Wendy’s Franchisee Carlisle, LLC: Improving Energy Efficiency with Leading Edge HVAC and Kitchen Technology

Wendy’s was among the first restaurant brands to sign on to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings® Challenge  and the first restaurant company to include its franchisees in the Challenge. The newest Wendy's franchisee to meet its energy goal is Carlisle, LLC (Carlisle). Operating in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas, Carlisle has achieved energy savings of 21% from its 2013 baseline across 159 restaurants. In this case study from Better Buildings, learn how Carlisle has achieved progress in energy efficiency and energy cost savings.

July 7, 2025

Published by SED

Guest authored by Better Buildings

Commercial, Energy Efficiencies, GHG Emissions

Solution Type: Solutions at a Glance
Sector Type: Commercial
Barrier: Identifying or evaluating energy-saving technologies
Tool Type: Case Study
Building Type: Food sales & service, Restaurant

Overview

After joining the Better Buildings Challenge in 2015, The Wendy’s Company took on the additional task of engaging with its franchisees and encouraged them to set their own goals. To date, 47 franchisees—representing 7 million square feet and more than 2,170 restaurants—followed The Wendy’s Company’s lead and set a goal to achieve a 20 percent energy reduction per transaction across their building portfolios within 10 years, with multiple franchisees already achieving their goals.

The newest franchisee to meet its energy goal is Carlisle, LLC (Carlisle). Operating in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas, Carlisle has achieved energy savings of 21% from its 2013 baseline across 159 restaurants representing more than 340,000 square feet of quick service restaurant space.

After achieving 20% reduction in water usage in 2023 and narrowly missing its energy goals, Carlisle continued to focus on the efficiency of its restaurants to ensure the company met its goals in 2024.

Carlisle has improved energy efficiency by implementing leading edge technology equipment and consistent preventative maintenance practices, in addition to managed thermostat settings that produce lower utility requirements. When Carlisle joined the Better Buildings Challenge, the company was in the beginning stages of a Wendy’s systemwide remodeling program. With the rising costs of energy, Carlisle made a conscious decision to make energy efficiency a key component of its upgrades to building components. Beyond refreshing all customer-facing areas, Carlisle made investments in LED lighting, more efficient kitchen equipment, HVAC units, and refrigeration. The capital investments initiated efforts, but it was the day-to-day commitment from the company’s crew members and maintenance team that continued to push the company forward.

Carlisle’s efforts have proven impactful both in terms of efficiency and cost savings—so far, the company’s efforts have resulted in nearly $1.6 million in avoided costs.

Building on its success, Carlisle is setting additional reduction goals for its team and using what the company has learned to achieve significant impacts in newly acquired markets and restaurants. Carlisle’s new goals include a 25% energy reduction goal by the end of 2030. The company will continue to prioritize energy efficient spending, utilization of proven equipment and controls technologies, monthly billing review practices, and corrective actions in restaurant locations displaying negative energy trends. These strategies are proving successful in identifying building improvement opportunities across Carlisle’s portfolio that have the potential to result in both energy and cost savings.

Carlisle’s recent accomplishment aligns with similar achievements across Wendy’s franchises, as several other franchisees have also achieved energy savings year-to-year as they participate in the Better Buildings Challenge.

Energy Conservation Initiatives | Wendy’s® CSR

This column originally appeared on the Better Buildings website.

Better Buildings is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) designed to improve the lives of the American people by driving leadership in energy innovation. Through Better Buildings, DOE partners with leaders in the public and private sectors to make the nation’s homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants more energy-efficient by accelerating investment and sharing successful best practices.