Kitchen Equipment: Energy Boost

Pizza Fusion saves on utility bills by channeling the heat from its stoves.

By Christine Zimmerman, Contributing Editor -- Chain Leader, 10/1/2007

Chain operators may think it’s not worth the cost or effort to buy new or retrofit existing equipment to save energy in the kitchen…until they stop to consider their utility bills.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Pizza Fusion saves as much as 15 percent on its energy costs per unit each month by taking the hot air from its pizza ovens and converting it into heat for the units and to warm the water to wash dishes. The company uses a custom technology solution: a $1,000 heat exchanger that is fitted into previously wasted space in the range above the ovens.

Michael Gordon, COO and co-founder of fast-casual Pizza Fusion, says the units see energy savings of about $650 in the summer and $1,100 in the winter. And the cost to the unit is simply the heat exchanger and the time needed to educate franchisees on being eco-friendly.

Equipment Evolution

When Pizza Fusion decided to build energy-efficient units, they found off-the-shelf cooking technology did not meet their requirements for the heat exchanger.

The company worked with Fort Lauderdale-based Eco-Smart Inc., an environmental consulting agency, to modify its existing kitchen technology so it would work in the small spaces typically allowed by fast-casual units. Eco-Smart did not charge Pizza Fusion for its consulting services but suggested various pieces of equipment that it can provide. Brian Dugas, regional director of Eco-Smart, advises restaurants to work with an equipment distributor to modify their kitchen equipment. Restaurants need to determine the water temperature they must accomplish and how many gallons they need, then figure the size of the heat exchanger.

"There is no equipment I know of that’s plug and play. Restaurants have to have somebody knowledgeable to tie solutions together," says Dugas, who is also director of the Renewable Energy Institute of Florida.

Focus on the Future

Meanwhile, Gordon tells his Pizza Fusion franchisees not to run their businesses for today’s revenue but for tomorrow’s profit. That means make investments up front and stay focused on goals. "Instead of focusing on profit, profit, profit, they should take a step back and see cost savings," he says