First LEED for retail platinum awarded

Days after the U.S. Green Building Council issued its LEED update for schools , the LEED for retail pilot program awarded its first platinum certification to a Chipotle Mexican Grill in Gurnee, Ill. The restaurant, which was built in 2008, represents an increased awareness of energy efficiency in fast food restaurants , which has not traditionally been seen as a green industry.

The building of the Gurnee Chipotle, along with other green restaurants throughout the nation, were taken into account in drafting the LEED for retail program. The pilot program, which is currently open for ballot , includes guidelines for new construction as well as commercial interiors

In addition to a variety of recycled building materials and environmentally friendly systems, the Gurnee restaurant includes a 6 kW wind turbine that generates a portion of the restaurant’s energy on-site, as well as a 2,500 gal underground water cistern that harvests rainwater to irrigate the landscape. The planning and construction process was managed by Chipotle in conjunction with the USGBC. An interactive and informative model of the building is available on the company’s website .

Chipotle has designed and built other restaurants in Minneapolis and Long Island, New York, to comply with LEED certification standards and is awaiting final certifications on those projects.
For more information, see the full article from Chain Leader.

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