For Portland diners, the names Lardo and Grassa are more than familiar. They’re local favorites.

Lardo has been serving crave-worthy craft sandwiches since 2009, while Grassa has become a go-to spot for hand-crafted pasta served in a welcoming, kid?friendly atmosphere for more than a decade. Together, the two restaurant brands have carved out a well-known place in Portland’s food scene.

Today, the Portland General Electric (PGE) and NW Natural customer operates one Portland-area Lardo location, six Grassa locations with a seventh on the way, as well as a commissary kitchen in downtown Portland’s Chinatown.

As the operating partner, Nick Schuurman oversees the numbers, equipment and operational side of the business. His role is to make sure the restaurants are not only successful with diners, but also financially stable behind the scenes.

Like many restaurant operators, Schuurman is navigating rising operating costs, aging equipment and the ongoing pressure to reinvest in multiple locations. In a business known for tight margins, even modest reductions in monthly costs can make a meaningful difference.

That makes energy-efficient upgrades appealing from both a sustainability and financial standpoint.

A legacy of energy savings
Energy-efficient upgrades are nothing new for Schuurman. He first learned about Energy Trust of Oregon’s cash incentives years ago through a contact at Pitman Restaurant Equipment, who told him about available incentives for high-efficiency equipment.

One of the earliest projects involved upgrading gas fryers, allowing the restaurants to replace older models across multiple locations with energy-efficient fryers.

From there, Schuurman was sold. Since 2013, the longtime Energy Trust participant has received more than $23,000 in cash incentives for energy-efficient foodservice equipment upgrades.

Today, he continues to track available incentives with help from Pitman. “Pitman will now call me and say, ‘Hey, Energy Trust is going to offer incentives on this equipment if you’re looking to upgrade this year,’” Schuurman said.

Continuing to save energy and money
The most recent upgrade involved replacing aging electric convection ovens with new ENERGY STAR^® certified electric models. With $3,000 in cash incentives for new convection ovens, the restaurant group is saving nearly $700 annually on energy costs.

And Schuurman said the incentive process couldn’t be more straightforward.

“I download the form online, email it over, send some pictures and once it’s installed, Energy Trust follows up with any questions they have. And that’s really it. The process has become so simple and seamless now,” he said.

Over the years, upgrades ranging from gas and electric fryers to convection ovens have helped lower utility bills while supporting day-to-day restaurant operations. They’ve also helped the business reinvest in older locations and keep equipment aligned with current needs, rather than waiting until something fails. For restaurant operators, that kind of planned replacement can help reduce unexpected downtime while keeping kitchens equipped for busy service.

“Equipment does age out and lose efficiencies,” Schuurman said.

Because the process has become familiar and easy to navigate, Energy Trust incentives are now part of how Schuurman evaluates future equipment purchases.

For Schuurman, the benefits are twofold.

“For us, No. 1, it truly is doing the right thing and using less energy when you can. And No. 2, the savings on your monthly bills,” said Schuurman.

For well-known local restaurants like Lardo and Grassa, energy-efficient upgrades are helping keep operations running smoothly behind the scenes, so the teams can stay focused on what Portlanders know and love them for: memorable food, familiar favorites and a consistently great dining experience.

Restaurants and catering businesses can save energy and money with cash incentives for energy-efficient foodservice equipment including ovens, vent hoods, fryers, dishwashers and more.

Visit our equipment incentives page or email existingbuildings@energytrust.org to get started on your energy-saving project today.