CMR Restaurants: $1.2M in Avoided Energy Costs
CMR, one of Mexico's largest restaurant operators, deployed Panoramic Power across its estate through energy management partner S2G Energy. Over 34 months, the programme reduced cumulative energy consumption by 11.4 GWh and helped CMR avoid $1.2 million in unnecessary energy costs, delivering a return on investment of 308%.
The Challenge
With a brand portfolio spanning Wings, Chili's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, The Capital Grille, and Sushi Itto, CMR operates one of the most diverse restaurant estates in Mexico. Managing energy consumption effectively across dozens of individual locations, each with its own occupancy patterns and equipment mix, required granular, real-time insight that traditional monitoring approaches could not deliver. The goal was to give local restaurant managers the data they needed to reduce energy use and operational costs without negatively affecting performance.
Our Approach
Working with energy management partner S2G Energy, Panoramic Power wireless sensor technology was deployed initially across eight CMR restaurants before being expanded to 44 Chili's locations. Over just 22 days, 1,300 wireless sensors were installed at an average of 30 per restaurant, with no dependence on local IT networks. The sensors collected real-time energy data at circuit level for HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration loads, feeding into Panoramic Power's analytics platform. This immediately surfaced issues including refrigeration chambers being left open and air conditioning running outside operating hours.
The Results
Within the first 12 months, CMR reduced energy consumption by 2.5 GWh compared to the prior year, a 13% reduction saving $180,000. The programme was subsequently expanded to 69 restaurants across multiple brands. Over 34 months, cumulative energy reduction reached 11.4 GWh and CMR avoided $1.2 million in unnecessary costs, with a return on investment of 308%.
Panoramic Power's data also proved its value during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling S2G Energy to model the energy impact of different operating scenarios in real time and support agile decision-making across the estate. For every dollar invested since early 2020, CMR achieved a return of $4.08.
Want to learn more about how Panoramic Power works? Visit the product page. If you're also looking to reduce compressor energy consumption, find out about our ECO3™ and ESM™ technology.
Talk to Our Team
If you operate a restaurant estate or food service portfolio and want to understand where energy is being wasted across your locations, book a free call with one of our experts. We will take the time to understand your operation and show you what Panoramic Power can uncover.