Oyster Shell Recycling

In February of 2017, Chiles Hospitality partnered with a group of non-profit, commercial, and governmental public-private partners in the newly formed Gulf Coast Oyster Recycle & Restoration Project (GCORR), aimed at collecting and reusing cast off oyster and clam shells to help restore the local coastal marine environment.

Facets of this project include collection through businesses, bagging and placement through Manatee County educational and volunteer efforts and marine ecology research through the Gulf Shellfish Institute. Chiles Hospitality stated, "Ultimately, we will take what is normally discarded and use it in a manner that is most conducive to growth and development of new oyster grounds in the surrounding local waters."

As of July 31, 2018 the program reached an impressive milestone surpassing 60,000 pounds of oyster, clam and mussel shells collected from the three Chiles Hospitality restaurants - Sandbar, Beach House, and Mar Vista Dockside.

Lodge Cast Iron Cookware

Ed Chiles chose Lodge as his preferred cookware at the Sandbar because of its commitment to the environment. It's cookware is made with no artificial coatings or cancer causing PFA's keeping your dish as close to nature as possible. In fact, pans are seasoned using traditional vegetable oil. Plus, the foundry that produces the cookware exceeds standards for clean air, water, and soil due to using some of the most advanced purification and recycling technologies available.

In addition, Lodge cookware is made to last and is often passed down through generations leading to less waste common to other brands. In fact, the longer you use your cast iron the more it seasons your food and the deeper flavors that you can enjoy from it. Enjoy your meal knowing that the Sandbar supports sustainable solutions with our food and our cookware. It is part of our commitment to you to constantly provide great flavors while being a good steward of the world we live in.

Red Tide Research

In 2018, Florida experienced one of the worst red tide blooms in the state's history. Effects were felt for months up and down the Southern tip of Florida. The Sandbar has teamed up with Mote Marine and START to help those organizations find solutions to protect our marine ecosystem and prevent the wide spread expansion of red tide each year.

Sustainable Fish Species

At the Sandbar, we wholeheartedly support sustainable fishing practices. That means your favorite seafood species has its best chance to be around for you and your children to enjoy in the future. When it comes to seafood, the term "sustainable" means that a species has been wild caught or farmed with both the long-term future of the fishery and the health of the oceans as top priorities.

Our oceans cover more than seventy percent of the Earth's surface; however, some species of seafood have been so overfished that the fisheries are no longer able to support the demand. As an example, Tuna stocks have suffered overfishing to meet the increased demand, which is why you won't see tuna on our menu unless it were to be sustainably caught.

The news isn't all bad as there is something that can be done. For instance, the Gulf Red Snapper fishery was driven to the brink of collapse by decades of overfishing. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, cooperation in the fishing industry has led to a noteworthy change in the amount of snapper available for harvesting. Since 2007 the amount of stock has tripled and now can be found on menus year round and is recognized as a sustainable choice for seafood.

Know that at the Sandbar we take our commitment to the health and sustainability of the ocean as seriously as we take our commitment to our customers. It has always been our aim to be good stewards of the environment and to leave it better than we found it.

Invasive Species Control

Unfortunately, Florida's environment and the conditions of the waters surrounding the state are extremely conducive to sustaining life and allowing it to flourish. While this is great for native species, it has a negative impact when it comes to invasive species as it is creates a perfect growth opportunity for them.

The chef's at the Sandbar have worked hard to create recipes to turn invasive marine life into a delicious dinner.

A prime example of this success is with the Lion fish. A beautiful specimen, it was quite prized for aquarium enthusiasts. Unfortunately, over time some of these animals were released into the ocean. With no natural predators, the species multiplied quickly and has started taking over reefs throughout the area. Currently fishermen are working on ways to efficiently harvest this fish from the ocean. As supplies are available, the Sandbar will put them on our menu to offer a great dish that helps bring back balance to our marine ecosystem.

Locally Sourced Seafood

Sourcing our seafood locally makes a difference in our flavors as well as our impact to the environment and local economy. Your dinner, many times, has been sourced from our local fishing fleet meaning that the seafood or shellfish is the freshest possible. It hasn't spent weeks in a freezer or in a truck making its way to our kitchens.

We Skip the Straw

In an effort to reduce waste to support the environment and encourage our customers to do the same, our restaurants have launched the new "Skip the Straw" campaign

The Skip the Straw campaign has now taken hold in Anna Maria Island. Last month, the Chiles Restaurant Group joined the campaign and will now only give biodegradable straws to customers upon request.

Joining the initiative for a sea of change, one straw at a time, the program was implemented at its three waterfront restaurants - Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant in North Longboat Key, Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach, and Sandbar Restaurant in Anna Maria - turning its concern about the effects of plastic pollution on the oceans and land into action.

Blue Community Consortium

The Sandbar and its sister restaurants are members of the Blue Community Consortium. As members, we are able to stay on the leading edge of marine community sustainability and bring those practices to the restaurants to be good stewards of our marine ecosystem.

Composting

Sandbar composts food waste every day.

Our salad starts its life as an organic plant, grown at Gamble Creek Farm.

As your salad or entree is prepared, our team trims the vegetables so that only the best ingredients are used on your plate. The trimmings that aren't used are discarded into a composting bin for recycling.

The composting materials are returned to Gamble Creek Farm to be combined with dirt and mulch to create the perfect mix of materials for the compost to become nutrient rich soil.

After a few months of brewing, turning, brewing and some more turning, the compost is ready to be used again as soil.

The nutrient rich soil is used for organic crops to become a hearty and healthy plant ready for trimming very soon completing the Circle of Life.

Grey Striped Mullet

When you want to eat local fish, you can't get more local than Mullet! Cortez Grey Striped Mullet dates back to the days when the Timucuan and Calusa Native Americans inhabited Anna Maria Island. Historically, Mullet was underappreciated for its value both economically and nutritionally. Today, we revere mullet as one of the most sustainable, heritage fish available. And we are lucky enough to have it caught right here in our own back yard in the Gulf of Mexico by generations of fishermen.