Gurnee, IL Chipotle Among First LEED® Certified Restaurants in the US
Location
6040 Gurnee Mills Blvd East, Gurnee, IL 60031 map
By Amanda Cornish
6040 Gurnee Mills Blvd. East
Chipotle Mexican Grill, a company known for using fresh, locally-grown ingredients is expanding its commitment to social responsibility to include a new, environmentally-savvy restaurant. After opening two green locations in Austin, Texas, Chipotle has opened up a third green restaurant in Gurnee, Illinois.
The Gurnee restaurant features a six-kilowatt wind turbine that will contribute approximately 7.5 percent of the restaurant’s total energy needs. “The wind turbine is a symbol of our intent to design and build our restaurants more efficiently and environmentally friendly,” Steve Ells, founder, chairman and CEO of Chipotle said. “We want to incorporate some elements of sustainable design into all of our new restaurants.”
The Gurnee Chipotle sucessfully achieved LEED® Silver Certification by opening day, and is now among the first LEED®-Certified restaurants in the nation. In addition to the wind turbine, the building includes green construction materials including fly-ash in the concrete. Fly-ash, a byproduct of coal combustion that is usually disposed of as waste, is used to strengthen the concrete and make it more durable. The use of fly-ash in the concrete contributes to the amount of recycled material used in the building. Energy Star® appliances are being used to reduce energy consumption and decrease operating expenses. LED lights which have an average life of twenty times longer than traditional restaurant lighting were used throughout the restaurant. Chipotle has instituted a Green Housekeeping Policy, which will work to reduce the use of hazardous chemical cleaners and emphasize products that reduce the need for packaging. Additional green programs have been implemented to promote environmentally-friendly practices for both staff and customers. The programs include: an in-store recycling program to capture glass, plastic and cardboard from the kitchen and dining room.
Chipotle didn’t stop greening at the front door. The environmentally-friendly construction continues on the roof and in the parking lot. The restaurant’s roof will have a high Solar Reflective Index (SRI), which can reduce cooling needs in the summer and can slow the production of smog, which is produced faster at higher temperatures. The concrete in the parking lot is made from high albedo concrete which reflects the sun’s light rather than absorbing it. This helps to cool the site by reducing re-radiated heat. Additional site cooling will be achieved though the shade generated by the landscaping. The landscaping incorporates to use of primarily native species to reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides. The irrigation system will be fed by a 2,500 gallon rainwater cistern on the roof. Through use of harvested rainwater and water -saving faucets and toilets, the restaurant will use 40% less village-supplied water.
Chipotle will collect and analyze the data generated from the systems in the building and use this data to help the company create an energy model for the restaurant. The data will be used to make continuous improvements to the building systems and to help provide a baseline for changes that can be made to its existing restaurants and to all new restaurants. The Gurnee Chipotle also is closely located to public bus stops and has a bike rack in the front, encouraging patrons to travel there via energy-efficient means.
Tags: flyash, green, in-store recycling, LED lighting, rainwater cistern, restaurant, solar reflective index, water saving faucets, wind turbine
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