A KFC restaurant in Indianapolis was awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient and high performing buildings.
“We’re very proud of our eco-friendly Keystone Avenue restaurant and it is rewarding to receive LEED Gold certification,” says Roger McClendon, chief sustainability officer for Yum! Brands Inc., parent company of KFC Corp. “Not only is this the first LEED-certified restaurant in Indiana, it is the state’s first LEED-certified retail establishment. The teams at KFC and Yum! Brands are proud to be on the forefront of helping make Indiana a little ‘greener.’”
LEED certification of the KFC location was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project and the broader community. The restaurant is designed to use 25 percent less energy and water than a conventional KFC restaurant. It features energy-efficient cooking equipment, low-power, long-life LED lighting, locally sourced building materials, fixtures designed for lower water use, waste recycling (including cooking oil and plastics), and many other green innovations.
“KFC’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” says Rick Fedrezzi, president, CEO, and founding chair of U.S. Green Building Council. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and KFC serves as a prime example of just how much we can accomplish.”
Earlier this month, the restaurant was presented with a plaque in recognition of its LEED Gold certification. In attendance at the presentation ceremony were Indiana State Senators Beverly Gard and Jim Merritt, Ashlee Kilpatrick and Jamison Hutchins from the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, and Chris Smith, chief operating officer of the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as executives from Yum! Brands Inc.
The Indianapolis project is part of KFC’s global environmental stewardship efforts, which include the E3 initiative: Economically responsible ways of saving Energy and being Environmentally aware.
The certification of the Indianapolis KFC follows the opening of a KFC/Taco Bell restaurant in Northampton, Massachusetts, which was LEED Gold-certified in 2009. KFC made other environmental news when the brand introduced fast food’s first consumer-reusable container. The side item container was honored with a 2010 Greener Package Award.
