Finnish Design Shop takes part in Zero Waste Exhibit in New York

Pop-up dining experience Zero Waste Bistro brings food, design and a powerful message to the New York design week. The bistro is furnished by Finnish Design Shop with design classics from Artek and Iittala.

Zero Waste Bistro

THE ZERO WASTE BISTRO, a thought-provoking four-day laboratory of food and design, is part of NYCxDESIGN program in May 2018. A dining experience and installation at WantedDesign Manhattan, Zero Waste Bistro explores the themes of circular economy and sustainable design.

Presented by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, the bistro introduces the food philosophy of Helsinki-based Restaurant Nolla, the first zero-waste restaurant in the Nordic region. The restaurant space is designed by Finnish designer Linda Bergroth in collaboration with Finnish Design Shop.

Zero Waste Bistro
The Zero Waste Bistro concept is co-curated by Finnish designers Linda Bergroth and Harri Koskinen. “I’ve created the dining area as a space within a space, using all sustainable materials,” says Bergroth.
Zero Waste Bistro
Zero Waste Bistro is constructed using materials that contribute to a waste-free future, with Durat surfaces and ReWall building materials. The white A110 lamps and Stool 60s are from Artek.

Zero Waste Bistro introduces tableware and furniture from the selection of Finnish Design Shop. The design classics featured in the bistro, including the Alvar Aalto A110 pendant lights, all-white Stool 60s and a new dotted grey edition of Kaj Franck’s Teema tableware series, underline the foundation of sustainable design; objects created to last a lifetime and beyond.

The design classics featured in the bistro are objects created to last a lifetime and beyond.

“Well-chosen, timeless design products generate less waste, as they stay current decade after decade, and can be passed down for generations” says Reetta Noukka, COO of Finnish Design Shop.

Ravintola Nolla
The dishes at Zero Waste Bistro will be served by the chefs of Restaurant Nolla: Carlos Henriques (on the left), Luka Balac and Albert Franch Sunyer.

At Zero Waste Bistro, the chefs of Restaurant Nolla present a mouthwatering, yet thought provoking menu. “Our dishes at Zero Waste Bistro are comprised of local and organic ingredients as well as commonly overlooked byproducts of our food system”, says Chef Luka Balac.

Zero Waste Bistro
“With a strong focus on sustainability, our menu has emerged from creative thinking and the desire to produce something delicious and authentic out of local ingredients that are often ignored,” says Chef Luka Balac.
Zero Waste Bistro
The dishes are served on Iittala's iconic Teema plates, designed by Kaj Franck.

Before founding Restaurant Nolla, chefs Balac, Carlos Henriques and Albert Franch Sunyer worked at Michelin star establishments in Helsinki and beyond. By developing a circular economy and following the simple philosophy of refusing, reducing, reusing and recycling, the Nolla chefs are working to achieve a zero-waste model.

Zero Waste Bistro
The bistro is furnished with Finnish design icons from Iittala and Artek.
Zero Waste Bistro
Cocktails for the Zero Waste Bistro’s opening party and daily cocktail hours are served by Kyrö Distillery. Grey Kartio tumbler by Iittala.

“It’s time to rethink the way we live, the way we eat and the materials we use,” states Kaarina Gould, Executive Director of the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York.

“What if we collectively committed to only buying products that we love and that will last a lifetime?”

“In the US alone, over 58 billion disposable cups are discarded and sent to landfills every year. What if all those cups were reusable, compostable or recyclable? What if we collectively committed to only buying products that we love and that will last a lifetime? With Zero Waste Bistro, we’re proposing a future that reduces waste and helps to regenerate our natural environment, making it livable for generations to come; a future that’s already here if we make the right choices.”

More information:

Zero Waste Bistro is open from Saturday May 19 through Tuesday May 22, 2018 at WantedDesign Manhattan. Due to limited capacity the Zero Waste brunch and lunch seatings must be pre-booked and prepaid online. To learn more, go to www.fciny.org/zerowastebistro.

Zero Waste Bistro
Terminal Stores: 269 11th Avenue between 27th and 28th St, New York

Editor: Mikko Vaija Photos: Nicholas Calcott, Paavo Lehtonen and Nikola Tomevski

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