Houlihan’s Restaurants, a modern American restaurant and bar, announced today a new partnership with ReCORK, aUS-based natural wine cork recycling program dedicated to keeping cork out of landfills and repurposing corks into practical products. Known for its social bar & lounge, and award winning happy hour, Houlihan’s will now recycle every wine cork popped. The restaurant chain will also serve as a drop-off recycling center where guests can bring in their natural corks from home.
“At Houlihan’s we sell a lot of wine, so it feels great to be part of the solution to help re-purpose cork rather than throwing them away and harvesting more trees,” said Jen Gulvik, senior VP marketing and creative director, Houlihan’s Restaurants, Inc. “If you’re tired of looking at that vase full of corks and have come to the realization that you’ll likely never get around to that DIY cork project, just leave those corks with us and we’ll recycle them.”
ReCORK repurposes natural corks into many ‘upcycled’ products including sustainable footwear through its partnership with SOLE. ReCORK plans to grind down all corks dropped off at Houlihan’s 83 locations to create soles for shoes and sandals.
“Even though cork is 100 percent natural, renewable and biodegradable, most wine corks end up in landfills,” said Matt Hughes from ReCORK. “By partnering with Houlihan’s Restaurants, we’re one step closer to helping spread the word and increasing awareness about the importance of cork recycling.”
With a mission to help educate audiences about the crucial role cork forests play in curbing climate change, ReCORK is supported by Amorim, a global initiative to save and protect over 6 million acres of cork forest around the Mediterranean Basin which are vital to local economies and battle against global warming.
Houlihan’s joins sister restaurants J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood, Devon Seafood + Steak and Bristol Seafood Grill in the ReCORK recycling partnership. For more information or to find a drop off location nearest you, visit www.houlihans.com/recork.
About Houlihan’s
Established in 1972, Houlihan’s is a progressive concept that bridges the gap between fine dining and what people have come to expect from casual dining, priding itself on style and quality. Houlihan’s offers guests a design-forward atmosphere featuring a monthly curated indie music soundtrack, an eclectic menu designed for modern lifestyles, and an energetic bar and lounge scene. Houlihan’s crafts dishes made from scratch with assertive flavors and offers creative, diverse cocktails and wine selections, with many of its locations garnering ‘best happy hour’ awards from local media outlets. Currently, 83 Houlihan’s restaurants operate throughout the country, 52 of which are franchised. Houlihan’s is owned by Houlihan’s Restaurants, Inc. of Leawood, Kansas, which developed and owns several restaurant concepts comprising of approximately 100 locations coast-to-coast, including Devon Seafood Grill and J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks. For more information, please visit www.houlihans.com or find Houlihan’s on Facebook at www.facebook.com/houlihans
About ReCORK and Amorim
ReCORK is a natural cork recycling program supported by Amorim of Portugal and its US affiliates, Portocork America and Amorim Cork America. For additional information, visit recork.org or www.savemiguel.com.
Tracing its root to the 19th century, Amorim has become the largest cork and cork-de-rived company in the world, generating over Euro 450 million in sales throughout more than 100 countries. Amorim and its subsidiaries are an integral part of a conservation effort to guarantee the survival of hundreds of thousands of cork oak trees throughout the Mediterranean Basin. Amorim is proud of its contributions to the correct utilization of these important forests that represent a key role in CO2 retention, preserving biodiversity and preventing desertification. Information about Amorim of Portugal can be found at www.amorim.com/en and www.corkfacts.com.
