Vaughan Lazar, co-founder of organic pizza chain Pizza Fusion, has been appointed to the Green Living Task Force for the city of Boca Raton, Fla. Lazar was one of nine selected to head up the city's new environmental awareness initiative.
The Green Living Task Force will develop a plan for educating and involving Boca Raton residents in environmental activities. At the end of its one-year term, the Task Force will submit a report to the city council detailing its recommendations for increasing residents' environmental awareness and engaging them in green activities.
Lazar has lived in Boca Raton for more than 15 years.
Pizza Fusion also was recently profiled in an Entrepreneur article focused on environmentally friendly businesses.
While no one is yet tracking numbers on how many green franchises exist or how many are coming down the pike, Alisa Harrison of the International Franchise Association -- the industry’s largest trade group -- says the green corner of franchising is definitely growing.
“We’re seeing it across the board, from existing franchises that are becoming greener to those who are building their whole concept around being environmentally conscious,” Harrison says. “The green trend has been growing for about 25 years now, but it has only recently become mainstream.”
Pizza Fusion's Mesa, Ariz., location also was recently awarded LEED Silver certification by the United States Green Building Council. 
