Pizza Fusion to Build LEED Certified Restaurants
Organic, eco-friendly restaurant franchise to construct stores according to green building certification standards.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (PRWEB) July 4, 2007 — Pizza Fusion (www.pizzafusion.com), the leader in the organic restaurant sector and green business practices, recently announced they’ll be constructing the expansion of their new stores according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards set forth by the United States Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org).
LEED Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
“We’re proud to adopt LEED certification into our green business model. It’ll prove beneficial in our endless pursuit to further minimize our ecological footprint,” Michael Gordon, co-founder of Pizza Fusion, explains. “Additionally, the energy efficiency of this industry standard ‘green’ design will provide an excellent return on investment to our franchisees by reducing operational expenses associated with power consumption.”
Pizza Fusion’s first LEED certified restaurant is anticipated to open in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida towards the end of 2007 (making it the first LEED certified restaurant in Florida) followed by their Philadelphia, Pennsylvania location shortly thereafter. Pizza Fusion’s LEED certified restaurants will feature a number of unique, eco-efficient products, techniques and designs, including installing solar panels to provide solar power to their stores and eliminating the use of water heaters and air heating units (in their northern restaurants) by recycling heat from their ovens to warm their water and the restaurants themselves. Other eco-friendly store elements include countertops made from 100% recycled detergent bottles, a 120 square foot glass wall made entirely from reused soda bottles, bamboo flooring, 30% recaptured industrial concrete, ceiling panels made from 74% recycled aluminum cans and 24% post industrial metals, USG Gypsum Board made from pre-used drywall, bamboo veneer face covering for fixtures, ceiling baffles made from recycled composite board, low voltage and low heat lighting, seat cushions made with soybean oil and more.
“Pizza Fusion is a truly sustainable organization from the ground up. A lot of companies seem to be hopping on the environmental bandwagon for the marketing value of it,” John Garra, AIA of Square One Architecture, explains. “Pizza Fusion’s concern for the environment is genuine. It’s goes beneath the surface of their marketing; deep rooted into their core values. As a team, we are leading with a comprehensive sustainable approach. Square One Architecture is proud to contribute to their ‘green’ endeavors.”
Other partners involved in Pizza Fusion’s LEED certification project include Interior Designer Cesar Conde of Casa Conde (www.casaconde.com), Engineer Brian Lomel of TLC Engineering (www.tlc-engineers.com), Product Consultant Brian Dugas of Eco-$mart (www.ecosmartinc.com) and Image 4 (www.image4.com). As the LEED Administrator, Square One Architecture has officially registered the project with the USGBC at: http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/Project/RegisteredProjectListDetail.aspx?ID=10103877
About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit composed of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Our more than 9,000 member organizations and our network of 75 regional chapters are united to advance our mission of transforming the building industry to sustainability.
About Pizza Fusion
Founded by college buddies Michael Gordon and Vaughan Lazar in February of 2006, Pizza Fusion offers an all-natural and organic menu of gourmet pizzas, focaccia sandwiches, wraps, salads, desserts, beers, wines and more. Pizza Fusion addresses the needs of today’s health conscious consumer with concern for both the individual and environment. By promoting the organic movement and practicing an eco-friendly approach in all operations of the company, Pizza Fusion is ‘Saving the Earth, One Pizza at a Time’. Based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Pizza Fusion is franchising across the United States. For additional information, visit: www.pizzafusion.com.
