Although the economy is heading toward an alleged rebound, wallets are still tight— something the restaurant industry is all too familiar with. With less discretionary income than before, customers and operators are both downsizing and looking to extract the most value out of every experience.

This past October, Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) featured San Francisco-based hotel and restaurant consultancy, Andrew Freeman & Co.’s, 2011 menu predictions. Agile Chef has taken those top trends and broken them down into seven key categories:

The Fall of the Cupcake
The days of haute, celebrity-endorsed cupcakes may soon be dethroned. This year, don’t be surprised if you see people lining up for a slice of sweet or savory pie, a cup of exotic infused soft-serve ice cream, or a grownup version of the popsicle, which has been reinvented in a variety of seasonal and sophisticated flavors, ranging from peach-ginger, watermelon-cucumber and sugar-snap pea.

The Rise of Mom & Pop Restaurants
Last quarter we discussed whether it was outrageous or opportunistic to start a restaurant in a down economy, and as it turns out, cheap real estate and self-financed restaurants go hand-in-hand.

The flip side however, is that in order for a small startup restaurant to succeed, owners have to be extremely involved in the day-to-day operations. Seek out multi-purpose spaces that allow you enough flexibility to devote a corner of your restaurant to a market, or bakery counter.

Bite-Size is Big
Sliders. Shot glass desserts. Fillo cup innovations. Mini is in, in a big way. Smaller portions allow the consumer to experience as much as possible, leave satisfied and still stay within budget. According to Freeman, “Everybody wants a little more of everything.”

Sweet Simplicity
The trend of single ingredient restaurants is extending. Niche menus built around classic comfort foods such as hearty biscuits, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches are growing in popularity.

Enjoy these favorites classically prepared, or pair with artisan cheeses, your signature bread and robust spices for a sophisticated twist. Don’t be surprised either if you see gourmet junk food on menus, including house-made jerky or chips.

Scandinavian Influence
Everything from edible dirt to imported yogurt is making its way to local menus. Voted the best restaurant in the world, Denmark’s Noma, is trading lavish sauces and opting to top their dishes with earthy, rustic “dirt,” and the trend has caught on in some of Manhattan and San Francisco’s finest dining establishments.

So, what is it exactly?

Dirt is usually made from a vegetable, plant or malt and beer base, which is then dried or charred. Dust it over steaks, poultry, steamed vegetables, or whatever you like for a burst of added flavor and palette-pleasing surprise.

Another treat we can expect to see is skyr (pronounced skeer). Popular in Iceland, Skyr is a creamier and more decadent version of traditional yogurt, but just as healthy. Try flavored skyr as a hearty smoothie base, or plain to create healthy dips and sauces.

Farm to Market
Locally grown produce is becoming a perennial favorite. Restaurants are celebrating their relationships with farmers, diverse clientele and backyard gardens by offering meatless Mondays. For more variety and perhaps more appeal, vegetables like Brussels sprouts, turnip chips and cauliflower are being served up crispy and golden fried.

The New Pork Belly
Maybe you’ve tried pork belly, but with prices rising and the continued weak economy, goat and lamb belly are a more feasible alternative, and just as delicious. This tender cut of meat is known for its bold flavors, and can be barbequed, cured, stuffed or served anyway you like.

Whether you consider healthier menu options a fleeting trend or something that’s here to stay, the fact of the matter is that the most successful restaurants change with the times. If you believe the latest foodservice industry statistics, diners are becoming increasingly interested in menu choices that are altogether healthy, flavorful and affordable. According to a recent study by The NPD Group, a Chicago-based foodservice market research firm, consumers over the past decade have been cutting down on foods that are high in sugar or fat, and shifting more toward items that could be seen as being more nutritious.

Add to that the requirement in the 2010 U.S. Healthcare Bill that says chain restaurants must include calorie counts on menus, and you may find that if you’re not offering options for health-conscious customers, you might need to makeover your menu.

Make It Healthy, But Make It Good
While the general consensus is that diners want healthier options, the statistics are somewhat inconsistent. According to a recent Mintel survey, only one in five or 20 percent of diners rank healthiness as an important factor when ordering dinner. Taste and hunger satisfaction rank significantly higher at 77 and 44 percent respectively. However, over three-quarters of the same survey sample say they want to see more healthy items on the menu. Confusing things further, only 51 percent of these people actually order healthy meals. This could be attributed to the typically higher cost of healthier menu items, but more than likely, customers simply don’t believe the healthier meals will taste as good as the ones that are higher in calories and fat.

The ultimate goal, then, seems to be creating options that are healthy, but still make diners’ mouths water when they see them on the menu. Using terms such as “fresh ingredients” and “flavorfully seasoned” can help appeal to the health-conscious crowd without making the food seem boring and uninviting. Another simple option is offering your regular dishes in smaller portions and listing the nutritional information. This will let diners feel like they still indulge in their favorite foods without compromising their diet.

Healthy is Trendy
A previous post listed some of the latest trends in the restaurant industry according to a National Restaurant Association survey. Several of these trends indicate that more than ever, diners are ordering healthier meals, which doesn’t just include lower fat and fewer calories. In fact, it appears that organic and gluten-free foods top the list of options customers want to see more often on restaurant menus.

You may not want to transform your eatery into a 100 percent organic establishment, but there are ways to incorporate organic elements into your menu. Certain meals can be made with all organic ingredients, or you could only use organic vegetables for your signature sauce. While ordering organic ingredients can be more expensive, it may be worth it if it caters to a growing trend.

It appears “gluten-free” has become the new buzzword in the past couple of years, and it may seem like it’s just the latest diagnostic fad in health care, with doctors telling patients they need to stay away from wheat, barley, rye and the like. But, according to celiac.com, 1 in 133 Americans can’t consume gluten and are restricting their diets for health reasons, so restaurants may find themselves losing customers if they don’t cater to their needs. Chains such as Carabba’s Italian Grill and P.F. Chang’s are already featuring menu items that are gluten-free. It may be beneficial to follow their lead.

The Skinny
Whether you’re thinking of opening a restaurant that only offers healthy options or you just want to keep up with industry trends, the bottom line is that if you consider the needs and preferences of health-conscious diners, you can broaden your customer base and possibly bolster sales. Not to mention the additional benefit of knowing that you’re contributing to diners making healthier choices.

Everybody has a favorite soup. Maybe it’s a rich tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich from a local diner. Or your favorite aunt’s chicken soup, which may still be the only cure for the flu. Maybe a chowder, a bisque or a stew hit the spot when you were growing up. After 9,000 years in existence, soup may qualify as the ultimate comfort food.

A Growing Market
Soups, stews and chilies are making a resurgence on restaurant menus, driven largely by soup lovers who constantly crave new flavors and by diners seeking healthier menu choices. The movement has helped free soup from its lunch-only, left-side-of-the-menu status.

The trends in homemade soup mirror what’s happening across the food industry, according to Campbell Kitchen’s Vice President Lucinda Ayers. A study her company conducted identified emerging soup flavors that include watermelon, rhubarb, celery, pork belly, grapefruit and coconut, and trends that include figs, pomegranate, beets, cauliflower, acai and whole grains.

Seafood soup is also growing in popularity, according to the Foodservice Research Institute, with almost 22% of the operators it surveyed offering a seafood soup or chowder, up from almost 18% in 2005.

No Shortage of New Ideas
There’s no way to predict which flavors will catch on next, or when fruit bat soup will finally take its rightful place in the mainstream (see below). Even the age-old practice of breaking crackers or dipping bread into soup has evolved. There are conflicting stories about the origin of Neo Kobe Pizza, but one theory holds that a Japanese student accidentally dropped a slice of pizza into a bowl of soup and ushered in the new taste sensation.

You can even buy soup flavors made by Al Yegahen, the man who inspired the Soup Nazi character on Seinfeld. Marketed under the Original SoupMan label, the soups are available frozen in a wide array of supermarkets.

Ready the Bowls
So, even after 9,000 years, soup still manages to hold a few surprises, while maintaining its place in the lives and memories of almost anyone you talk to. And that’s good news for you, especially now that temperatures are starting to drop and flu season’s just around the corner.

Beyond Chicken Noodle

For the more adventurous, here’s a brief look at some of the more unusual soups you’ll find from around the world. Bon appétit!

Menudo
This is a popular, traditional Mexican soup often reserved for special occasions. It’s made with tripe (cow stomach), onions, cilantro, oregano, chilies and hominy.

Bird Nest Soup
This Chinese delicacy made from the nests of Swiftlet birds sells for as much as $100 a bowl. Don’t ask what holds the nests together.

Deer Placenta Soup
The Chinese swear this blend of mushrooms, flowers, black chicken and deer tendon helps your skin, kidneys and general vitality.

Kiburu Soup
From the Chagga tribe that lives at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, this soup is made of sweet bananas, beans and dirt.

Fruit Bat Soup
This delicacy comes from the Pacific island of Palau, where you can treat yourself to the title ingredient cooked in coconut milk, ginger and spices, then boiled for several hours. At some restaurants, you can choose your bat before the chef cooks it alive in boiling water.

From a customer standpoint, there’s nothing more frustrating than having to wait, whether it be at the bar to order a drink, behind the guy at lunch who can’t decide what he’s in the mood for, or sitting (im)patiently at the table for the server to bring the check. The same goes for restaurant and bar operators—there’s nothing more frustrating than losing customers as a result of slow service. Lucky for all of us, those days may soon be behind us thanks to the advent of mobile menuing technology.

There’s An App for That
In late 2009, restaurateurs jumped on the iPhone app bandwagon, and they don’t seem to be slowing down. Dunkin’ Donuts introduced Dunkin Run, fast-food giant Burger King launched the location-aware NOW, and within three months of inception, Pizza Hut’s iPhone and iPod touch ordering application generated over $1 million in sales for the chain.

More recently, Chipotle, the fast-casual franchise that’s equally as famous for its huge burritos as it is for its use of organic ingredients, recently released its own ordering app, which lets users browse restaurant locations, view the menu, custom build an order, and pay for it—all without leaving their desk.

Web-Based Mobile Menuing
Austin-based start-up company, SpeedMenu, has taken the concept a step further and just developed the first web-based mobile menu and payment system.

SpeedMenu is free to the user (the restaurant pays a modest monthly fee), is accessible on any Internet-enabled phone, and works by completely integrating the user’s cell phone with the restaurant’s POS system. After customers place their first order with their server, a ticket will be generated that includes a location, PIN, and table number. Customers simply input that information at www.SpeedMenu.com using their mobile device, and—voilà—they are instantly connected. From here they can securely:

• Connect to your menu
• View their tab
• Place an order
• Close out and pay
• Send a receipt to their email account

Dinerware Certification
Although new to the market, leading restaurant POS software developer, Dinerware, has already certified SpeedMenu. “The Virtual Client in Dinerware version 3.0 enables third-party product integrations that allow restaurateurs to select specific functionalities for their business models and plans for growth,” said Jeff Riley, Dinerware CEO. “We are excited about our certification of SpeedMenu which enables restaurateurs to streamline on-the-floor operations and provide guests the ability instantly add to, close out or pay their bills.” Additionally, SpeedMenu interoperates with social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, allowing restaurateurs to promote specials.

Mobile Ordering Integration
Fellow Austinites Lanai Rooftop Lounge, was looking for a way to capture more sales and maximize efficiencies without adding overhead. After integrating SpeedMenu on their Dinerware POS system, they received an additional 120 drink orders in just the first night, allowing them to ultimately increase profits, and customer satisfaction without increasing staff size.

With more and more consumers relying on their smartphones to make daily tasks a little more convenient, expect more and more establishments to develop their own version of the mobile menuing tool. And if current performance is any indicator of future success, this innovative new concept just may revolutionize the restaurant experience.

Starting a restaurant is by nature a difficult and trying endeavor. Studies have shown that an average of 50-60 percent of restaurants fail within the first five years, and 23 percent fail within the first year. That’s when the economy is healthy. Add a down economy to the mix and flying pigs would seem a more possible scenario than opening a successful establishment.

So if you’re an ambitious restaurant entrepreneur, should you just wait until the economy is in better shape before tackling a new eatery? Not necessarily.

If you have all of the right ingredients, you can build an establishment that caters to a penny-pinching public, and can survive through a struggling economy and beyond.

Keep an Open Mind
You’ve been dreaming about your restaurant for a long time. You’ve developed your ideal concept, brainstormed menu ideas and shopped around for the perfect décor. It’s all set in stone. While it’s great to have a plan and set lofty goals, it may behoove you to think outside your firmly established box. Especially in a recession when people are choosing to stay home and cook, it’s crucial to stand out from the competition. So if you’re opening an Italian restaurant, for instance, and the area where you’re planning to open your location is already saturated with traditional Italian eateries, consider opening an Italian-Mediterranean fusion restaurant to stand out from the crowd. Be imaginative, find out what the people want and be willing to stray from your original plan to get customers through the door.

Follow the Trends
While your mind is open, you might as well entertain the idea of incorporating some of the latest trends in the food service industry into your concept. While you don’t want to base your entire restaurant on a trend that may not last, giving the public a taste of something new—even if it may be temporary—can give you a leg up on your competitors. According to the National Restaurant Association’s “Chef Survey: What’s Hot in 2009,” some of the top trends that are bringing diners back to the table include:

• Locally grown produce
• Nutritionally balanced kids’ meals
• Sustainable seafood
• Gluten-free/food allergy conscious options
• Free range poultry and pork

Or come up with other ideas that create interaction between your chef and diners, like cooking demonstrations or classes. Give customers an experience and options they can’t find anywhere else or recreate at home and you’ll give them a reason to put eating out back in their budget.

Preparation with a Capital P
It may go without saying that undercapitalization and success don’t go hand-in-hand, but in a tough economy, having sufficient capital before you ever start building your restaurant is absolutely crucial. While you may have enough money to open your business, do you have enough to keep it open? It’s a good idea to have enough capital to operate for six months from the start, as well as a back-up source for capital that you can tap into if the economy doesn’t bounce back for a while.

Read one of our recent posts, “Throughput: How to Make Sales Per Hour Work for You,” for tips on how to operate more profitably, even in a down economy.

The Main Ingredient
For any restaurant to last, recession or not, it has to give customers a reason to go out to eat. Choose your target market and find out what they want. Then combine that with what you do best and add a pinch of creativity to cook up a popular restaurant that can take the heat, even in a down economy.

President Obama doesn’t have any problem eating Gulf Coast seafood. His chef, White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, doesn’t have any problem preparing it. Neither do a lot of restaurants in New Orleans, a city on the leading edge of the culinary world and the water’s edge of this summer’s massive BP oil spill. But the scientific community jury is still out, large areas of the Gulf remain closed to fishing, and it will be years before the spill’s full effect will be known.

So, should you worry about eating seafood now from the Gulf? More importantly, should you worry about serving it to your customers? You might be curious to hear some of the early returns.

The Government Effort
The federal government is working hard to assure everyone that Gulf seafood is safe. In July, President Obama hosted a ceremony honoring the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. The main course? Gulf shrimp. His chef toured New Orleans recently to promote the area’s seafood. More significantly, the government has opened more of the Gulf to commercial and recreational fishing and shrimping after testing showed no signs of risk. Today, only 18 percent of the Gulf remains closed, down from around 37 percent in June.

And, of course, the Gulf Coast fishing and shrimping industry is anxious to get healthy again itself. They have support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Jane Lubchenco, NOAA’s administrator. Lubchenco said government scientists have been regularly monitoring shrimp from the Gulf and will continue to, and the reopening of closed waters is another signal to tourists that the northern Gulf is open for business.

The government and the industry also have real opponents in the two-dozen organizations that feel the government reopened the waters prematurely. The united group, which includes the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Gulf Restoration Network, have called for the NOAA and the FDA to make substantial changes in Gulf seafood testing.

The Public Weighs In
If you’re looking for guidance from the public, consider the record crowds that attended this year’s New Orleans Seafood Festival, held the weekend of September 11. Locals and tourists alike answered a resounding “Don’t worry about it” as they sampled crab, catfish, shrimp and oysters from the Gulf. As one attendee put it, “It hasn’t killed me yet.”

Adrian Marin, whose Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts was one of 20 vendors participating in the three-day event, said it was encouraging to see a festival full of vendors serving seafood and a crowd of people wanting to eat it.

According to Chris Lusk, executive chef of Café Adelaide in New Orleans, “Right now it is the safest seafood it has ever been in history with the different regulatory agencies checking it five or six times.” Lusk said when Gulf seafood wasn’t available, he juggled purveyors and reassured customers that his restaurant would never serve anything he wouldn’t serve to his family.

Use Common Sense
As an operator, you have important decisions to make, and a reputation to maintain, just like the government and the restaurants that offer Gulf seafood. Common sense says to continue to rely on suppliers you can trust, find different sources if you’re not confident, and continue following the story.

When you’re trying to decide whether or not to eat Gulf seafood, take comfort from the willing guinea pigs who attended the New Orleans Festival. Or, find someone like Chris Lusk.

The infamous school cafeteria menu has survived several presidencies, but it won’t be around much longer if the Obama administration has anything to do with it. With the obesity rate rising among children, the administration is making every effort to overhaul the much scrutinized school lunch program, which means stricter guidelines for cafeteria operators.

Transforming School Lunches

A growing number of children across the country (31 million to be exact) participate in school lunch programs every day, and as they shuffle back to school this fall, they’ll realize their once favorite sweet and salty snacks will be hard to come by, and some may even be asking, “where’s the beef?”

In response to changing school nutrition legislation, cafeteria operators nationwide have started trading the tater tots for sweet potatoes, and using leaner proteins in place of red meat. And Let’s Move, First Lady Michelle Obama’s nationwide initiative to raise a healthier generation, can be credited for jump starting this nutrition revolution.

Cool*Cafs in Schools

In Fall 2008, leading foodservice provider, ARAMARK Education, pilot tested Cool*Caf in 16 schools. This kid-friendly lunchroom-dining environment features ARAMARK’s wellness menus alongside a fresh fruit and veggie bar. Pilot results showed a 50% leap in fruit and veggie consumption in some schools, and a 10-30% increase in meal participation, a key factor for schools seeking to increase federal funding for their food service program. This concept was so well received that in 2009 ARAMARK began the launch of 500 Cool*Cafs in schools across the country.

Healthier Lunchroom Favorites

More recently this past July, fellow advocates, the School Nutrition Association (SNA), hosted their 64^th Annual National Conference. Thousands of school foodservice professionals gathered to learn how changing legislation would impact their cafeterias, and how to put a healthier twist on lunchroom favorites.

You can cut the fat and calories your school’s cafeteria serves, by following these healthy tips:

• Eliminate foods with added trans fats
• Replace pre-packaged items with nutrient-dense snacks
• Reduce the use of sugar and salt-laden processed foods
• Add more whole grains, fruits and veggies
• Use lean protein like fish, chicken and turkey instead of red meat
• Offer low-fat or non-fat diary options
• Make heart healthy and moist desserts with bean purée

With a few easy substitutions you can still serve lunchroom favorites, and change the way kids think about healthy eating:

• Skip the chips. Some kids find vegetables and fruit more appealing when they’re sliced or bite sized. Offer a raw medley of baby carrots, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes with ranch dipping sauce, or a seasonal berry salad.
• Add jicama. A cousin of the sweet potato, this versatile, sweet and crispy root can be eaten raw, gives texture to both fruit and vegetable salads, or can be used as a dip carrier instead of chips.
• Burgers and fries? Bake sweet potato fries and ground turkey patties, for a heart-healthy, and savory version of this classic.
• Pizza or mac & cheese? Use enriched whole wheat or multi-grain dough and pasta, 1% milk, and park-skim cheeses

With a little imagination, you can rework your cafeteria menu, and provide tastier, healthy options both students and their parents will appreciate.

In this economic crunch, everyone’s looking for a little extra value. As a restaurant operator, you’ve likely seen this firsthand, as cost-conscious diners continue to seek out satisfying dishes at lower prices. As a result, many customers are bypassing once-popular appetizers like soups or salads and heading straight to the main course. Darren Tristano, Executive Vice President at foodservice research firm, Technomic, Inc., explains this trend:

To justify spending on items from the left side of the menu, they want more value—dishes with unique flavors they can’t make at home, or are large enough to share or eat as an entrée …

With this in mind, it’s more important than ever to make sure your restaurant’s soups and salads work just as well on their own as they do before the main course. Luckily, it couldn’t be easier to move beyond boring chicken noodle soups and dull Caesar salads. The same pastas you serve as individual entrees are just what you need to dress up your current soup and salad recipes. Here are some creative ways to work pasta into your restaurant’s appetizers today:

• Add filled pastas, like ravioli and tortellini, to your beef or vegetable stock for a heartier, more satisfying soup.
• Toss chilled tortellini rings over a bed of crisp seasonal greens, and you’ve got a summertime salad that’s both filling and refreshing. For added flavor and variety, top with your choice of a juice-based vinaigrette or creamy pesto dressing.
• Throw in some rich, egg noodles the next time you whip up a batch of bean soup for a tasty twist on classic pasta fagioli.
• For a hot spin on dinner salads, try a warm lasagna salad; just top your garden salad with a portion of your restaurant’s lasagna, then finish with cheese and croutons for extra flavor.
• Capitalize on the growing popularity of traditional Vietnamese pho and Chinese hot pot dishes by adding long noodles, tofu, shitake mushrooms and miso paste to your chicken soup recipe. Season with soy sauce, and you have a fresh take on an old menu standby!

Pasta makes it easy to transform your standby recipes into exciting new dishes. Give your customers a reason to choose soups and salads by adding variety and value to your menu.

Part 2 of 2

Now you know just how easy it is to save money and conserve energy with a few quick changes to your restaurant’s water and electricity use. But why stop there? Remember the three R’s — reduce, reuse and recycle! From doing away with Styrofoam tableware to starting a compost pile, you can improve your operation’s environmental efficiency through the simplest substitutions or the most creative recycling programs. We’ll help you find the right balance for your restaurant.

Repairs and Remodels
As any operator can tell you, there’s no way to avoid the occasional repair or remodeling job. Whether your restaurant’s in need of some minor renovations or a total overhaul, there are plenty of ways to go green without going overboard on your budget. Recycled brick, stone and wood products offer interesting (and eco-friendly) alternatives to standard construction materials, while natural lighting sources like windows and sun lights create a more enjoyable dining room atmosphere than harsh overhead bulbs. Insulated walls keep your heating and cooling systems running more efficiently. And low- or no-VOC paints help keep unhealthy emissions at bay. Factor in added savings from government-issued tax breaks on environmentally friendly buildings, and it’s no wonder green buildings can save owners up to 9% in operating expenses.

Replace & Re-use

Running an eco-friendly restaurant won’t just save you money; it can actually improve the efficiency of your operation, too. Even a few small substitutions can cut down on waste and speed up service. For instance, rather than distributing fresh paper menus each time you set a new table, have them laminated instead; just wipe them down after use, and you’re ready for your next table. If you serve soft drinks, do away with individual bottles or cans (and the wasted aluminum and glass they leave behind), and invest in a fountain-style dispenser. Or simply replace Styrofoam plates and plastic cups with tableware made from recycled paper or plastic.

Recycle
Even the greenest restaurants know that some waste is inevitable. For that unavoidable trash, take advantage of your community’s recycling programs and relegate old papers, bottles and cans to the recycling bins, not the dumpsters. Commercial composting services offers another easy alternative to trashing leftover food. You’ll not only save valuable trash bin space; you just might reduce weekly garbage pickups and the accompanying fees as well!

Donate
For those remaining scraps and supplies, consider a donation to your local food pantry or community center. Most will gladly pick up your excess ingredients or leftover kitchen equipment for free, saving you money (from trash pickup fees) while you do good.

This spring is the perfect time to join the green movement and make your restaurant a little more environmentally friendly. Even the simplest changes can lower your operation’s expenses while reducing your restaurant’s wasted energy and refuse. After all, it’s not about changing the world; it’s about doing your part to run a greener business, one step at a time.

Part 1 of 2

These days, you’ve probably heard a lot about running a more sustainable, environmentally friendly restaurant. But it takes so much effort to keep your operation running smoothly, the last thing you want to do is change the formula that’s working for you! Don’t worry — it’s easier than you’d think to run a greener establishment with just a few quick changes to your daily operations, and with all the incentives out there for eco-friendly restaurateurs, the timing couldn’t be better to start “greening” your business.

In our two-part series on greener restaurants, we’ll give you some surprisingly simple tips for conserving water, energy and cash. We’ll also show you how to use the three R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle) to run a cleaner, greener establishment. You can improve your operation’s environmental efficiency through the simplest substitutions or the most creative recycling programs. We’ll help you find the right balance for your restaurant.

Energy Conservation
Begin by taking a look at your business’ energy consumption. After all, for many restaurants, energy is the third largest controllable expense after food and labor costs. Considering restaurants consume more electricity and use five times more energy per square foot than other commercial establishments, it’s no surprise that utility bills can comprise up to 30% of a business’ yearly budget. Luckily, it couldn’t be easier to improve your restaurant’s energy efficiency while lowering water and electricity bills to boot.

Lighting & Electricity
Lighting is a great place to start. First, switch out your old incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED alternatives for longer-lasting, energy-efficient lighting solutions. This simple swap can save you roughly $30 in electricity bills over the course of each bulb’s life; that translates to hundreds of dollars in savings (not to mention fewer light bulb changes) when you replace all your restaurant’s lighting.

For further savings, don’t forget to turn off any unused lights, both inside and outside your restaurant. (If security is a concern, try replacing lighting fixtures with motion detectors. It’s an easy way to conserve energy without scrimping on safety.)

Water Conservation
Make sure your restaurant is conserving water, as well. Wait to run your dishwasher or washing machine until you’ve got full loads, and take time to select the right volume settings to avoid wasting water. Instead of defrosting frozen foods under running water, stick them in the fridge instead. And look toward tankless water heaters and low-flow toilets to keep your restaurant’s plumbing system as energy-efficient as the rest of your place.

Energy Star Appliances
To conserve additional energy (and save even more on electricity), unplug appliances in the kitchen and dining area after use, and consider newer Energy Star models when it comes time to replace old appliances. Make sure to keep them clean and well-maintained so they run as efficiently as they did the day you bought them!

Energy Monitoring
Additionally, look into installing an energy monitoring system to record restaurant-specific energy consumption data and compare it against predicted energy use. These remote monitoring systems let restaurant operators control everything from ceiling fans to thermostats and access their business’ energy rates online at any time, meaning equipment misuse or malfunctions can be corrected right away – before they create unnecessary expenses.

Factor in government-issued credits for energy-efficient businesses, and it’s no wonder operators are watching their utility costs decrease for the first time in months, if not years.

When it comes to greening your restaurant, there’s no better place to start than with your daily utilities. Keep a closer eye on your business’ water and electricity use, and you’ll see for yourself why increased energy efficiency goes hand in hand with higher profits.

Check back later for part two in our Green Restaurants series to learn how the right recycling program can work for your restaurant!