Shoney's Set to Move to Paper Straws By 2020 in All Company-Owned Restaurants

Shoney's Makes Commitment to Phase Out Plastic Straws by 2020. Image: Shoney's

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Plastic straws are about to be a thing of the past at America's Dinner Table.

Also read, Recipe Unlimited Plans to Eliminate Plastic Straws From All of its Restaurants.

Shoney's, the All-American, iconic restaurant brand, which recently celebrated its 70th anniversary, today said it is choosing paper over plastic and will phase out plastic straws at all of its company-owned stores by 2020, according to Shoney's Chairman and CEO Mr. David Davoudpour.

"America has spoken and Shoney's always listens and for the sake of the environment and our communities, we are taking action," said Mr. Davoudpour. "We are in the people business and have spent decades doing the right things in our neighborhoods as well as our restaurants and are committed to being at the forefront of this change."

Plastic straws have garnered nasty press recently, and rightly so. Single-use plastic straws are inarguably bad for the environment, especially when discarded and consumed by wildlife. Mr. Davoudpour says Shoney's will work with its suppliers to back the brand's dedication to phasing out plastic straws.

"Our objective is to introduce FDA-compliant eco-product straws with paper and plant materials which are 100% compostable," added Mr. Davoudpour. "When Shoney's first opened 70 years ago in Charleston, West Virginia, the paper straw was the only straw. But it had its shortcomings and was phased out in the early seventies. But today is a new day, where longevity and sustainability usurp convenience. Shoney's is here for the long haul and getting it right is always at the top of our priority list."

Since acquiring the great American eatery in 2007, Mr. Davoudpour has been on a driven and spirited mission to reinvigorate and revitalize Shoney's, a family-friendly, southern-style restaurant brand. Shoney's is one of the first, and has always been one of the most popular, family casual dining concepts in the United States.

In order to get back to what Mr. Davoudpour confidently calls Shoney's "Glory Days," the brand is now growing through franchising following an extensive revitalization effort. Shoney's is offering franchising opportunities to qualified single and multi-unit candidates. For more information, visit http://www.shoneys.com/franchise/.

SOURCE Shoney's