Sponsored by Transformative Wave.
As economic pressures make it more difficult to generate profits in the foodservice industry, it has become critical for restaurants to trim their budgets. Yet with more restaurants opening every day and the rise of delivery, guests have more options than ever. Leaders must be careful of which adjustments they make and consider their impact on the guest experience, employee retention, and food safety.
“There is increasing competition in family and casual dining, as well as in quick-service or fast-casual restaurants,” says Alan Santa, director of procurement for Centralized Supply Chain Services, the purchasing agent for the Applebee’s and IHOP systems. “There are also internal pressures, such as labor costs, difficulties in securing talent, and energy costs. Though we’ve seen some deflationary energy costs, water costs are already rising, and we believe we’ve seen the bottom of energy costs.”
In order to balance budget pressures with guest demand, restaurants are looking for innovative ways to save money. Instead of trimming staff—a move which has a significant impact on guest experience—many businesses are looking for savings through facilities management, particularly by reducing energy consumption.
“When you look at energy from a profit and loss perspective, many operators think electricity is a fixed cost of business,” Santa says. “In reality, energy use belongs with controllable costs, because there are many more opportunities to reduce energy costs without impacting guests than operators believe.”
Many restaurants are finding that reducing a restaurant’s energy is as simple as updating out-of-date equipment with energy-efficient alternatives. Though operators can certainly find kitchen equipment that boasts energy savings, one often overlooked avenue for energy savings is the HVAC system. Since most HVAC systems don’t have to be totally replaced to generate new savings, it can be one of the most cost-effective methods of reducing expenses. And unlike changes which affect operations, HVAC savings can be a sustainable source of passive income.
Take Transformative Wave’s new Cobalt building management system (BMS) for example. Whether on its own or integrated with existing building automation solutions, Cobalt adds IoT (Internet of Things) functionality to give users maximum control over their HVAC systems.
“Think of Cobalt as similar to any Wi-Fi device in your home that can be accessed by a browser on any mobile device or computer,” says Danny Miller, president of Transformative Wave. “It has no external dependencies because it is a completely autonomous mini-computer with everything it needs already inside. This means operators can have all the power and advantages of traditional building automation but at much lower costs and with unhindered access to their data. This makes it possible for even the smallest buildings to enjoy a robust automation solution, leading to greater energy efficiency, insight, and control over any asset.”
With an easy-to-use interface, Cobalt automates HVAC controls and helps restaurants find ways to reduce energy consumption through advanced scheduling, status overviews, temperature and fan controls, and more. Additionally, by increasing control, restaurant leaders don’t just reduce expenses; they also have a positive impact on the environment, which can help improve employee and guest satisfaction.
“By installing technology that does a better job of balancing air flow and pressure and pulling humidity out of restaurants, you’re not just saving money,” Santa says, “you’re also having a positive impact on your guests and your team, and those are compelling prospects for any restaurant.”
By Peggy Carouthers
