Category Archives: Restaurants

Big Boy Converts to LED Lighting as Part of an Overall Efficiency Upgrade

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Home of the Original Double Decker – a famous Big Boy restaurant required some energy efficiency upgrades. Property owners, Joe Diequez and Jonathan Marsh, were looking for an innovative way to finance building improvements and replace inefficient cooking equipment. Like many small business owners, they were looking for a long-term financing solution that would ensure that building improvements pay for themselves in 10 years.

Project goals included:

  • Improve overall building performance and comfort
  • Upgrade kitchen equipment
  • Reduce utility bills
  • Reduce operating costs
  • Improve the environment

Read the full report here.

Raising the Sustainability Bar

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Following an assessment of the light bulbs used in their restaurants, The Cheesecake Factory completed a re-lamp in each restaurant by installing low wattage bulbs. This reduces their kilowatt usage by 2% to 3% each year based on a standard 10,000 square foot restaurant. In addition, they are upgrading their lighting to more energy efficient products as they become available, and are currently testing new LED lighting to replace neon lights, which are currently being used in certain areas of their restaurants.

Read the full report:   http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/corporate-social-responsibility/sustainability/resources/#

Starbucks Leads the Way with Company Wide Energy Efficiency Retrofits and Investments in LED

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Starbucks has been actively pursuing energy efficiency and conservation for years. A visit to their Energy Conservation website at http://www.starbucks.com/ responsibility/environment/energy describes Starbucks’ commitment to conserving energy and activities they have undertaken to reduce energy use in their stores.

Excellent lighting is important in retail sales; while operating cost reduction is always welcome, it is not always the primary driver in selecting lamps. As early adopters of more efficient lighting. Starbucks has occasionally experienced less than stellar performance of early versions of these products, and have continuously upgraded products as technology improves. . Overall, the energy-savings benefits of lighting upgrades have been significant, encouraging Starbucks to commit to these efficient lighting sources and continue adopting new products.

Read the full report:   https://www.bpa.gov/EE/Utility/marketing/casestudies/starbucks_casestudy.pdf

LED Lighting Helps Mishka’s Café Save Energy

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Sinisa Novakovic, owner of Mishka’s café in downtown Davis, had two goals for the recent lighting upgrade in his café: create a cozy, inviting atmosphere for customers and save energy. In the main seating area alone he was able to cut his lighting energy use 85% by upgrading to LED lighting.

Throughout the rest of the café, energy consumption for lighting has been cut in half, reducing Mishka’s annual energy use by over 10,000 kWh and saving Novakovic nearly $2,000 every year in energy costs. The lighting upgrade will have paid for itself after just eight months, and because LEDs last up to fifty times longer than older light sources, the change is saving Novakovic in other ways, too.

Read the full report:   http://cltc.ucdavis.edu/sites/default/files/files/publication/case-study-mishkas-cafe-davis.pdf

LED Lighting Helps Connecticut Landmark Achieve Positive Impact

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From a 1979 “roadside clam stand” to a now iconic shoreline tradition, Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale is a Connecticut favorite. Growing to three locations, the restaurant has remained committed to serving the finest seafood available in a friendly and efficient manner. Maintaining efficient operations and equipment with support from Energize Connecticut’s Small Business Energy Advantage program has helped Lenny and Joe’s focus on the fresh seafood and enjoyable customer experience..

Read the full report:   http://www.energizect.com/sites/default/files/Final%20C0025%20Lenny%20%26%20Joes%20Case%20Study%20%20WEB.1.20.15.pdf