ZWZ Champion to Lead GA's Restaurant Industry

Patrick Cuccaro, General Manager at Affairs to Remember, was elected to Chair the Georgia Restaurant Association in 2012 after serving as Vice-Chair in 2011.  With over 25 years in the hospitality industry, Patrick brings expertise, passion and talent to his leadership role.

Patrick Cuccaro

"The Georgia Restaurant Association, with more than 3,000 restaurant members representing nearly 100,000 employees, has elected a Chair who is both an independent operator and an off-premise caterer. I'm humbled by the trust that these respected restaurateurs from across the state have placed in my leadership," Patrick said.

The trust is well-founded and deserved.  When the Zero Waste Zones were ready to expand beyond the original Downtown Zone, Patrick stepped forward to serve as the ZWZ-Caterers Champion.  As an early ZWZ Participant, Patrick was instrumental in developing zero waste best practices for foodservice operators.  


By its nature off-premises catering includes the challenges of transportation and service in a separate location from food prep.  With ATR owner support, Patrick and his team devoted the resources and time necessary to determine the most efficient|effective procedures to source-separate materials for recycling, both in the commissary kitchen and at off-site events.  These materials are common recyclables (paper, metals, plastic & glass) and organics (food).


Rewards for the hard work are abundant.  Under Patrick's zero waste leadership, ATR benefits from a stronger bottom line and a stellar reputation as a model environmental steward.  Patrick receives national recognition as a powerful leader who has the talent to transfer personal convictions into solid business practices. 


See the ZWZ Blog post, ZWZ: A Powerful Marketing Tool, for a profile of Patrick's successes along with a link to a national feature on the National Restaurant Association News Blog, Aiming for zero waste brings increased sales to caterer.   


For more information on Patrick and his role as the GRA Chair, read the ATR Press Release.


Congratulations Patrick!  The ZWZ Team looks forward to your continued leadership role and are here to support you as the incoming GRA Chair.