National Benefit Service Center, Inc. dba City Java

Orlando, Florida

National Benefit Service Center signFamily-owned National Benefit Service Center had a goal to make its urban food court in downtown Orlando energy efficient and as sustainable as possible. Adding to the challenge they had set for themselves, they purchased a 30-year-old bank branch building to house their concept.

The family developed the City Java coffee café concept, but knew it wasn't enough for the 5,300 square-foot building. So they added both O'Naturals and Haagen-Dazs franchises as well. Their first hurdle was making certain they had a working knowledge of green building practices so that input could be given on the project from the very inception. So the family turned to the ENERGY STAR Small Business website, joined green groups, researched and discussed the project with many individuals. "Suddenly becoming an on the job green builder became a full-time job," says Owner Steven Beumer.

To turn an older building into a highly energy-efficient, green and sustainable building, the Beumer's started by addressing electricity use. Lighting was reworked so that energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) could be used throughout. The family looked for the ENERGY STAR in making all their appliance and equipment decisions. If ENERGY STAR qualified products were not available, the most energy-efficient models were selected. The convection oven and pizza oven were chosen to operate on natural gas rather than electricity.

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) was the next area of focus, and again the ENERGY STAR pointed the way. The new system was set up with four 5 ton units to help create sectors so units could be better controlled for heating or cooling as needed, and to try to avoid the demand-charge that the full HVAC capacity would trigger during peak-use times.

City Java exteriorSealing building leaks was essential and new sweeps and seals were placed on the six existing storefront doors. A sun blocking tint was placed on all storefront windows to block out the worst of the Florida sun and keep the inside cooler. Sustainability concern extended to water usage with the selection of a waterless urinal to save an estimated 15,000 gallons of water a year. New sinks and toilets with low flow fixtures were added. Additionally, in the process of replacing half of the roof, the basic insulation was tripled.

Employee training includes the "energy" story and how the family vision is part of operating the business. Employees are encouraged to share the story with customers. Small round "eco" disks have been placed around the building telling the sustainability story and how the renovation was done.

All these efforts have earned City Java the Downtown Orlando Partnership's Golden Brick award for the most innovative retail renovation in 2007.

"We're very proud of what we have accomplished with no government funding, no grants and no other incentives," Beumer says. "In many cases the cost wasn't much different from doing it in a non-energy-efficient manner. We are operating well below the averages for a restaurant with this square footage."

Beumer has some advice for other small businesses. "Sustainability needs to be the goal before you undertake such a project. When you encounter hurdles, the philosophical desire to go this direction helps you overcome them. Choose your designer and builder carefully. Green building is the wave of the future, but many companies aren't ready for a major project yet. Lastly, be prepared to do this because you want to and it will save you some money. Many organizations aren't geared for helping small businesses, even though hundreds of energy-efficient small businesses can have a greater impact that a few larger ones."

National Benefit Service Center estimates they are saving $18,000 annually in energy costs for the operation of their three restaurants. The savings of over 185,000 kWh per year represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) of over 148 tons, the equivalent of the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of nearly 18 homes.

Contact Information:

Steven Beumer, Owner
44 E Central Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: (407) 872-7422
www.downtowneats.net Exit ENERGY STAR