Normally when you think green and fast food, you may picture the lettuce and pickle on your hamburger. To Ric Richards, franchise owner, it means something very different. Richards, who owns seven McDonald’s in North Carolina, spent more than two years researching and planning the Cary-based green restaurant, which includes everything from LED lighting to hydronic boilers.

The site’s original McDonald’s was demolished in early 2009 and rebuilt specifically to be one of the first LEED Gold certified fast-food restaurants in the United States. In the spirit of sustainability, Richards and his team reused or recycled nearly 100 percent of the previous buildings’ materials.

One of the biggest energy-saving benefits came from the Cree LED lights featured throughout the restaurant, including dining areas, kitchen, break room, hallways, restrooms, storage areas as well as the drive-thru and entryways. “I knew that I was going to pursue LED lighting from day one,” Richards says. “The Cree LEDs produce a softer, higher quality light than the old incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, giving my customers a better in-store experience -- not to mention that LEDs are the most energy-efficient lighting choice.” 

The store is 97 percent lit with LED lights, and when compared to the traditional lighting systems used in McDonald’s, consumes 78 percent less electricity for lighting. With a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years, the store will save on the labor and maintenance costs associated with fast-food restaurants where lights are typically on for 20 hours a day or more.

A fully automated, intelligent lighting-control system uses a photo sensor to combine light from high-efficiency Cree LED lighting and daylighting from Solatube skylights, maintaining the proper light levels on work surfaces. So if it rains and the daylighting is reduced, the LED light levels are increased to compensate. In order for the system to work effectively, the LEDs needed to be dimmable in order to provide the flexibility required to increase the light needed. And since the Cree LR24 is dimmable to 5 percent, this was incredibly simple.

Ric Richards, owner of seven McDonald's in North Carolina, discusses why he chose LED lighting to illuminate the nation's first LEED Gold certified fast-food restaurant.

The restaurant also features LED lighting in the parking lot, an increasingly popular location for LEDs because of the maintenance-cost savings. These LED fixtures can last up to 20 years, meaning the store manager won’t have to consistently pay an electrician with a bucket truck to change the light bulb. Delivering more uniform light for customers, the LED fixtures also put exactly the right amount of light across the parking area, without ‘hot spots’ or wasting light like traditional streetlights. In addition to LED lighting, the Cary McDonald’s sports many other green features. In fact, according to Richards, all aspects of the rebuild were designed to save energy and resources.

Highly efficient energy- and water-saving fixtures are used, including a hydronic boiler system, which pumps hot water through coils in the building ducts. When air is blown over the coils, the building is heated. Low-flow toilets and faucets are part of the restaurant’s water-conservation measures, as is the landscaping. Nearly 30 native and adaptive plants, ones that require little or no irrigation, surround the restaurant.

“Combined with our other water-conservation techniques, using reflective parking lot coatings and drought-tolerant landscape plants (North Carolina willow oaks) will allow this restaurant to save 550,000 gallons of water annually,” Richards says.

The original location’s ENERGY STAR-rated equipment was reused, saving money and preventing more appliances from ending up in a local landfill. The low oil volume fryers use one-half of the oil of prior models. The oil is filtered much more often, allowing it to last longer, so less oil is discarded. Cotton batting from pre-consumer denim waste provides the same soundproofing and insulating qualities as traditional products but without chemical irritants or VOC concerns. Rapidly renewable resources like sunflower-seed board, wheat board, bamboo and Kirei board were used for tabletops and wall decorations. Not only are these materials durable and fresh, they are made with non-toxic components and offer a new green twist to traditional décor. “Customers love the Kirei wall coverings,” Richards says. “It’s a beautiful material, and it’s just incredibly warm and inviting.” 

The front counters are made from Vetrazzo, a heat-resistant material that looks like granite but is produced from 85 percent recycled glass. The parking lot uses recycled concrete instead of the traditional asphalt. And if you’re looking for another reason to purchase an eco-friendly vehicle, the parking lot also gives special treatment to its environmentally conscious customers with dedicated parking spaces for hybrid cars and plug-in charging stations for electric vehicles.

But Richards takes it step further -- educating customers about the building’s green features via storyboard signs around the store and on the restaurant’s touchscreen monitor. Customers learn that it is possible to build green, environmentally friendly buildings that are beautiful, inviting and comfortable to spend time in.