Fast food restaurants like McDonald’s are known for quick service, but they also need to be clean and keep their costs down. One way that some McDonald’s save time and money is by installing a SmartPack automatic trash compactor in their restaurant lobby.
C & R Restaurant Management, based in West Jordan, Utah, was started by Chuck Sparrer when he purchased his first McDonald’s franchise over 35 year ago. The company has continued to grow and his two children Chris and Rob have both become McDonald’s owner operators. So far C & R supplies the restaurant equipment to 26 McDonald’s restaurants. Scott Pugh has been working with C & R for 26 years. He remembers, “ I started as a crew person in high school, worked my way through college, graduated and then decided I was working where I wanted to be and with people that I really enjoy.” Today Scott is the Director of Operations at C & R Restaurant Management.
A big part of Scott’s job at C & R is to supply the McDonald’s Restaurants with equipment that will keep them profitable and running efficiently. Scott remembers what it was like when they used standard trash receptacles in the restaurants, “Prior to the SmartPack’s we would change the trash cans about five times a day.” Then, they saw an automatic trash compactor in action, “We saw the SmartPack in another restaurant and wanted to try them out in a new restaurant that we were building at the time.” The rest is history. To date, C & R has installed 42 SmartPacks trash compactors in 16 of their McDonald’s restaurants. The McDonald’s that have SmartPacks installed are saving time and money in trash clean-up and removal. Scott is proud of the savings in time and money, “Typically we only have to change our lobby trash cans once a day with the SmartPacks. We are saving labor, operating costs and in trash removal costs.”
“Typically we only have to change our lobby trash cans once a day with the SmartPacks. We are saving labor, operating costs and in trash removal costs.”
Time and money savings aside, the SmartPack also enhances the McDonald’s customers’ experience. Scott explains, “Our customers love the compactor. The experience is more positive because the lobby’s trash cans are never overflowing. The appearance and feeling is also that we are a more eco-friendly business.” It is also a morale booster for the McDonald’s staff. Scott has observed, “Our crew likes these because their jobs are easier. No one really enjoys emptying the trash. Plus the SmartPacks are incredibly reliable. We rarely have a break down or equipment failure. ”
Scott’s advice to other quick-service restaurant and facility managers is straightforward, “The SmartPack is worth the investment! We love the idea of compactors saving us time and money in trash cleanup and removal.” In the end, the investment benefits not just the restaurant management, but also the employees, customers, and of course, Mother Earth.
