The easiest waste to see in a restaurant is the food left on a plate. The harder waste is the half-case of produce that spoiled in storage, the packaging used once, or the prep scraps that never had a second destination.

The owners of Juniper Table are measuring all three. They adjusted deliveries, changed a few portions, and started sending clean scraps to a local composting partner.

The changes have not made the kitchen waste-free, but they have made the numbers visible. That alone has helped staff find small improvements that add up over a busy week.