Running a successful restaurant is an art form. Finding the right balance between food quality, customer experience, and profitability is an ongoing concern for many restaurant owners and managers.
Keeping costs low is imperative and one of the best ways to do so is to keep an eye on your energy usage and find ways to increase energy efficiency.
To get you started, we have compiled a list of steps you can action in your kitchen today.
Conduct an Energy Audit
The first step is to gain a good understanding of how much energy your restaurant uses. You can do this by pulling up your old electricity accounts and working out your average monthly spending. Or, if you want to go more in-depth, consider using online resources. The Energy Star Energy Management Assessment Matrix walks you through recommended guidelines so you can implement and track your progress.
Refrigeration
40% of your kitchen’s energy usage comes from food preparation and refrigeration, so when purchasing a refrigerator, make sure that it carries an efficient energy grade. You can also keep refrigeration costs down by keeping the doors closed whenever possible, checking the seals often and regularly cleaning and maintaining your units.
Here are some tips on how to clean and maintain your walk-in fridge.
Heating and Water
Check your water pipes and fixtures for leaks, especially coming from your geyser. You do not want to waste money heating water that is not being used. Changing the nozzle on your pre-rinse spray in your dishwash system can save hundreds of litres of water. Contact us to find out how.
With cooking appliances, consider moving from an energy guzzling electric solid top stove which needs to stay on all the time, to gas which can be switched on when you need to cook and gives immediate heat.
Lighting
Using energy-saving lightbulbs can reduce lighting costs by up to 80% compared to traditional lightbulbs. You can further reduce this cost by ensuring lights are turned off when not in use.
Maintaining Equipment
Regular advances in technology make newer equipment and appliances more energy efficient, so make sure to upgrade as often as possible. You can also implement routine maintenance and cleaning schedules to keep them running more efficiently for longer.
Kitchen Layout
When designing or laying out your kitchen workspace, think chronologically. How can you best arrange the space to streamline your process? Doing this will ensure your staff spend less time using equipment and running up costs.
We can help you design and set up your restaurant kitchen. Book a consultation.
Best Practice
The previous step can be built upon and expanded into best practices for your staff. Small things like cooking food at the correct temperature, using the right-sized pots and pans, or avoiding re-boiling water can add significant energy savings.
Avoiding "Standby Mode"
Many kitchen appliances have a standby mode which can be handy in a rush but cause you to spend more on energy costs. Appliances like blenders and microwaves are notorious for using electricity even when not in use. Switch appliances off where you can save on energy usage.
Staff Involvement
A kitchen only works with teamwork; the same goes for energy saving. Encourage your staff to do what they can to help. You could offer them incentives for meeting energy savings goals or even appoint one of your staff as an Energy Conservation Officer.
Are You Looking for High-Quality, Energy Efficient Commercial Appliances?
Get in touch with our consultants to discuss your kitchen’s Energy Efficiency needs.
Caterware Connection provides a wide range of energy efficient commercial kitchen appliances from high-quality global brands in Sub-Saharan Africa, including HOBART, Convotherm Elektrogerate, Anvil, and many more.
