Taco Bell to roll new grills systemwideTaco Bell to roll new grills systemwide

IRVINE Calif. Taco Bell said it intends to outfit 2,600 more units with a “Grill-to-Order” cooking station that could save each store as much as $5,900 annually in energy costs.

The new equipment package, which is already in place at 3,000 stores, also delivers “a temperature improvement of products containing grilled tortillas and flatbread,” according to the Yum! Brands Inc. holding. The company did not say what new products could be introduced systemwide as a result of completing the new grill’s rollout, which it said would extend until 2010.

In announcing the rollout, Taco Bell touted the conservation aspects of the equipment. It pegged the chainwide energy savings at about 200 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. “Systemwide, we’ll save more than $17 million a year for our company and franchise restaurants,” said Rick Winfree, senior director of engineering. Test units saw savings of $5,900 annually, he said.

Taco Bell said the system also would save 300 million gallons of water annually, but did not say how the electric grills would conserve water.

Burger King also has rolled out new energy-efficient grills.