Half Moon Bay Brewing Company's casual restaurant and brewery in Half Moon Bay, Calif., uses local suppliers, fishermen and farmers to meet most of its needs, which cuts back on emissions from shipping and boosts the local economy.

Half Moon Bay Brewing Co.'s patrons might not have the environment on their minds, but they have a healthy serving of social and environmental consciousness on their plates. "We are very socially responsible," President and General Manager Mike Laffen emphasizes.

The casual restaurant and brewery in Half Moon Bay, Calif., uses local suppliers, fishermen and farmers to meet most of its needs, which cuts back on emissions from shipping and boosts the local economy, Laffen asserts. Its menu and operations are also geared toward sustainability.

"We try and adhere to sustainable fishery practices," Laffen explains. "We strive to only sell seafood that is sustainable and environmentally responsible. We subscribe to the Seafood WATCH guideline from the Monterey Bay Aquarium [with] a card that lists various seafood and what they recommend.

"[The list highlights] declining fisheries, pesticides and bad fishing practices, and good alternatives vs. ones that are very harmful," he adds. "We recycle everything we possibly can. We actually take our spent beer grain from the brewing process and give it to a local pig farmer so it just doesn't go in a landfill."

Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. is also active with its local community and charities. The California Restaurant Association honored the company with its National Restaurant Neighbor Award in 2005. Laffen says customers recognize the company's environmental and social efforts, but they are more driven by the company's ownership.

The company is privately held by the Mendonca, Dicker, Laffen, Haynes, Pearlman and Stegmaier families.

A Local Taste
The company tries to use ingredients that are better for its patrons. "Whenever possible, we try to use fresh, possibly organic [ingredients]," he emphasizes. "We don't fry a huge amount of food, but when we do, we use canola oil. A lot of restaurants use saturated-fat oils. We recycle oil and a local guy uses it in his diesel truck. That's another example of what we do to try to mitigate [our impact]."

Despite the name, food accounts for the bulk of the company's sales - approximately 65 to 70 percent, Laffen estimates, with the remainder in the beverage side of the business. "We sell kegs of beer to other restaurants and private parties, and bottled beer to a number of small mom-and-pop stores in the area," he adds.

Brewer Alec Moss brews its beer in small batches, Laffen notes. "We don't use any preservatives or anything to extend the life," he says. "We sell it very fast, so it doesn't stay in kegs or shelves long. Wherever possible, we use natural ingredients and higher-end ingredients, malts and hops that haven't been processed. And he takes a lot of time, more than normal for a small brewery, making sure each batch is brewed to the best it possibly can be."

Laffen says the company is a good place too work, with a nice mix of people, and it's not "formal or corporate" like big chains. He estimates employee turnover is only 10 to 15 percent, significantly lower than the industry average. Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. also benefits from a talented and experienced chef, John Brown, who has cooked in "Ireland, France, New York, the Southwest, Midwest and all over the San Francisco Bay area," he notes. "We like to keep the menu selections simple and use fresh, high-quality and seasonal ingredients, and not overly complicate things."

In addition to traditional pub fare and fresh local seafood, Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. occasionally offers items like frog legs, skate wings, Kobe beef, Salad Nicoise and fiddlehead ferns, a tasty vegetable, he explains.

Laffen is optimistic about the company's future and says there's room to grow. The Half Moon Bay restaurant offers seating for 300 including indoor and outdoor patio and fire-side seating.

"We are contemplating opening other locations," Laffen notes. "We've looked at some other options and are keeping our eyes open. That's a possibility on the horizon." In the next few years, he says, the company would like to expand in California or the West Coast.