At Alice & Friends Vegan Kitchen, creative cooking and everyday sustainability share a place at the table. The menu draws on Korean, Thai, Malaysian, and other Asian influences, while the team looks for practical ways to reduce what gets thrown away.
Surfrider Chicago spoke with shift lead Lillium Allen about the restaurant’s composting routine, rewards for reuse, and a personal connection to Illinois waterways and Lake Michigan.
Building composting into the workday
Lillium described compost collection as part of the kitchen’s setup, with buckets at different food-preparation stations. Keeping collection close to where scraps are generated helps make sorting part of the job.
For Lillium, the aim is to find options that make sense both environmentally and economically. That means looking beyond how a product is marketed and asking how it actually works in the restaurant’s waste system.
Giving guests a reason to reuse
The restaurant’s rewards program gives customers credit for bringing their own containers, Lillium explained. Reusable burlap bags offer another way to participate: customers who bring them back can receive credit instead of needing a new paper bag.
These practices give diners something concrete to do. Bringing a container for leftovers or a bag for takeout turns a familiar meal into an opportunity to use fewer disposable items.
From the Illinois River to Lake Michigan
Lillium grew up along the Illinois River and later took part in campus cleanup efforts through the Illinois Lakes Management Association. Living near Lake Michigan now gives that concern for waterways an even larger setting.
That experience also informs Lillium’s enthusiasm for composting beyond the restaurant. After working in grocery stores and restaurants, they want to see more food scraps diverted from the trash and more people comfortable with the process.
A menu recommendation: laksa
Asked for a favorite, Lillium chose laksa—a noodle soup with a richly curried broth, tofu pockets, and vegan shrimp. It is one example of the restaurant’s interest in making plant-based dishes that are both familiar and surprising.
Explore Alice & Friends Vegan Kitchen for its Chicago, Glenview, and Oak Park locations, current menus, and hours. Before your next visit, ask the team about its current reusable-container rewards and bring a container for leftovers.
Discover more Great Lakes Friendly Restaurants and learn how your restaurant can join Surfrider Chicago’s effort to reduce single-use plastic.
