Restaurant Cuts Costs by Nearly $8K Annually By Switching to LEDs

By: LED Source | 2 Shares 83 Reads

March 18, 2013 - Wellington, Fla. - Between financial concerns and the growing popularity of ‘going green,’ restaurant owners across the country are looking for ways to reduce energy usage and save money wherever possible – and create an attractive, welcoming environment to boot. LED Source®, an international LED lighting solutions provider, makes it easy for restaurant chains to reduce overhead costs and create both energy-efficient and aesthetically pleasing spaces.

“Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a restaurant – it can set the mood, enhance food presentation, and allow operators to transform their space for events and special occasions,” said Marcel Fairbairn, president and CEO of LED Source. “LED lights are a great option for restaurants because they offer a wide variety of colors, better brightness control, contain no harmful materials and don’t produce heat – which is fantastic for crowded kitchens.”

Specializing in design, support, development, project management and financing for commercial retrofits, LED Source recently worked with West Palm Beach, Fla. based chain Hurricane Grill & Wings to develop a custom lighting system for its newly built Pembroke Pines location, owned by franchise owner Gus Rubio. The restaurant’s original lighting plan called for a combination of traditional incandescent and fluorescent lights, using 150 energy-sapping, short-lived fixtures.

LED Source’s design team was able to reduce the total number of fixtures to 122. The new lighting system dramatically reduced both energy usage and maintenance costs. When compared to a traditional incandescent bulb, which lasts around 2,000 hours, a comparable LED lamp provides energy savings of 75 percent – and lasts up to 50,000 hours, meaning less time and money spent changing out dead bulbs.

In total, LED Source saved Hurricane Grill an estimated 41,249 kWh in energy usage – down to 13,764 kWh from an original projection of 55,013 for traditional lighting. That translates to money in the pocket: between air conditioning expenses, maintenance, and lighting energy, Hurricane Grill will save $7,354 per year just from switching to LED lights. The ROI (return on investment) for the project is just 10 months, meaning that money can go to work faster wherever it may be needed.

“We found LED Source very beneficial in providing design, pricing and financing for LED lighting packages at our locations. In addition, they have assisted with finding local utility rebates to further add to the already great savings we are receiving from the LED lighting,” said Mark Bartholomay, Hurricane Grill’s chief development officer.

About LED Source

Founded in 2005, LED Source is North America’s first and only franchisor of LED lighting. The company supplies LED products to a variety of spaces, and specializes in design, support, development, project management and financing through its Retrofit, Architectural and Entertainment divisions. In 2012, LED Source launched LouMan Money, a private-labeled finance program that affords companies a LED lighting upgrade without eating up capital or tapping their existing lines of credit. The finance program allow customers to qualify for an LED lighting upgrade funded entirely from their energy savings received, and covers everything from the initial LED lighting products and recycling of previous lighting, to design and installation, without the need for out-of-pocket expenses.

LED Source launched a franchise program in 2009 and has since opened locations in Eastern Canada; Calgary, AB; Lawrence, Ks.; Bloomington, Ind.; Wichita, Kan.; Los Angeles; Urbandale, Iowa; Austin, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Rolling Meadows, Ill.; Charlotte, N.C., and Tampa, Fla. LED Source is developing in states along the Eastern Seaboard and expects to add 12-15 franchise locations in 2013, with development also planned in the Caribbean. Long term goals for the company plan for a network of 150 franchise offices throughout North America within three years.

SOURCE LED Source

###