Energy gap identified between walk-ins and traced to one delivery practice
Estimated savings when an overnight walk-in outage was detected
Of equipment alerts traced to just five appliances
What The Falcons Group Didn’t Know Was Costing Them
The Falcons Group operates Mexican fast-casual and quick-service restaurants across several states. When utility bills varied between seemingly identical locations, the team knew energy was being wasted, but not where or why.
Equipment issues were also difficult to spot before they became urgent. The Falcons Group needed a way to uncover hidden costs and risks without adding work for store teams.
Finding Energy Waste Others Couldn’t See
At three pilot locations, Qu Equip made energy use across identical equipment directly comparable. Two walk-ins had the same make and model and similar product volume, yet one used 21% more energy.
Employees were shutting off the unit and propping the door open during deliveries. When restarted, the walk-in worked harder to return to temperature, wasting energy and putting product at risk. Once leadership saw the pattern, it changed the delivery process and closed the gap.
At another location, Qu Equip revealed two rooftop HVAC units working against each other, one heating while the other cooled. The Falcons Group shut down one unit and used its fan to distribute air, reducing energy use without a service call or capital expense.
Our main focus going in was controlling HVAC costs, but we started seeing things we weren’t even expecting right off the bat. Cooler doors that weren’t sealing. Rooftop units fighting each other. The value showed up faster than we planned for.HENRY VANBOXEL, District Manager, The Falcons Group
Five Appliances, 90% of the Alerts
Within weeks, The Falcons Group learned that five appliances generated 90% of equipment alerts across the three pilot locations with 42 equipment pieces being monitored. Instead of treating every potential issue equally, the team gained a prioritized list for repairs and employee coaching.
Problems Caught Before They Grew:
- An overnight power outage put a walk-in and an estimated $2,000–$4,000 in inventory at risk. Qu Equip alerted the team in time to restore power before the morning shift, preventing product loss. The outage came from water shorting an outlet during cleaning; The Falcons Group now secures nearby power packs off the floor to prevent it from happening again.
- A cooler that appeared to be failing only needed new hinges. Qu Equip showed that the temperature drift was caused by a poor door seal, helping The Falcons Group avoid an unnecessary replacement.
We assumed fixing our energy problem would require spending money on equipment. A lot of it turned out to be behavioral instead. Those we fixed with training, not capital. Once the patterns were identified, we just coached to it, and the savings started almost immediately.HENRY VANBOXEL, District Manager, The Falcons Group
The pilot helped The Falcons Group reduce energy waste, focus maintenance spending, and prevent avoidable losses. The group is now expanding Qu Equip to additional locations across its portfolio.
