Benny Training Restaurant
Benny Training Restaurant
2024
Commercial
The Benny training restaurant project in Joliette involves the construction of a 4,100 sq. ft. restaurant building over two levels, including a mezzanine dedicated to training spaces, offices and staff areas.
This is the first training restaurant for the Benny brand, designed to function both as a fully operational restaurant and as a regional training centre.
Beyond the customer experience, the project supports ongoing staff training in a real-world environment, while integrating practical energy‑efficiency strategies tailored to the operational realities of commercial kitchens.
gbi’s Mandate and Engineering Approach
gbi was responsible for the mechanical and electrical design of the project, with energy efficiency placed at the core of the mandate, in a context where commercial kitchens are among the most energy‑intensive building environments.
From the early design stages, the team analyzed the specific requirements related to kitchen hood ventilation, building usage profiles and site orientation, in order to propose efficient, simple solutions that would remain fully compatible with daily restaurant operations.
sq. ft. of solar wall
% reduction in energy consumption
kWh of thermal energy production annually
Innovation et performance énergétique
The cornerstone of the project is the integration of a 750 sq. ft. solar wall, installed on the rear façade of the building and oriented southwest. This technology is used to preheat the make‑up air required for the kitchen exhaust hoods, significantly reducing natural gas heating demand.
Analyses show:
- a 23.8% reduction in energy consumption related to make‑up air heating;
- an annual production of approximately 46,000 kWh of useful thermal energy;
- savings of about 4,800 m³ of natural gas per year, equivalent to nearly 10 tonnes of CO₂ avoided annually.
Thanks to available financial incentives, the solution was implemented at no additional cost to the client, while generating long‑term operating savings.
Impacts and Added Value
The Benny training restaurant demonstrates that innovative, repeatable energy solutions can be successfully integrated into commercial food service buildings without increasing operational complexity or compromising the customer experience.
Beyond its environmental and economic benefits, the project serves as a pilot initiative for the Benny brand and the industry as a whole, showing how thoughtful engineering can transform a traditionally energy‑intensive building into a model of sustainable performance while supporting training and skills development.
