Sustainability & Community Values
The Sink has occupied the corner of 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue since 1923, which is long enough to watch Boulder reinvent itself several times over.
After changing hands and directions quite a few times, we have learned that longevity requires both memory and adaptation. A restaurant does not remain part of Boulder for more than a century by standing still. It survives by paying attention.
Since the 90s, we have worked to reduce waste where we can, partner with local businesses when possible, support community organizations, and make practical decisions that respect the place that has supported us for generations.
As a business that has operated for more than 100 years, we tend to take the long view. Environmental responsibility, community partnerships, and the relationships we build with guests all shape whether The Sink can remain part of Boulder for another century.
The choices we make today matter because they do not end with today. The students, families, neighbors, alumni, and regulars we welcome now can become part of a multigenerational story, one that continues to shape The Sink’s present and future.
Our Environmental Efforts
The Sink began making more intentional sustainability changes in 2006, before many of these practices became standard across Boulder’s restaurant community.
Some of those early efforts have evolved. Others have become common practice, which we consider a quiet victory. Progress rarely arrives all at once. More often, it becomes normal.
Today, we continue to focus on practical choices that reduce waste and support more responsible operations, including:
Using compostable or recyclable disposables
Offering compostable to-go boxes
Actively recycling
Using high-efficiency lighting
Supporting water conservation through efficient fixtures and equipment
Continuing to look for practical ways to reduce waste and improve how we operate
Sustainability at The Sink has never meant perfection. It means paying attention, asking better questions, and understanding that a restaurant with this much history has an obligation to keep learning.
Local Love
The Sink regularly works with Colorado companies and regional purveyors to bring quality ingredients and products to the menu. We are also proud to support local organizations, schools, and events that keep us connected to the Boulder community.
Partners we regularly work with and support include:
Variety of local beers and spirits
Still Finding Better Ways Forward
Some of our early sustainability efforts helped shape how we operate today. Others have changed as technology, sourcing, utilities, and restaurant practices have changed.
What has not changed is our commitment to staying thoughtful, responsible, and connected to the community around us.
The Sink has been here for more than a century, and we intend to keep making choices that help us serve Boulder well and remain the kind of place that could only exist on The Hill.
