New Richmond restaurant helps the James

Richmond has a new mission-driven restaurant, owned and operated by the American River Restoration, a locally based nonprofit dedicated to keeping waterways like the James River trash-free.

Driving the news: Kitchen 33 opened just over a month ago at 13155 Mountain Road in Glen Allen.

• The breakfast and lunch spot serves made-from-scratch American fare, free from chemicals and preservatives.
• All of the proceeds from the restaurant feed the nonprofit.

Details: The bacon brisket sandwich, pulled pork platter, pastrami reuben and eggs, hashbrown and meat breakfast are popular items on the menu ($8-$12).

• Daily: 7am-2:30pm (breakfast is served until noon).

What's happening: The nonprofit opened the restaurant not just as a fundraising source, but to show other restaurants that it's possible to operate a sustainable restaurant without the use of styrofoam or plastic, Chris Walton, ARR co-founder and director, tells Axios.

• A bakery in the same space is in the works and set to open in November.

What they're saying: "It's clean food — we don't advertise healthy food, but we advertise we have clean food," Walton said.

Why it matters: Keeping plastic and styrofoam out of restaurants is key to keeping them out of the river and therefore keeping the river healthy.

"The James River is the most polluted river in America when it comes to microplastics," Walton said.