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Beef O' Brady's Restaurants Promote Water Conservation

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: August 27, 2008

TRINITY - Area Beef O' Brady's restaurants are spreading the word on water conservation.

Nearly 50 franchise owners gave a big boost to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's free Water Program for Restaurant Outreach, or Water PRO for short.

"They've been really excited about it," Robin Grantham, the Water PRO coordinator based in Brooksville, said about the restaurant owners.

Three West Pasco Beef O' Brady's are participating:

•The Trinity-area location, 3216 Little Road, owned by Matt Connor.

•The Gulf Harbors location, 4762 U.S. 19, owned by John Volz.

•A New Port Richey location at 8717 Little Road, owned by Brian Hession.

Water PRO has signed up 72 restaurants since the program began in May, according to Grantham.

The first step involves restaurant staff performing a "self-audit" how to restrict water use in kitchens, she explained.

Then staff members are trained. They learn to serve water only when customers request it because every glass of water brought to a table uses an additional two glasses of water during cleaning.

Then the restaurant owners can put educational materials on tables for guests to read. A "table tent" gives an overview. Colorful coasters are supplied. Children can try their hand at the coloring sheets.

Restaurants can find other ways to save water and perhaps money, Grantham elaborated. For instance, replacing spray valves with low-flow models can save up to $1,320 per year.

Other options are low-volume faucets in bathrooms and kitchens; installing low-volume toilets and urinals in bathrooms; converting water-cooled ice machines to air-cooled; using water from steam tables to wash down cooking areas; and repairing all leaks swiftly.

Debbie Ferris, a project manager with the Beef O' Brady's corporate office in Tampa, learned about the water conservation program through a television news story and called Grantham.

In addition to promoting the program to their franchisees, Beef O' Brady's home office has also asked Grantham to provide a weekly article for their newsletter "Beef's Bites."

"At Beef O'Brady's, we are always looking for ways to conserve and give back to the community," Ferris said in a press release. "This conservation program helps us conserve and educate our customers. We also suggest many other ways for our franchises to conserve, such as using fluorescent lights, maintaining temperatures with programmable thermostats and staggering times to turn on equipment."

For more information about Water PRO contact Grantham toll free at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4782.

Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.

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