How John John Florence Helped Eliminate 48,000 Styrofoam Containers

While food trucks and bakeries run rampant on Oahu’s North Shore, there are only a few legitimate sit-down restaurants on the seven mile strip.

The most famous and frequented of these few is Lei Lei’s, at The Turtle Bay Resort, their bar perhaps the greatest perch a curious gal could enjoy, the dining room a swarm of the surf world’s best and brightest, and their Mai Tai’s one of the best on the island, and strongest. 

On any given night during the Vans Triple Crown, one is likely to encounter over a dozen top-pros at Lei Lei’s, where they will order a rack of ribs, a mud pie, and a few stiff MTs to wash it all down. It’s basically the spot on the North Shore if you want a proper dining experience. 

Due to Lei Lei’s popularity, and especially due to its proximity to the Turtle Bay Golf Course, the restaurant and bar go through a lot of food and beverage travel containers. And up until just recently, Lei Lei’s used to styrofoam to house their to-go orders. 

Enter John John Florence.

As Hawaii’s 2x World Champion and a burgeoning environmental philanthropist, John approached Lei Lei’s management to chat about their restaurant’s (un)sustainability.

We’ll let John take it from here:

Thanks to Florence’s efforts and Lei Lei’s warm reception, the North Shore’s favorite restaurant will now eliminate an estimated 48,000 styrofoam containers per annum, replacing them with bio-degradable vessels.

As an added bonus, John has challenged his fans to evoke similar change in their favorite eateries, offering a few of his signed surfcrafts as reward. 

In recent years, the issue of coastal pollution has become too big not to notice. At times the situation feels dire, eliciting feelings of defeated indifference from the general public. However, with this simple yet heroic effort, John Florence reminds us that every little bit helps. 

So, which local restaurant will you solicit before the New Year?