QSR Magazine: Energy-Efficient Programs Help Brands Save Money In The Long Run

When it comes to operating a profitable restaurant chain, energy costs have historically been lower on the priority list than food costs, wages, and real estate. Nevertheless, industry leaders say brands can reduce expenses long-term without dramatically changing the customer experience by investing in energy-efficient programs.

“If you are the person in the room that cares least about the environment, do it for your own bottom line. It is just responsible business in 2016,” says Michael Oshman, the founder and executive director of the national Green Restaurant Association, a nonprofit providing research and education to restaurants wishing to “go green.”

Corporate leadership at Sonic Drive-In began heeding this type of financial advice a few years ago, when several franchisees across the U.S. reported significant reductions in energy costs after installing solar panels on the roofs of their drive-ins.

To test the claims, the burger chain spent some $80,000 to have 90 solar panels installed on one of its corporate-owned restaurants in San Antonio in late 2015. The project earned a 50 percent solar rebate from local utility provider CPS Energy and a 30 percent federal tax credit.

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