Otarian - The Low Carbon Restaurant Arrives in London

By Otarian, PRNE
Tuesday, August 17, 2010

LONDON, August 18, 2010 - Otarian, a new boutique fast-casual restaurant chain, is set to have a
big impact on the influential London food scene with the opening of its first
location in the United Kingdom this summer. Built on a sustainable platform
and based on the principles of vegetarianism, Otarian will be the first
global chain to carbon footprint all of its menu items according to the
internationally recognised PAS 2050 standard. Otarian is also participating
in the "road testing" of the World Resources Institute's new product carbon
foot printing standard, which is set to become the new gold standard. This
will help diners to understand the environmental impact of their food choices
in a highly measurable and quantifiable way.

Otarian provides consumers with a simple and delicious way to do their
bit for the planet. For example by swapping your usual meat based lunch for
an Otarian Carbon saving combo meal you could save 2.3kg of carbon, that's
equivalent to the CO2e emissions of 4 central London black cab journeys.
While if every meat eating Londoner swapped their usual lunch for an Otarian
Carbon Saving Combo once a week for a year 0.86 Mt CO2e would be saved -
that's equivalent to turning off the power at the Houses of Parliament for
over 70 years.

According to Otarian founder Radhika Oswal, the Otarian concept combines
a strong commitment to sustainability with a passion for superb cuisine,
resulting in a mouth-watering dining experience that is also good for the
planet. The business has been built on the three key pillars of
sustainability: Environmental, social, and economical.

"Vegetarianism is the most sustainable way of eating and being.
Vegetarian food has a lighter ecological footprint, reduced resource impacts,
and lower carbon emissions than non-vegetarian equivalents. Our goal is to
provide consumers with the quantifiable and measurable benefits of each
delicious vegetarian alternative they choose at Otarian, and thus, empower
them to make a positive impact on the environment one meal at a time." said
Mrs. Oswal, a lifelong vegetarian and committed environmentalist.

The diverse Otarian menu features a delicious array of globe-spanning
vegetarian choices. These include lighter dishes, such as Mushroom O Cheese
Flatbread (GBP3.95) and Beetroot O Feta Salad (from GBP3.95), as well as more
substantial meals like Roasted Vegetable Lasagne (GBP6.25) and the Indian
Chutney Burger (GBP5.95). Otarian also offers sustainable options to satisfy
any sweet tooth, including Choc O Mousse (GBP3.45) and Panna Cotta O Berry
(GBP3.45). And the restaurant chain's "Carbon Saving Combo" meals allow
consumers to order a "set" meal that represents an average carbon saving of
2.3kg, which is equivalent to a 16.8 mile drive in an eco car. Over the
course of a year, this saving equates to the carbon used to drive from London
to Bilbao in Spain in an eco car.

Otarian also represents a significant advancement in sustainable business
practices. All decisions about Otarian's food and operations are made with
sustainability at the forefront. Some of these include:

- Dishes that yield lower carbon foot prints than comparable meat-based
dishes - "Carbon Saving Combos" provide an average 2.3kgs of carbon savings
compared to equivalent meat-based dishes. If you swap your usual meat based
lunch for an Otarian Carbon Saving Combo today you could save an average of
2.3 Kg CO2e. That's equivalent to the CO2e emissions of over 12 central
London tube journeys (Covent Garden to Hyde Park Corner)

    - No air freight policy - Ingredients that would typically be air
      freighted, such as Otarian's fresh herbs from Israel or select produce
      from California, are instead transported by road. Dishes are
      reformulated to exclude these ingredients if a reliable supply is
      unavailable without using air transport

    - 98% of restaurant waste composted or recycled - Otarian will have waste
      collected by private companies to ensure it is recycled or composted
      and is paying double the price to achieve this rate, which is
      unprecedented in the fast food sector

    - All packaging compostable, recyclable or reusable - Otarian will use
      innovative materials like bagasse to help minimize the environmental
      impact of the packaging. Bagasse is a fully bio-degradable by-product
      of the sugar cane industry that has historically been treated as waste

    - Sustainable design and architecture - Otarian leads the way in the
      fast-casual restaurant design, incorporating sustainable materials
      throughout the establishment, including floor tiles made from recycled
      glass, table tops made using recycled plastic, ceiling décor made from
      recycled aluminium, and chairs made from sustainably sourced bamboo

Otarian will open the doors of its first restaurants in London at Wardour
Street, Soho and Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden on August 20th, and Regent
Street later in the year. Restaurant hours will be 11 am -10 pm, prices range
from GBP3.95 - GBP6.25 for a main dish. For more information visit
www.Otarian.com

Notes to Editors

About Otarian

Otarian is a new boutique global quick service restaurant chain and
retail brand built on a sustainable platform. It is based on the principles
of vegetarianism and its benefits to human health and the well being of all
living creatures and the environment. The first Otarian outlets open in New
York
and London in 2010. London outlets will be located on Wardour Street,
Shaftesbury Avenue, with a Regent Street outlet opening later in 2010. The
first New York outlets will be located on Bleecker Street and 8th Avenue with
a Lexington Avenue outlet to follow later in the year.

Otarian is the flagship Quick Service Restaurant of the Oswal Group
Global operated by its Australian subsidiary, Oswal Projects.

For more information please contact Sophie Hood or Grace Zeal at Ogilvy PR on +44-(0)20-7309-1000 or email sophie.hood at uk.ogilvypr.com/ grace.zeal at uk.ogilvypr.com

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