Habana Outpost: An Eco Restaurant Grows in Brooklyn

Mexican and Caribbean-influenced food meets <a href="../solar-power" target="_blank">solar power</a>, eco-friendly decor, and many more fun green design features at the <a href="http://www.cafehabana.com/" target="_blank">Habana Outpost</a> in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Open from Earth Day to Halloween every year, this <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/03/elegant-floating-plastic-dining-room-in-vancouver/" target="_blank">eco restaurant</a> has evolved over time to include many green design strategies, and it's working to help the surrounding community as well. The owner of the restaurant is Sean Meenan, who also owns restaurants in Manhattan and Malibu.

The eco-eatery has evolved over the years to include more and more green building strategies like solar power, compostable tableware, and rainwater collection.

Owner Sean Meenan started the restaurant in 2005 and installed a $40,000 solar system in the courtyard.

Afterwards, regulars and customers offered more and more suggestions for what could be done to make the restaurant even more eco-friendly.

A human-powered bike blender crushes smoothies, and a composting and recycling station manage waste.

A solar chandelier uses a solar-focusing panel on the outside of the building to draw in light through fiber optic cables.

The restaurant regularly holds events and markets for area residents to promote eco-friendly local goods.

The restaurant also regularly offers programs for kids to learn about the environment.

The solar system feeds power back into the grid when the restaurant doesn't need it.

Inside, wheat board panels line the walls and are decorated with wheat carvings to signify what they are made from.

An old US postal service truck is used as decor in the courtyard, and a rainwater collection system provides irrigation for the garden.

The Habana Outpost was designed to be fun and bright -- this helps make the eco-friendly strategies even more exciting.