Just Salad, the fast-casual restaurant concept serving healthy food at an affordable price, has signed a contract with Budderfly, a leading energy management outsourcing company, to implement energy efficiency upgrades at its stores and significantly reduce the company’s carbon footprint. The upgrades will be made at three pilot locations in New York City and will focus on lighting, HVAC, and refrigeration. According to Budderfly, the expected energy savings at these stores would reduce their carbon emissions by 91.2 metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually, which is roughly equal to the greenhouse gas emissions of 100,500 pounds of coal, based on EPA data.

This partnership is an important milestone in Just Salad’s ambitious sustainability agenda and furthers the company’s core mission to promote human and planetary health. The restaurant chain seeks to lower its carbon footprint by reducing food and plastic waste, offering plant-based, low-emissions menu items, and increasing energy efficiency.

Budderfly will provide 100% of the capital to install, maintain, and monitor the energy efficiency upgrades, reflecting the company’s innovative business model. The technology and expertise provided is guaranteed to produce immediate usage and cost reductions for Just Salad, continuing and expanding the savings throughout the length of the relationship to provide shared benefits for both companies.

Nick Kenner, Founder and CEO of Just Salad, says: “This is a financial and environmental win-win that reflects Just Salad’s commitment to operationalizing sustainability at scale. We are excited to install state-of-the-art energy efficiency solutions in our stores that will reduce unnecessary costs and wasted energy.”

“We don’t believe businesses should have to spend their own money to go green and save,” adds Al Subbloie, Budderfly founder & CEO. “By providing 100% of the capital, managing all of the technology, and guaranteeing the results, Budderfly ensures that our customers enjoy all the benefits with none of the risk and hassle, and we’re excited to do that for Just Salad.”

Sandra Noonan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Just Salad, says: “Buildings are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, and it is essential that we seek energy solutions that reduce our carbon footprint. I look forward to achieving measurable emissions reductions through our Budderfly partnership.”