A fast food pioneer in Europe since 1971, today the brand has 453 restaurants. To this end, we have a policy of continuous improvement of the environmental quality as well as the energy efficiency of our restaurants.

HEQ Approach

In April 2009 in Dammarie-Lès-Lys (77), we opened the first restaurant to integrate the entire High Environmental Quality (HEQ) approach.  On one hand, this approach made it possible to limit the ecological footprint of the building thanks to eco-construction procedures and an adjustment of consumption to energy requirements:

• Installation of solar panels on the green roof (made from succulent plants that fix pollution providing better air quality and improved insulation) permitting coverage of 40% of the energy requirement for hot sanitary water production.
• Recovery in a rainwater and run-off water leaching basin reused to water green areas.
• Use of renewable energy resources
• Use of a low temperature coating for the surfacing of the ground of car parks and the drive track.

On the other hand, the HEQ approach contributes to creating a healthy, comfortable space inside with a 100% wooden structure entirely sourced from sustainably managed forests. Low noise level equipment, low energy light bulbs and low volatile organic compound content paint contribute further to making it a quality space in which to eat and work.

The operation of this pilot restaurant should make it possible to gather the information necessary to establish specifications for the construction, renovation and restoration of the group’s other restaurants.

Switch On/Off Plan

Management of resources is a central element of our environmental impact reduction policy because it is directly linked to our greenhouse gas emissions and to the operating costs of our restaurants. On average, a restaurant uses some 1,400 kWh of energy per day (figures for 2007).

In order to rationalize our energy consumption, we launched the Switch On/Off Plan. This plan is based on simple practices such as switching various equipment on and off in accordance with the real needs of the restaurant: grills, extractor fans, air conditioning, dish washer, etc. The practice shows that compliance with this procedure produces energy savings of up to an annual reduction of 5% in requirements.