Sustainability coach Guido Francque: 'Sustainability is all about respect'

Guido Francque calls himself a catering dinosaur. He started at hotel school in 1968 and since then he has gone through just about every facet of Belgian hospitality life. From the kitchen of a hospital to room work in restaurants. "At 69, I still feel cheerful, crisp and fresh," he says. "I owe that to my sustainable approach." He has been sharing his experiences as a sustainability coach with other entrepreneurs in the sector for several years. 

Name any aspect of hospitality life and Guido Francque is sure to have a fascinating story or relevant lesson to tell about it. He has worked in restaurants, banquet halls, written books on wine, teaches and, with a concern, supervises the textbooks of hotel schools so that the subject matter is updated every three years. He is also one of the founders of Hertog Jan, the restaurant he left to Joachim Boudens and Gert De Mangeleer in 2005. There he took the first steps towards the implementation of sustainability, including growing his own fruit and vegetables. The crowning glory is Hotel des Brasseurs in De Haan, where he and the owners realised the first climate-neutral hotel in Flanders.

"I've been focusing on sustainability for more than 20 years," explains Guido. "That's not a grass-roots thing. I am and remain an entrepreneur. At the end of the financial year, the balance sheet has to be positive and right. I resolutely take a hands-on approach. The way is forward. Sustainability does not mean it is immediately expensive, it does mean it is allowed to last. It's about respect. We have forgotten that today."

Three sanities

Soon the question came from other hospitality businesses whether Guido could help them implement a more sustainable approach. So he created a sustainability framework with three objectives: working more efficiently, having more time left over and making more money. "These are the foundations for future-proofing our sector," says Guido. "The entrepreneur is central in this framework. They need to feel good about themselves. That is why the framework takes into account the three health of the entrepreneur. The first is physical health: are you able to cut greens, walk around the hotel all day, ... Then there is mental health: do you make enough money to pay bills and salaries or does that worry you? Last is emotional health, which is still too often misunderstood. Go to that family party, spend time with your family and guard that work-life balance."

The framework focuses on efficiency according to the PAC principle: planning, action and control. "We don't plan, nor do we control. Hospitality is all about action. That demands all the attention. Yet there are simple solutions to many things, including technology. Sustainable working is also modern working. Just think of an automatic check-in and check-out system. That way, you make a good first and last impression. Both are very important and allow you to make time for sincere contact with your guests. Embrace technology, embrace artificial intelligence and look ahead."

Hospitality central

Guido is currently sitting down with some partners to take the framework out into the world in an interactive way. He also wants to bring schools into this story, as the new generation of hospitality professionals needs to propagate sustainability. "European research shows that seven in 10 entrepreneurs are looking for sustainable principles. These do not have to be large investments right away. The smallest adjustment often achieves the greatest result. Sustainability and profitability are linked," Guido explains. "With my framework, I take you from one per cent profit to ten per cent profit in one financial year. The tools are there, use them. Deploy the change, because the world around us is also changing at lightning speed. Let our hospitality heart evolve with the spirit of the times, protecting our beautiful gastronomy and nurturing people."

Get on the road sustainably with these tips

• Take care of your team and communicate.
• Find local suppliers, which is good for CO2 emissions, but also for contact with farmers. For example, work with young farmers who grow organically. That way we eat according to the seasons again.
• Saving on energy? Stop spilling. Invest in modern, sustainable equipment, but also deploy it efficiently.
• Separate white, grey and black water. Grey water can be collected, purified and used to flush toilets, for example.
• Control lighting smartly.
• Invite your guests to participate in your sustainable vision. One proposal from the hotel management course at AP Hogeschool Antwerp was to let guests take the stairs in exchange for a drink.
• Place moss walls to purify the air.
• Sort your waste and limit your residual waste. For example, the FASFC recommends a cold store for waste.