Yum Brands Inc. (Louisville, Ky.) has opened an eco-friendly KFC-Taco Bell in Northampton, Mass., marking the 11-year-old company's first attempt to seek LEED certification for one of its eateries.
The new restaurant in Massachusetts features a lighting control system that takes advantage of natural light and uses LED lights inside and out where feasible. The site also includes energy efficient kitchen and building equipment, rainwater harvesting, a rain garden that serves as filter for storm water and low-flow water fixtures. In addition, the restaurant uses solar energy to preheat fresh air entering building, reducing the need for natural gas. Counter tops, insulation and materials used in the building were chosen for containing recycled content and wood used in construction was harvested sustainably.
Yum Brands expects these features will cut energy and water consumption by 30 percent and reduce CO2 emissions at the restaurant.
The company, which operates 36,000 KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's, A&W and Wing Street restaurants in more than 110 countries and territories, says the Northampton KFC-Taco Bell is intended as the “first of a series” of projects being pursued by Yum Brands' Building Environmental Sustainability Team as part of the company's Energy Environment and Economics (E3) Initiative, which was launched last year.
Data about the performance of the new restaurant and that of other company sites are expected to inform the Yum Brands’ work to green existing buildings, plan prototypes and develop in restaurants.