Arooga's Grille House & Sports Bar
Arooga’s and the XLERATOR® Hand Dryer:
A Game-Changing Decision
PROBLEM
Dirty restrooms, not eco-friendly or aesthetically pleasing
SOLUTION
XLERATOR Hand Dryers
RESULTS
Improved guest experience, reduced labor, maintenance, waste and energy; hygienic restrooms
GREEN INITIATIVES
Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar, the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based restaurant brand, offers its guests the ultimate sports bar experience and the latest trends in technology and service. In addition to 10 corporate locations in Central Pennsylvania, Arooga’s has four franchise locations in operation and others in development. Each restaurant serves between 4,000 and 7,000 customers per store, per week. Named “America’s Next Top Restaurant Franchise” in a national contest co-sponsored by Sysco Foodservice and Franchise Edge, Arooga’s shows no sign of slowing down.
Arooga’s was named the first full-service Certified Green Restaurant® in Pennsylvania by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA). The GRA’s standards provide a transparent way to measure a restaurant’s environmental accomplishments and were born from 25 years of research in the field of restaurants and the environment. To achieve this rating and to reduce its carbon footprint, Arooga’s implemented a number of green initiatives including the removal of Styrofoam from all locations, prohibiting the use of non-toxic cleaning and chemical products and the inclusion of high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR Hand Dryers in all restrooms.
“We were interested in sustainability right from the start,” says Huether. “Excel Dryer was right there with us, at the forefront, leading the charge.”
Prior to installation, Huether compared the energy efficiency and cost savings of several hand dryer models and determined the XLERATOR was the best option.
“What’s great about the XLERATOR is that they’re good for the environment and they work.”
GARY HUETHER, JR.
President & Co-Founder, Arooga’s
“We are able to redirect the attention of our team members to focus on the guest experience rather than refilling paper towel dispensers and waste removal.”
GARY HUETHER, JR.
HIGH TRAFFIC DEMANDS HIGH SPEED
The XLERATOR dries hands in 8 seconds* and represents a 95% cost savings when compared to paper towels, eliminating their labor, maintenance and waste. Touch-free, automatic sensor activation and an optional HEPA Filtration System create a more hygienic restroom environment, which is particularly important for restaurant settings that require superior hygienic standards. In addition, the XLERATOR is endorsed by the GRA, is BuildingGreen approved and helps facilities qualify for several LEED® v4 Credits and Green Globes. In 2017, Excel Dryer became the first hand dryer manufacturer to publish third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) by UL Environment.
“We are able to redirect the attention of our team members to focus on the guest experience rather than refilling paper towel dispensers and waste removal,” says Huether. The XLERATOR is a hygienic choice for his staff because they don’t have to pick up potentially bacteria-laden paper towels from the floor or handle paper towel waste.
“When you consider the volume of guests our restaurants see, you can appreciate the cost savings in paper towels alone,” Huether says. “Since installing the XLERATORs, we haven’t had as many service calls or plumbing repairs — no clogged toilets, sinks or urinals from the improper disposal of paper towels.”
GAME CHANGER
Arooga’s is a five-time winner of the National Buffalo Wing Festival. On Super Bowl Sunday alone, Arooga’s can expect to serve 12 tons of wings and see lines out the door of each location. “During big games, virtually every patron uses the restroom and the XLERATOR makes a difference,” says Huether.
Initially customizing their XLERATORs with stickers, Arooga’s recently chose to incorporate custom digital-image dryer covers which boast statistics regarding environmental impact. “In addition to being another avenue for branding, the covers help to educate our customers about what Arooga’s is doing to help the environment and reinforce our commitment to being a green restaurant,” Huether says.
MOST COMPREHENSIVE OPTIONS, HANDS DOWN
Like Arooga’s, which boasts 30 sauces and dry rubs, Excel Dryer offers the most options and complete line of accessories in the industry to create the best hand drying solution for any restroom environment. All high-efficiency hand dryer models now feature speed, sound and heat controls and an externally visible LED for streamlining maintenance. Multi-voltage options are available in 110V-120V and 208V-277V volts in 50 or 60 hertz, accommodating electrical needs for retrofitting buildings and new construction globally. XLERATOR and XLERATOReco® Hand Dryers have additional options that include a HEPA Filtration System and a noise reduction nozzle that significantly reduces air deflection and the sound level. Custom digitalimage covers were adopted by Arooga’s and other companies and organizations including Dunkin Donuts, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Subway and many more.
