Sustainability
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay has made a commitment to our local ecosystem through several environmental initiatives led by our superb culinary team and has been recognized by Green Key Global for its accomplishments. We are proud to be a beacon of positive change in our community and to share with our guests the efforts we put into sustainability and local environmental causes.
Vertical Oyster Gardens
In late summer 2023, our culinary team partnered with Tampa Bay Watch’s “Shells for Shore” program to install 30 vertical oyster gardens (VOG) around the Oystercatchers’ boat dock. These suspended safe havens are made from recycled oyster shells. They serve as habitats for juvenile oysters to attach and mature, support the biodiversity in our water ecosystems, and help maintain cleanliness of the bay. Just four months into this initiative, we began to see its positive impact. The VOG growth had tripled in size. Young oysters and other sea creatures were utilizing them as habitats, and the bay water quality dramatically increased around the hotel. To date, we’ve recycled 3,000 pounds of oyster shells from our culinary operation. And that’s just the beginning!
Waste and Circularity
Our culinary teams worked toward overall waste reduction as one of our primary objectives. This included cutting down on food waste and single-use items in our food and beverage department, such as installing a sparkling water system and eliminating the use of plastic utensils and straws whenever possible. With the partnership of Busch Gardens, we donated 6,000 pounds of surplus fruits and vegetables to feed local animals.
Sustainable Food Growth
We extended our partnership with local vendors, including Brick Street’s Farm and Village Grown Farms’ “Seed to Order” program. Village Grown Farms is a local, female-owned hydro farm that we partner with to seed weekly based on business levels, and this has drastically reduced overharvesting while increasing overall food quality. Their soil trays are 100% reusable, leading us to become 100% waste-free on our microgreens usage.
Harvest to Order
Our local oyster farmers at Estuary Oysters FL harvest only what we need on a weekly basis. This effort allows us to ensure oysters are as fresh as possible while allowing our oyster reef time to recover and regrow.
1823 Kitchen and Bar
At 1823 Kitchen and Bar, we focus on purchasing locally, decreasing the footprint of international and long-distance shipping, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Items we serve—from condiments to bourbon—come from numerous local vendors in an effort highlight the Tampa Bay area and its biodiversity. These local vendors include Florida Pure sea salt, Conagree & Penn rice, Bear & Burton’s Worcestershire, Florida Man hot sauce, Saucy pickles, Old St. Pete’s bourbons–just to name a few!
