• March 9, 2009

Yum Brands--parent of the Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Long John Silver's and A&W brands--has opened a green store in Northampton, Mass., for which it will seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The restaurant is a dual-branded KFC/Taco Bell store, and is designed to use 30% less energy and water than a conventionally built structure. In other green features, the unit uses solar energy, LED lighting, energy-efficient kitchen equipment, and a low-flow water system, and harvests rainwater to be used for irrigation purposes.

In addition, the store's interior has been designed with recycled building materials. The restaurant also composts and recycles waste and converts its frying oil into biofuel.--Nina Lentini