that certifies products, foodservice equipment, and foods against safety and sustainability standards — comparable to GRA's Certified Green Product and Service programs as a more institutional competitor.
- U.S. Green Building Council (LEED): Operator of the LEED green-building certification system — a comparable standards-setter nonprofit that administers tiered certification across categories, applies to commercial buildings that house restaurants but operates at the building rather than operator level.
- ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA): Government-backed energy efficiency certification program. Highly comparable to GRA's Energy category of GreenPoints™ and a credible free alternative for restaurants seeking energy-focused sustainability credentials.
- USDA Organic: Federal organic certification program covering food and agricultural products. Comparable to GRA's Food category and specialty badges (Vegan, Vegetarian), with significantly higher regulatory authority but no operator-level certification.
Direct peers
- Green Seal: Independent nonprofit that certifies products, services, and businesses against science-based environmental standards — directly comparable to GRA's third-party sustainability certification model, though focused on products/facilities rather than restaurants.
- Fair Trade USA: Nonprofit certifying products and supply chains against social and environmental standards. Closely comparable to GRA's Certified Green Product program in structure (third-party mark, fee-based certification, recurring audits).
- SCS Global Services: For-profit third-party certifier of environmental, sustainability, food-safety, and quality claims. Closely comparable service offering to GRA's product/distributor/service certification programs, but operates across many industries at a larger commercial scale.
- Marine Stewardship Council: International nonprofit running the MSC sustainable-seafood eco-label — directly comparable to GRA's Certified Green Product certification structure (third-party mark, tiered, science-based) and a likely GRA specialty-badge substitute for restaurants sourcing seafood.
- B Lab (Certified B Corporation): Nonprofit certifier that assesses companies holically across environmental, social, and governance performance — directly comparable governance structure and tiered certification methodology to GRA, though with broader industry scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Green Restaurant Association social profiles
Digital presenceGreen Restaurant Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Green Restaurant Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Green Restaurant Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Green Restaurant Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Green Restaurant Association
What does Green Restaurant Association do?
The Green Restaurant Association certifies restaurants and food service operators for environmental sustainability through its proprietary GreenPoints™ scoring system, awarding Certified Green Restaurant® designations at 1–4 Star levels across eight environmental categories. It also certifies manufacturers, distributors, service providers, and individual restaurant employees, with a 5-step certification process supported by expert Sustainability Consultants.
Is Green Restaurant Association a public or private company?
Green Restaurant Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Green Restaurant Association founded?
Green Restaurant Association was founded in 1990. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Green Restaurant Association based?
Green Restaurant Association is headquartered in Miami, United States, in the North America region.
How does Green Restaurant Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Certification Fees are the primary driver. The others are product & Service Certification, employee Accreditation and donations.
Who are Green Restaurant Association's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Rainforest Alliance, NSF International, U.S. Green Building Council (LEED), ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA) and USDA Organic. Direct peers are Green Seal, Fair Trade USA, SCS Global Services, Marine Stewardship Council and B Lab (Certified B Corporation).
Does Green Restaurant Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Green Restaurant Association.
What industry is Green Restaurant Association in?
Green Restaurant Association's product category is Environmental Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALAMAC, Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative), with a secondary code of AFALACAC, Certification Program Administration & Scheme Management (Standard Owners). Its SIC code is 8900.