SITUATION: | With kitchen equipment responsible for 35 percent of a restaurant’s energy consumption, one of the world’s largest hamburger fast food restaurant chains was looking for ways to reduce the energy consumption of its kitchens. |
EXECUTION: | The chain’s evaluation of opportunities to reduce energy consumption led to the development of a new toasting solution from its longtime partner, Antunes. With the chain’s requirements and goals in mind, Antunes began examining toaster options that would improve upon the existing model in terms of efficiency and reliability. As a result of this research and testing, the new toaster features a platen that is enclosed in a belt wrap, which preserves more heat than the previous version with an exposed platen and contributes to the product’s energy efficiency. Additionally, the previous toaster had metal belts that required more extensive daily cleaning; the new unit’s belt wraps decrease the time spent on daily maintenance. |
RESULT: | The new bun toaster from Antunes was released to the chain in 2015. The innovative design reduces annual energy costs by $1,800 per unit — resulting in millions of dollars in energy savings to the U.S. market. Furthermore, the toaster’s reliability leads to reduced maintenance, which delivers approximately $1,000 per year in labor savings. In addition to a successful rollout, Antunes was recognized as part of the chain’s 2016 supplier energy efficiency program for delivering innovation and energy savings with the rollout of this new bun toaster. “Understanding that the desire for energy savings was driving this chain to make an equipment change, our team was able to develop a product that met that need, while providing added operational benefits. We are proud to partner with them and to be honored with this award,” said Tony Vassos, director of product management & marketing for Antunes. |
ABOUT: | Antunes is a leading custom solutions provider of countertop cooking equipment and water filtration systems for the global market. Headquartered in Carol Stream, Illinois, Antunes is driven by a commitment to offer innovative products, premium quality and personal service rooted in lasting partnerships—to ultimately deliver on its unifying promise: to drive success for every customer. |