The Future Looks Green for Burger King

by Nichol Nelson, Posted Jun 16th 2010 @ 1:00PM

At a new Burger King in Waghäusel, Germany, you can get your Whopper with a side of environmentally responsible energy. The store, developed with the help of a solar energy company called Wirsol Solar AG, uses more than 700 solar panels and other renewable energy sources to supply a third of the restaurant's power.

The green restaurant is part of the burger chain's program of "social responsibility," a push they're calling BK Positive Steps. The company believes strongly that these environmentally friendly stores -- along with their much-touted, high-power broilers already in place in U.S. stores -- are the cornerstone of the chain's future.

The Waghäusel location boasts some pretty impressive stats: The 720 solar panels will generate the equivalent of 53,500 kWh of electricity per year, which, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, is the annual power consumption of five U.S. households. A ventilation system captures excessive heat loss and uses it to generate hot water, which conserves 50 percent of annual energy consumption per year. The outdoor Burger King logo has been modified to include a wind turbine, which supplies 2500 KWH of the restaurant's power supply, while LED bulbs cut energy use by more than 55 percent. It's even got a solar paneled recharging station for electric cars.

The German store gives another peek into the future of BK -- it's designed using the brand's 20/20 concept, which uses contemporary materials like corrugated metal, brick and concrete. Company execs say the "design takes the brand's signature flame-broiling core attribute a step further by creating an exceptional and memorable dining environment."

It's hard to complain about initiatives like these, no matter how contrived they may be. But will fast food customers respond? Industry watchers will be keeping their eyes on Germany to find out.

Filed Under: Fast Food, Eco-Friendly
Tags: burger king, burger king germany, germany, solar panels, wirsol solar ag

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)

7-12-2010 @12:34PM food guy said... almost as funny as alex "bogus" kee's 9" diet book! hah!!
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @10:03AM Jeepin said... I don't care much for BK's food , but I love the adress of this German location!
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @10:00AM pazuzuking said... Love the 666 address...
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @10:33AM Bryan said... It's not a German location in the pictures, dopes. Look at the signs in the photo. They don't have ONE DOLLAR Whopper Jr.s in Germany. They don't have "new" anything to the right of that sign. It would be one Euro something, and "neu" something. Get a clue, dudes. It's a stock photo, probably somewhere in Cali.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @10:38AM Jim said... I refuse to buy any food from BK. In February 2010, about one week after the Super Bowl was seen, BK decide's to insult everybodies intelligence. There was only for a week, this add of a 30 year old (+/- a year or two) in a sandbox in a diaper! Then mommy come's to the door to try and sell BK. That was beyond insulting. BK's add from the 70's was;
"Hold the pickles,
hold the lettuce,
Special order's dont upset us"
And please BK, even though I will never go there again, assassinate "The King"
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @11:14AM JIMMY said... ILL keep going to BK. They have good burgers,real shakes and are just better than MCD and WENDYS.Get a dvr so you dont have to watch commercials,you watch too much tv.

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @12:59PM Joel Lafargue said... Jim, the abbreviation for advertisement is AD--one D, not two (you made this mistake TWICE). And the possessive of everybody is "everybody's". BK's commercials did not have to "insult your intelligence"--you did a good job of it all by yourself.

"And mommy come's"....? "Special order's....? Why the apostrophes?

Your post may have valid points, but your spelling and grammar make you look like a dumbass.

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @10:30AM Kevin said... I can't believe you guys used a BK Store picture with an address of 666. Was that intentional?
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @10:34AM Darwin said... Now if they can stop microwaving their food
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @1:04PM John F. C. Taylor said... What food do they zap in the microwave? Isn't the whole basis for BK the flame broiled burgers instead of fried burgers? Yeah, that 666 address is really something else.

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @10:43AM LPStarChaser said... If the energy savings result in their food is offered a a lower price, the concepts will pay off, and I, for one, with my limited sense of taste and smell, will probably ingest a burger or two from them. Now, if they could include more other GRILLED foods, I would be all over it!

Let us see how many more BK's take up the concept, and if the building and construction rules on this side of the planet allow them.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @11:16AM Jilly said... BK was my fav FF but the plastic King creeps me out too much to go there any more, even for Cheesy Tots. Can't they change him to a cartoon king or a puppet instead of that nightmarish plastic head? I think they're trying to compete with Jack, but his giant styrofoam head is funny, where the King's is scary.

Also, this photo seems to have nothing to do with the article- the building doesn't seem to have any of the features the article mentions and doesn't appear to be in Germany.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @11:24AM Shawn said... Is that the best Burger King they could have used a photo of? I mean the address is 666 lol...
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @11:24AM gordie said... I just noticed the number on the BK building "666" is that not the devil's #?
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @11:33AM Mike said... Perhaps this BK serves Devil's Food Cake for dessert!!!
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @1:03PM Joel Lafargue said... Or maybe it's because their burgers are "burnt to Hell"!

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @12:40PM noodle said... click on the link under the photo (where it says photo). Takes you to the 'evil bk' photo because of the numbers. I agree they could have used a different photo but maybe this is a sign.......wooooooooooo
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @12:16PM Angiebaby said... Clearly, the devil his having his day with this! I tried to tell you, BK, about how to get ahead in the adult fast food market by getting with the program and using fresh chicken tenders, but did you listen? No sirreeee! Well, guess what! Today on the radio I heard that Hardy's is now dropping freshly dipped, real chicken tenders when orders are placed. Yep. Go ahead and try to impress people with your solar panels and hinky address, but if you don't serve the people what they are willing to pay for, BK is gonna' need some help from UPSTAIRS to remain profitable, if you get my meaning.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @12:55PM Debi said... Anybody notice the address? 666
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

6-17-2010 @12:56PM Al Schrader said... Micro waves are very efficient & great for mundane heating. I use them to make a rueben sandwich by piling sliced deli cornbeef, saurkraut, and swiss cheese on a plate & "nuke" it until the cheese is bubbly. Actually works better than any other method. We need to build everything like this Green BK.
We need to do it now. Why ? Crude oil & oil products are dirty. We need to wean ourselves from oil & go clean....Al-
Reply