With more than 400 franchised restaurants in 17 states, most Americans know Culver’s for its famous butterburgers and custard. But one franchise in Surprise, Arizona, is getting attention for more than just its burgers and cold treats. The restaurant opened in March 2009 and owners opted to install Cree area lights featuring BetaLED® Technology in the parking lot.
 
The restaurant is located in a newly-developed area with a residential neighborhood across the street and no streetlights near the restaurant or on the service road that leads to it. The general contractor for the restaurant, McCon Building Corporation, offered the Cree area lights as an alternate at Culver’s request.
 
The BetaLED® Technology photometrics work very well for the surrounding community, saidChris McGuire, president at McCon Building Corp.
 
“We haven’t heard any complaints from residents that the light is too bright so we feel good about the fact that it isn’t obtrusive,” said Rob Bullock, one of the partners who owns and operates the Surprise, Arizona-based Culver’s. “Since its dark in the surrounding area, it’s nice to have our lot well lit to serve our guests and know we’re saving energy at the same time. We’re so pleased with the lights that we’re installing them at our second newly constructed Culver’s on Camelback Road in Phoenix.”
 
Culver’s doesn’t require its franchise owners to install LED lights, but Bullock and his two partners, Brian Farrell and Zachary Schaefer, selected them as a long-term business investment in the building that they wholly own.
 
Typically a quick serve restaurant LED installation like this will realize a payback in five years or less from energy and maintenance savings. A quicker payback can be realized if rebates are available through a local utility company.
 
Tom Williams, director of design services, Culver Franchising System, Inc. said he looked for ways to cut energy consumption at franchise locations. He saw a BetaLED luminaire demonstration six months before it was available at a lighting show and watched LED solutions develop for a number of years before thoroughly vetting the opportunity.
 
“We looked at the total cost of ownership, not just the initial cost,” Williams said. “After we conducted energy and maintenance savings calculations we began encouraging our franchise owners to install BetaLED lights. It’s an option now but I hope that it becomes a standard.”