Chick-fil-A Opens First LEED-Certified Store

Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A unveiled a restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, that is the company’s first to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The restaurant earned LEED Gold, reports QSR magazine, and will serve as a “living laboratory” for future sustainability practices.

“We kind of built a new store that was going to stretch us and allow us to learn a lot more about how you build smarter buildings,” says Michael Garrison, senior director of environmental stewardship for Chick-fil-A. “Building sustainability is something you can design for, but until you actually go through it and learn from it… This is the best way for us to learn.”

Among the sustainable features are: low-flow water fixtures in the restrooms and kitchen; an underground cistern that collects rainwater for landscape irrigation; skylights in the dining room; windows in the kitchen; and energy efficient appliances. The changes will reduce the Chick-fil-A restaurant’s water use by 40 percent and energy consumption by 14 percent.

The company plans to retrofit 900 of its existing stores with similar features.