Robin and Eric Gagnon, restaurant brokers and owners of We Sell Restaurants, focused on 2014 trends in this week's appearance on Talk 920 and Biz 1190 in the nation's seventh largest media market.  Their radio show topiced energy efficience as one of the trends that sees no end in sight.  

They were joined by Robb Stanek of Powerhouse Dynamics.  Robb Stanek is the Regional Sales Manager, a company who specializes in helping QSR, Fast casual restaurants and other small commercial facilities measure, analyze and manage their energy consumption and reducing dollars spent on energy.  For over twenty years he has been assisting clients in finding solutions that meet their needs, and he also holds an Engineering degree.

Robin ask this expert to weigh in on the topic of green energy, in particular, how it has been part of the restaurant landscape for a full decade but continues to be a hot trend for 2014 and beyond.  The restaurant broker points out that conserving energy also involves plenty of cost savings. Mr. Stanek agrees, stating that "sustainability with a focus on energy means you can translate those savings into real dollars." 

Energy efficiency is also attained through new equipment.  As a restaurant broker, Eric is exposed to old and new equipment every day.  He asks the guest to weigh in on how restaurant equipment and new technology affect an owner's energy costs.  Mr. Stanek responds, saying that many places wind up inheriting older equipment when they buy the building, without realizing that it costs more to run the older equipment than new appliances. He reveals that part of his job is to educate restaurant owners about how much these older appliances are truly costing them.

How does energy efficency affect operations?  Well the restaurant brokers and their guests point out that knowing if your coolers are at the right temperature can affect food handling and food safety.  Special software and equipment can help restaurants see where they can make changes to become more energy efficient.

Over time, energy efficient appliances have been the trend, and Mr. Stanek tell the restaurant brokers that his company can help restaurants figure out exactly what their appliances are costing them yearly. He said, “We’ve got some great examples of clients that said ‘I had no idea we were leaving that on all the time’ or ‘I had no idea we flipped that on in the morning at 6 and we closed at 11 o’clock; we only needed it four hours a day, why did I leave that on?’ and it may cost you 800 thousand bucks a year.”

Heating and cooling costs are another opportunity to save and Stanek says they set up restaurant clients to remotely set the temperature and keep track of it. There are always instances when employees mess with the temperature, or need to adjust it at a customer’s request, and forget to turn it back to normal.

The restaurant brokers and their guests show that controlling costs and being green is not a short term trend but a long term commitment that improves operations, cost savings and helps the environment.  Robb Stanek’s and his firm helps restaurants cut down their energy costs by understanding what they are actually spending and keeping track of it. You can connect with him on the web at powerhousedynanmics.com.

Geared towards a national audience of would-be restaurant owners, investors, foodies, the hospitality industry and people related to the restaurant world, We Sell Restaurants is on the radio every Saturday at noon on Talk 920 and again on Sunday at 1pm on Biz 1190. The goal of their show is to Satify your Appetite for Acquistion, Fed the Need for Restaurant Reality and Serve up a Recipe for Business Success.  

You can reach the restaurant brokers on their powerhouse restaurant for sale site, wesellrestaurants.com or download each week's broadcast from the iTunes store at the line below.