Home Publisher's Point of View History Revived in Pacific Northwest Thanks to McMenamins

History Revived in Pacific Northwest Thanks to McMenamins

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During one of my travels in Oregon I had an opportunity to dine at one of the McMenamins restaurants. If you live in Oregon or Washington you have most likely experienced McMenamins. The McMenamin family now has more than 60 brewpubs, breweries, music venues, historic hotels, and theater pubs. I recently spoke with Shannon McMenamin, General Manager of Lodging, Gift Shop and Spa Operations to learn more about her family’s company. Shannon told me they now have 10 hotels open and two under development. Each of the hotel properties has a fascinating story behind it. For example, once home to a restaurant and lounge, banquet hall, Greyhound bus depot, Western Union, soda fountain and beauty parlor, a 1905 building in McMinnville, Ore. is now the 42-room Hotel Oregon.

McMenamins’ sustainability story is primarily the revitalization of aging structures—stopping the flow of brick and mortar to the landfill and creating jobs and energy in communities that need it. McMenamins, launched in 1974, now employs 2,500 and if you peruse their website you will notice they are still hiring.

For my article on McMenamins I focused on the company’s plans for the old Elks Lodge in Tacoma, Wash. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was purchased by McMenamins along with the adjacent annex building in July 2012. Shannon McMenamin told me her company is still in the “trying to recruit investors” stage. “The building is spectacular,” she says. “It has great views and great detail. The ballrooms have super, ornate detail. We are aiming for completion in 2017 but [the completion date] is a moving target.”

Project Includes McMenamins Brewery

Once renovated, the property will include approximately 45 guestrooms with private baths; space for live music, events, weddings and meetings; a ballroom that will feature a tiny indoor city with “cabins,” skylights, gardens, terraces and more; three restaurants; a McMenamins brewery; and a rooftop garden (vegetables, herbs and flowers) that will provide the restaurants with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Fixtures and wood from other buildings will be incorporated into the hotel and LED bulbs will be used wherever possible. There will be “a lot of reclaiming and repurposing,” Shannon says.

While renovating buildings is a big part of McMenamins’ green push, the company’s commitment to sustainability does not end there. The company employs two environmental coordinators who oversee reducing, reusing and recycling the company’s waste. One of them has been in this position for more than 15 years. McMenamins recycles a myriad of materials: paper, newspaper, magazines, cardboard, milk cartons, plastic bottles, plastic buckets, plastic bags, shrink wrap, tin, aluminum, aerosol cans, glass jars, bottles, block Styrofoam packaging, computer equipment, fryer oil, as well as grains left over from the brewing process that go to local hog farmers.

McMenamins hotels offer a linen/towel reuse program to guests. When sheets and towels are worn out, they are donated to homeless and pet shelters. Used wood chips donated by local arborists are used on the company’s walking trails. All to-go containers are compostable. Thanks to programs started by cities in the Portland Metro Area and Seattle Metro Area, McMenamins is able to compost kitchen trimmings, plate scrapings, meat, bones, fish, dairy products and baked goods.

McMenamins uses as many earth-friendly products as possible, from window cleaners to golf course turf products. It utilizes non-phosphate degreasers and biodegradable cleaning products. In addition, four of the company’s vehicles—including two beer delivery trucks—run primarily on biodiesel.

In its food and beverage operations, McMenamins aims to use natural, local ingredients as often as possible. The company roasts its own coffee and makes its own cider. On its website, McMenamins includes a long list of local vendors for supplies ranging from mushrooms to ground beef.

Family success stories are common in our industry. It is great to learn about yet another—this time in the Pacific Northwest. Kudos to McMenamins for staying focused on sustainability during times of significant growth.

Green Lodging Survey Coming Soon!

The Green Lodging Survey, coordinated by Green Lodging News and Greenview, will launch on June 8. Watch for more details soon. Tens of thousands of green lodging establishments around the planet—primarily those in the United States, Canada, and Southeast Asia—will be encouraged to benchmark their sustainability practices. Click here for more details.

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Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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