Veteran restaurant designer Michelle Bushey explains the why and the how behind the QSR category’s growing trend toward greener kitchens.

Green is a way of being that QSR customers expect from their brands today and many fast food companies have stepped up to the table to launch initiatives on everything from more environmentally centered packaging and locally sourced ingredients, to waste control and solar energy initiatives. But how green are your brand’s kitchens?

Recently, QSRweb was discussing the latest QSR interior design trends with Michelle Bushey, a veteran restaurant designer for brands like Domino’s, Golden Chick and many others. She said one of the biggest waves of limited-service movement currently that she sees revolves around the creation, augmentation and overall efficiencies afforded by green kitchens and their many moving parts.

Granted, the conveyor you use or the vent hoods you have in place may not be as “sexy” a sell to the customer, as more outwardly visible features like furnishings or packaging, but in Bushey’s view, these types of tools are just as important, if not more so, in upholding a green business ethos.

To that end, we’re sharing our recent conversation around the topic of green kitchens with Bushey to get restaurateurs’ mental wheels clicking away on the subject and the many ways they can participate in it.

Q: Michelle, let’s just start with a good foundation by having you explain what green kitchen design encompasses.

A:Green Kitchen Design encompasses more than just design. It’s a platform — a way of doing business in both front- and back-of-house, that is not only environmentally conscious and sustainable, but also healthier for the customer. It’s about creating a better experience through the use of equipment and processes that cut down on utility consumption, reduce the carbon footprint and increase output, with fewer mistakes and less time using technology, while providing a superior product.

Q: Can you give us an example or two of this in motion in the limited-service kitchen?

A: In using this platform, not only is energy consumption reduced, but fewer pollutants are released into the air. Acrolein — a known carcinogen — is created by combining the vapor produced by deep fat-frying, with the carbon in the air from open-flame cooking.

There are no fryers or open flame cooking methods used in this system, hence no harmful chemicals released. (This system uses) fats, oils (and) greases (FOG) through the installation of a grease interceptor — a liquid separator that reduces the amount of FOG in wastewater, as well as solid food particles. Because it never makes it to your drains, it can greatly reduce the cost of grease trap maintenance.

Q: Is there a central focus or cooking approach used in a green kitchen that this type of production is based around?
A: Green Kitchens themselves are based on vent-less cooking and include ovens with an impingement airflow system and catalytic converters that offer high-quality full cooking and baking capabilities — up to five times faster than that of conventional equipment in a much smaller footprint. This technology is also offered in conveyor as well. The ovens can be stacked two-high and conveyors up to three-high. Conveyors can cook up to 100 12-inch pizzas in an hour.

Q: What other platforms are used by restaurant brands to really embrace this idea and practice in daily restaurant operation, and what kinds of benefits do they deliver?
A:The use of induction cooking for stovetops produces food with more speed and control over the process. It uses 90% less energy than electric heating, 70% less energy than gas, eliminates carbon emissions and the chance of fire. Induction is also used to replace traditional steam tables and accommodates standard hotel plans as well as custom configurations. Through the use of a powerful, high frequency electromagnet under a ceramic surface the energy is transferred to cookware that contains magnesium which in turn causes the metal to become hot – the amount of heat created can be changed instantaneously.

Another piece of equipment we like to utilize on the platform is a combi-oven. This single piece can replace several others as it has the ability to roast, steam, sous vide, smoke, braise, bake, re-thermalize and even oven-fry foods.

We utilize a grease interceptor for this, rather than drain into a grease trap, again cutting costs. Also, depending on the requirements of the city or municipality you are located, a hood is not required for an electric combi-oven. If a hood is required, there are several manufacturers that have ovens with the hood built in — avoiding the costs of putting in Type 1 hoods and an ANSUL system.

There are also ovens that cook, cool, freeze and re-thermalize — again, replacing several pieces, and great for everything from large kitchens, catering chains, as well as QSR and fast casual concepts.

Q: But I assume these tools have a learning curve and that you see a lot of brands clinging to their old ways in the kitchen, or is that a false impression?
A: There are still many concepts that insist on having pieces of traditional equipment, such as fryers and flat tops, and are located in buildings where hoods and ductwork are not practical or possible, such as historical buildings or other spaces where they do not have access to a duct work system.

In these instances, we specify equipment with built-in hoods or vent-Less hood systems. These hoods allow you to operate commercial equipment through the use of a filtration system and recirculating the air. (They) are available in a variety of sizes to accommodate different pieces of equipment.

Q: Lastly, can you tell us a little bit about the types of foodservice concepts that are really embracing these types of kitchens?

A: With regards to brands and industries, there are quite a few, from c-stores to restaurants. To name a few would be Subway, Starbucks, Quicktrip. 7 -11 has been experimenting with the platform. C-stores — which are a quick-serve concept — have embraced the technology from cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, to making pizzas and sandwiches.

Starbucks has used impingement ovens for years to make their sandwiches and sous vide egg bites, among other items. We installed a Green Kitchen at the Hilton Canopy in Dallas and Pie Five is a vent-less pizza concept. We do have several national and international brands currently in the R & D phase, but I cannot comment on who, due to signed NDAs.