Restaurants and Breweries
Overview
Owning and operating a restaurant or brewery is an exciting and, at times, demanding endeavor. The food service industry moves quickly, with constant pressure from rising costs, shifting supply chains, and tight profit margins. From managing food cost percentage to maintaining efficient restaurant operations, every financial decision plays a role in long-term success.
Utilities are one of the largest and most unpredictable expenses in the industry. Restaurants use significantly more energy than many other commercial spaces due to refrigeration, cooking equipment, HVAC systems, and continuous water usage. According to the EPA’s Energy Star program, restaurants spend between five and ten times more than comparable buildings, making utility management a critical part of controlling overall restaurant costs.
Utility Management Services (UMS) helps restaurant owners and operators reduce these expenses through detailed utility bill audits, rate analysis, and savings strategies. Our team identifies billing errors and uncovers cost-saving opportunities without requiring operational changes. With no upfront fees, many restaurants see substantial annual savings—freeing up capital to reinvest in their business.
Reduce Restaurant Costs with Smarter Utility Management
As restaurant owners and operators look for ways to control expenses and improve profitability, managing food retail utility costs has become a critical focus. With rising restaurant startup costs and ongoing operational pressures, optimizing overhead expenses is essential to maintaining healthy margins.
From independent restaurants to multi-location food service operations, utility usage plays a major role in overall restaurant budgets. High-demand equipment, refrigeration, and constant energy use can significantly impact costs, making efficient utility management a key component of successful restaurant operations.
Utility Management Services supports restaurants and breweries by:
- Identifying utility billing errors and unnecessary charges
- Reducing food service utility costs and improving efficiency
- Optimizing rates from retail electric providers and suppliers
- Supporting better restaurant budget planning and cost control
- Enhancing overall restaurant operational savings
By focusing on utility optimization and cost reduction, restaurants can improve financial performance, streamline operations, and reinvest savings into growth, staffing, and customer experience.
Savings Numbers
| Type | Max Annual Savings | Average Annual Savings | Max Refund | Average Refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants/Bars/Catering | $129,000 | $5,525 | $7,205 | $3,096 |
| Food & Beverage Manufacturing | $1,430,210 | $48,540 | $30,392 | $9,138 |
Case Studies
Falcon’s Group
The Falcon’s Group is a franchise management group, operating over 90 popular franchises in seven states. The company has long been a delighted client of UMS; each new restaurant is assessed and streamlined by UMS experts upon acquisition. Over the years, our professionals have found savings in over 70% of the group’s restaurants, resulting in $129,000 in savings and counting. None of the savings opportunities required operational changes or alterations to staff time.
The American
The American is a staple of downtown Bainbridge, GA, and presents a new menu of gourmet, fresh cuisine each day. After months of dealing with rising food costs and staffing shortages, the restaurant’s management team was looking for a simple way to reduce their operational spending. Once UMS experts analyzed their bills, they found an opportunity to save $4,300 annually — without any operational changes. The executives and managers at The American were able to put that money back into the budget, investing more in providing customers with an exquisite dining experience.
Waterman’s Brewing Company is a Wilmington, NC staple, serving local and visiting beachgoers handcrafted beers and delicious eats since 2017. When Waterman’s owner, Don Weber, was first introduced to UMS he was skeptical about the savings opportunities, but nevertheless gave the process a shot. This turned out to be a lucrative choice — UMS experts found $14,000 in annual savings for the brewery. Weber and his team didn’t have to make any upfront payments or operational changes. After UMS pros analyzed Waterman’s utility history they took care of implementing the changes, adding thousands of dollars back into Waterman’s operating budget.
Triple C Brewing
Triple C Brewing Co. serves craft beer labored with love to the Charlotte, NC community. They are committed to brewing the highest quality beer in addition to giving back to the community with strict recycling policies and even donating spent grain to nearby farmers to feed livestock. Chris Harker, the owner and founder of Triple C Brewing was approached by Utility Management Services (UMS) offering a way to add money back to their budget to continue positively impacting the community. Chris was curious to see if they were overspending and a risk-free analysis with no out of pocket costs, was a no brainer. UMS conducted the analysis and handled the implementation with the power provider resulting in $9,000 in annual savings.
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