How Sustainability Can Save You Money — Easily

By Bob Johns

There are a few simple steps that restaurants can take to improve sustainability and save money.

Sustainability is becoming a huge issue in every industry, and the hospitality industry is no different. When you look at restaurants, there a lot of simple procedures that can go a long way to making sustainability not only an environmental issue, but a cost savings for years to come.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) recently released Bright Ideas: Sustainability Tips From Industry Experts, a report on sustainability in the restaurant industry. In the report, Joe Carbonara comments on the fact that restaurants use 5 to 10 times more energy per square foot than any other type of business. This is a huge amount of money and represents a significant hit to restaurateurs’ bottom lines. Some of his suggestions are commonsense, but are often ignored, like keep up building and equipment maintenance. How many times are jobs only completed when there is an issue? Equipment that is not properly maintained often runs much less efficiently than well-maintained equipment. The maintenance can be as simple as cleaning, lubricating, and changing filters. In fact, the report notes that ventilation equipment and exhaust systems use the most energy. Some simple steps to help reduce the cost of operating these systems include the aforementioned maintenance, as well as only using the systems when appropriate and at the level needed. Don’t allow devices like this to operate when not needed.

Everyone in the restaurant operation can be involved in the sustainability process by following a few simple rules:

• Eliminate idle time for all of your appliances.
• Only turn on cooking and heating equipment 20 minutes before you need it.
• Lights, hoods, ranges, signs and fans should all be turned off when not in use.
• Group the hottest appliances, like broilers, steamers, and open burners, under the same vent.
• Use cold water whenever possible. Insulate hot-water pipes.
• Train your employees to conserve.

Aside from procedures, there are other ways for restaurants to be more sustainable. Installing Energy Star-rated appliances is one. While there is usually a higher up-front cost to get the most efficient appliances and equipment, there is a return year over year in operational savings. The savings from replacing old, worn equipment with new Energy Star qualified equipment can lead to dramatic savings every month. Another way to cut costs is by installing Energy Star qualified bulbs throughout. Many restaurants re-lamp on a set schedule. By using highly efficient bulbs, re-lamping can take place less frequently and save on energy bills.

All of these strategies can help restaurateurs cut down on energy costs, and we haven’t even touched on food-related sustainability, yet.