Dec 4 2008
The SUBWAY(R) restaurant chain, which has made a commitment to make its restaurants and operations more environmentally accountable, is pleased to announce that the brand's first Eco-Store, located in Kissimmee, Florida, has received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver certification.
There are currently five SUBWAY(R) Eco-stores open and operating, three others of which are currently pending LEED certification. The SUBWAY(R) Eco-Stores are built following US Green Building Council guidelines. LEED is a third-party certification program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
Among the elements of the Kissimmee Eco-Store are high efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, remote condensing units for refrigeration and ice making equipment, day lighting and controls for high efficiency lighting, LED interior and exterior signs, low flow water fixtures, and building and decor materials from sustainable sources. There is also an extensive use of recycled products and furnishings in the construction of the restaurant and an increased emphasis on recycling in customer areas.
"SUBWAY Eco-Stores are designed to reduce energy, and water consumption and waste by using more efficient equipment and practices," said Bill Schettini, Chief Marketing Officer for the SUBWAY(R) chain. "They are built by using cost effective, eco-friendly material in the interior and exterior design and decor, as well as products and treatments that extend the life of the elements and equipment. Our Eco-Store program is just one area where we are trying to make our restaurants and operations more environmentally accountable. As a worldwide chain, we have also taken steps to reduce packaging and develop more energy efficient distribution practices. We are proud of the efforts we have made, but we also recognize that there is much more to do."
The Kissimmee location opened in November 2007 and is providing an opportunity for the brand to measure and compare energy and water saving principles against a duplicate non-eco SUBWAY(R) restaurant three miles away. While it is too early to provide comparative information, preliminary figures show that the Eco-Store enjoys an energy savings of about 20 percent.
Two new Eco-Stores opened recently in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and La Place, Louisiana. The store in La Place was constructed by the franchisee to replace one of her four stores destroyed by Hurricane Katrina three years ago. The other Eco-Stores are in St. Helens and Keizer Station, Oregon. In addition, there are several more in various stages of planning and development plus a number of other SUBWAY(R) franchisees who have incorporated various eco-elements into their own stores.
"Sustainability is something that our customers, as well as those of us associated with SUBWAY, expects of the brand," said La Place Eco-Store franchisee Rajender Pannu, who also owns and operates four other SUBWAY(R) restaurants in the area. "I felt it was important to rebuild my first store as an Eco-Store, so we can meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Whether it is our environmentally friendly store in La Place, or working with suppliers on reducing energy consumption and our environmental footprint, we are all trying to do our part to make a positive impact in this world."
The SUBWAY(R) restaurant chain is the world's largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 30,000 locations in 87 countries. Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami, and Singapore, the SUBWAY(R) chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. The SUBWAY(R) brand was ranked the number one global franchise opportunity in Entrepreneur magazine's 2008 "Annual Franchise 500" listing.