Claire's on Cedros, an eco-friendly bakery and café in Solana Beach, Calif., was awarded LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification, established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Claire's on Cedros is the first San Diego restaurant to achieve the highest ranking of this certification, and joins only four other restaurants in the United States with platinum certification.

“We are honored and proud to receive this highly coveted platinum-level certification,” said owners Terrie Boley and Claire Allison. “We share this award with our talented design team and dedicated staff, who have all been very supportive since we opened our doors for business on Aug. 1, 2009. We began the process four years ago, long before there was a green building movement, and see this project as an extension of our lifestyles.”

Claire's on Cedros features an American bistro café and bakery, which bakes products from scratch, including gluten-free items.

Growing green

When FullBloom Baking Co., Newark, Calif., purchased its 95,000-sq.-ft. facility in 2006, the company planned on making it the greenest wholesale bakery in the nation. This month, FullBloom was awarded Platinum certification, the highest level of LEED certification.

“The certification speaks to the contributions made by the entire FullBloom team-from our management to our bakery employees-all of whom remain committed to the vision I had for my company 21 years ago,” said Karen Trivelsky, founder and C.E.O.

Since it was founded in 1989, FullBloom has made all-natural and organic bakery products with no preservatives or artificial flavors and colors for some the country's leading brands. When Trivelsky decided to grow the business, LEED certification was the only business model option she pursued. The new facility has reused 100 percent of existing floors, exterior walls and roof, and maintained 50 percent of interior walls. Nearly 100 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills.