How to reduce energy consumption in your restaurant?

Food preparation, food storage and service require the use of energy-intensive equipment. So when energy prices soar, the restaurant industry is one of the first to be impacted. 

However, saving energy in the restaurant business is well within your reach. All you have to do is adopt simple measures and choose efficient equipment that uses little gas or electricity. Discover our tips for lowering your energy bill while improving your environmental performance!

Food service industry plagued by rising energy prices

INSEE estimated that, over one year, consumer prices would increase by 5.6% in September 2022. The price of materials such as meat, dairy products, wheat or oil having risen sharply, it is logical that the restaurant sector has been strongly impacted. In addition, the price of gas, electricity and water has also increased. 

Increasing the price of a la carte dishes, reducing the quantity on the plate, removing certain products from the menu are some of the strategies adopted by restaurant owners to cope with inflation. Customers, who are suffering from a decline in their purchasing power, will not be able to absorb inflation on their own. This would result in an inevitable decline in patronage. 

This may not sound like much to look forward to, but we have some great news for you!

What if the solution to maintain your margin without penalizing your customers' wallets too much was to focus part of your efforts on energy saving? 

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How to save energy in the kitchen? 

In the kitchen, cooking, refrigeration and lighting represent significant energy expenses. What if simple actions could have a big impact on your energy bill? We declare the hunt for energy waste open!

Optimize the cooking process 

In the restaurant sector, cooking is one of the most energy-consuming areas. However, the implementation of new reflexes and the use of specific equipment can considerably reduce your energy consumption.

Here are a few easy things you can do that will make a big difference: 

• Remember to put lids on your pots and pans when cooking. Food cooks faster and this reflex can save you up to 70% of energy according to Futura Planète. 
• Avoid opening the oven door as much as possible. Did you know that one second is enough for the temperature to drop by 5°C? 
• When frying, make sure to respect the ideal temperature which is between 163°C and 177°C. 
• Choose power strips with switches to turn off your appliances when they are no longer in use. 
• Choose equipment with the A, A+ or A++ label.

It is also possible, and strongly recommended, to invest in kitchen equipment that can reduce your establishment's energy consumption. This represents a certain cost at the time of purchase, but the reduction in your energy consumption will be such that these acquisitions will quickly pay for themselves. But what exactly are we talking about? 

Induction cookers immediately come to mind since they can reduce your electricity consumption by 40% to 50%. You can also opt for sequential burners whose flexibility in the setting of the fires will allow you to save 20% of energy. Finally, installing economizers on your cook tops can also be an excellent investment as they can reduce your bill by 20%. 

The secret is also in the maintenance of the different equipment. The more you take care of them and clean them regularly, the more efficient they will be and the longer they will last. 

Reduce cold production 

Food storage is also a major energy expense. Again, there are some simple things you can do to ensure that your refrigerator, freezer and walk-in cooler don't consume too much electricity. Our first tip, which you should think about whendesigning your kitchen, is to keep your refrigeration appliances away from heat sources. They should be positioned opposite the cooking hobs or the grill and 5 cm or 10 cm from the wall.

Do you ever put freshly cooked food in the fridge? Quickly get rid of this habit which increases the temperature of the fridge and let them cool down in the open air before putting them in the fridge. 

To limit the opening of your freezer or refrigerator doors, consider grouping your deliveries. You should also organize your food rationally (cold zone, cool zone, temperate zone). This way, you will find them more easily and close the door more quickly. 

Both cold production and cooking equipment produce a lot of heat. However, in a circular logic, this heat can be recovered and used again for the domestic hot water of your restaurant or for heating. To do this, you need a heat exchanger or a thermodynamic tank. You will kill two birds with one stone by making substantial energy savings while doing something for the planet.  

👉 To go further: supplies for your restaurant: the complete list

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Reduce energy consumption in the room

Monitor the lighting

You should not neglect the weight of lighting in your electricity bill. The first thing to do is toequip your restaurant with LED s (light emitting diodes). They are more expensive than traditional bulbs, but your investment will be largely compensated by their lifespan, about ten years on average. They are also much more profitable than halogen bulbs since they consume ten times less electricity. 

You arrive at the restaurant and notice that the cloudy, even rainy weather makes your establishment particularly dark. You decide to turn on your lights. As the day progresses, the sky clears and the lights are no longer needed. But, completely consumed by your work, you don't realize it and leave them on until closing time. Who hasn't done this before, honestly? Try to make the most of natural light. 

Rooms where people pass through, such as toilets or storage areas, can be real energy sinks unless they are equipped with presence detectors. These can replace customers or waiters who forget to turn off the lights.

Finally, before you leave, be sure to turn off your sign for the night. 

Adjusting the heating 

It is perfectly possible to save energy by adjusting the temperature in your restaurant. To do this, make sure you don't overheat your establishment. In winter, you can keep the temperature around 19 degrees. If your kitchen is partially or completely open to the dining room, do not neglect the heating power of your cooking appliances. However, you will need to equip your restaurant with a good ventilation system to prevent your customers from going home with the smell of fried food impregnated in their clothes.  

You can also significantly reduce your energy consumption by turning off the heat when the restaurant closes and then turning it back on 15 minutes before the first customers arrive. 

Finally, consider improving the insulation of your restaurant. You can, for example, install a double-glazed window and/or opt for insulation from the outside. 

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Adjusting your electricity subscription

Have you thought about checking that the power you subscribe to corresponds to the power you use? This little check could save you a lot of money! Indeed, if this is not the case, you can reduce your power by 6kVA by opting for a "yellow tariff" subscription. Also think about comparing energy suppliers. There are many online comparators such as Hello Watt or Energie-infothat will help you choose the cheapest supplier. 

Finally, estimating your gas and electricity consumption in a predictive way can also allow you to anticipate your expenses and especially to realize your progress.

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Educate your team about energy efficiency

You have identified the different actions you can take to reduce your energy consumption. Your next challenge will be to make your team feel as concerned as you do and to encourage them to embrace energy efficiency on a daily basis.

The best way to do this is to establish new procedures for each position, both in the kitchen and in the dining room. You will first have to train them to use the new equipment and to master the new rules. It will take some time to adapt and then all these gestures will become automatic, just like the hygiene rules.

Some employees may be more receptive to the green argument than to your own desire to lower the restaurant's fixed costs, so put all of these arguments on an equal footing. In addition, adopting these new procedures will help you build your "employer brand" and attract employees who want to work in a committed restaurant. 

👉 Going further: 8 tips to avoid food waste in restaurants

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Another way to deal with rising energy costs is to improve your productivity and profitability through digital means!

By using connected solutions, attract more customers, save time on order taking, food preparation and cashiering and increase your revenue.

Call on an Innovorder expert and receive personalized advice for your facility.