Casual Dining Group cuts restaurant energy waste
Casual Dining Group (CDG) has gone green slashing annual energy bills for its 300 strong portfolio of Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Las Iguanas and La Tasca restaurants by 17% since 2012.
The group's energy cutting initiative has made it one of the most efficient operators in the sector, according to the Hospitality Sector Carbon Reduction Forum's (HSCRF) energy benchmark.
CDG, which is a member of the Hospitality Sector Carbon Reduction Forum (HSCRF), implemented the energy cutting drive after a successful trial in 2011 which used iC analytics from energy analytics company Carbon Statement, to identify areas of energy waste in its restaurants.
The group then rolled out the initiative across its estate using the IC analytics tool to measure energy waste in all its properties. The results are fed back to the group's restaurant teams so that they can identify where they can cut energy waste. Regular communication, training, auditing and team incentives are also followed to help maintain staff focus. As a result the group has seen energy waste fall by 17% since 2012.
HSCRF praised the group for managing to cut its energy usage, particularly in the face of the challenges involved in identifying energy waste across many different sites, compounded by variable trading patterns and weather effects.
Tim Doubleday, CDG's CFO said: "We're delighted with these results. Working with Carbon Statement has enabled us to eliminate unnecessary energy use across the group. As well as minimising our environmental impact, this work clearly has a significant commercial impact, which is very meaningful across a national business comprising almost 300 restaurants.
"As a result of engaging our restaurant teams through iC analytics, energy management processes and awareness are now part of our everyday business operations. We now have much better control of a major cost line and engaged teams that know how to optimise their energy use."
