Pizza Franchisee Pans Enviromental Certification Cost

Chron.com : Chris Toman’s plan to go green could have put him in the red. The owner of a local pizza franchise plans to apply for LEED certification for his 2,600-square-foot restaurant space on the back burner because it was going to cost too much. Toman said he would have to pay between $30,000 and $40,000 to become certified by the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, which awards points to structures that are energy efficient and otherwise good for the environment. “With prices like that, it’s hard — especially for smaller companies,” he said. Toman is opening a Pizza Fusion franchise, which requires all of its restaurants to be built to LEED standards, as part of its self-described mission to “Save the Earth one Pizza at a Time.” Not only are the buildings green, the chain delivers pizzas in hybrid vehicles. The cost of going green for Pizza Fusions in other markets is ...