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May 16, 2008
Vij's restaurant duo try to set a green example
Restaurateurs Vikram Vij and wife Meeru Dhalwala are as passionate about day-to-day sustainability issues as they are about the high-profile restaurant and food business they've run for 14 years.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a Vancouverite who doesn't know Vij's South Granville restaurant, which is growing into a mini empire with the addition of Rangoli café, a retail packaged food line, and a successful cookbook, Vij's: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine.
But few know that Vij and Dhalwala are keen energy conservationists. It was therefore a marriage made in heaven when the couple joined Team Power Smart and opened the door to their Cambie area heritage home for an audit.
Green debate: Dhalwala versus Vij
They have two daughters and they've been married for as many years as they've owned Vij's, and the pair regularly challenges each other on sustainability issues. It doesn't take much for a lively debate to break out, and they concede that they have lively dinner party conversation.
A typical exchange goes like this:
"If my closet is beyond a certain amount, I don't like it. I can't have clutter," says Dhalwala.
"I am a pack rat," admits Vij.
"There's a broken toilet in our backyard," interjects Dhalwala.
"It's not a broken toilet... We'll hopefully put it in our new production facility and save $200."
"That's still using three gallons of water per flush, though," says Dhalwala.
"Whatever," says Vij. "We'll put a bottle of sand in it, or bricks."
The toilet scenario was a lesson that energy conservation is not always straightforward, says Dhalwala. When she was on her water-saving kick, she replaced their old toilet with a two-flush toilet that conserves water. But Vij pointed out that they were now stuck with an old porcelain toilet that couldn't be broken down and recycled.
The couple had learned that by placing bricks or a bottle of sand in the tank, a wasteful toilet could be made more water efficient.
Unplug, and turn down the heat
The couple gets major points for routinely switching off lights and unplugging all the power cords before they go to bed. Dhalwala makes a point of it. They decided this past winter to keep the thermostat set at 20 Celsius. They've taught their children to never leave the water running, and Vij uses power bars to control the power switches.
Dhalwala also insisted that when they were about to expand their house, they keep it the same size to reduce their eco footprint.
"I'm not sure at what point we turned it into a cultural thing that I have the right to expect a 6,000 square foot home," she says.
New heater and CFLs required
They learned from their Power Smart audit that their 2,000 square foot living space would benefit from a new energy efficient heater and new CFL bulbs throughout. And they were not intimidated at the audit or at the prospect of joining Team Power Smart. In fact, they were up for it.
"To me, an audit is a way of saying, 'You tell me what the issues are. If I can do this and that, I'll do it,'" says Vij. "That's what it takes. You can't live in a blindfolded world and say, 'I hope they don't come and audit.'
Says Dhalwala: "Personally, it was easy but professionally Vikram and I are still trying to figure out ways to do better."
"I'm not sure we're the right poster people for being environmentally friendly," she adds. "But I guess we're the poster people for being upper middle class environment friendly."
Interjects Vij: "But the thing is, we're going to do our part. I'm not going to point fingers at anybody and say, 'You are doing this or that wrong. I will do what I need to do and I will lead by example and if other people notice that we are doing it, great. That's a trickle down effect. And that tickle down effect is the way it should be."
They've adjusted their behaviour outside the home, too. They both drive fuel-efficient Prius hybrid cars. They either walk or ride their bikes to work. They've tried to purchase less. And Dhalwala has recently decided that they won't take short flights anymore.
Greening their business
As well, BC Hydro is helping with the energy conservation plan for their upcoming new production facility. It will allow for expanded production and distribution of Vij's restaurant's packaged foods. Vij is pushing for a green roof and outdoor light censors instead of lights that are on all night long.
But the couple insists that their efforts are minor compared to their restaurant kitchen staff, which practices energy conservation as a way of life. Vij's only request is that they keep the lights off in the morning when they arrive at the restaurant.
"The kitchen staff are way more environmentally friendly than we are," says Dhalwala. "They don't buy like we buy. Having been raised in India, they just don't waste things. And they live in joint families, so their 3,000 square foot home is occupied by 10 people."
About that food waste...
When asked what area of their lives needs improvement, Vij is quick to answer:
"I think wastage of food at home."
Dhalwala agrees.
"It took energy to make this food, it took energy to raise that cow and kill that cow, and when you throw a piece of beef steak away because it's gone bad in the fridge, it's environmentally [wasteful] as well. Not just the moral issue of starving children and we have this abundance. But food wastage is a big thing."
The couple agrees that it's the accumulation of small behaviour modifications that will add up to a whole lot of change. But people will only follow suit if it's reasonable. Their eyes will glaze over if you start issuing unrealistic orders for change.
"The day you start preaching is the day people get defensive about it," says Vij. "You don't need to preach – just do what you need to do. If they see you walking, they will think, 'I can walk as well.' Or if they see you driving a Prius they might do that as well."
