The team from Jump visited our latest store design for South St. Burger Co. for lunch. Apart from having the tastiest and most juicy burgers out there, South St. has continued along the path of being “The Right Choice” as a brand and retail store/restaurant. Our latest design dubbed the ‘Haute Cuisine” concept aligns with the Bayview Village Fashionista image. We have taken the brand and continued to move it upscale through design, material finishes and details.

Hot on the heels of winning an A.R.E. Sustainability Award for Innovation in Energy for the Shops at Don Mills location, South St. and Jump Branding & Design set out to make their first mall location different and with purpose. The natural progression to apply for LEED® Certification helps to validate the great environmental and energy efficiencies already developed within the restaurant design program. South St. prides itself in the high standards that they are placing on themselves for producing the best burger with the best ingredients but also adhering to standards to build the best environments and on-going restaurant systems.

Along with a great meal, customers can expect:

• 70 per cent less water than baseline standards in the Energy Policy Act
• 93 per cent of equipment is ENERGY STAR rated
• 32 per cent of all construction materials were manufactured regionally
• 38 per cent recycled content in all construction materials
• 85 per cent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood

In addition to its green initiatives, this location will also be the first South St. Burger Co. unit licensed to serve beer and wine, starting in December. Seating 55 guests, the new location will continue to offer burger lovers the top-quality meals they’ve come to expect from South St. Burger CO.

This past Tuesday, June 21, 2011, Jump Branding & Design Inc. received the prestigious PAC Leadership Silver Award for our packaging design of ET TU Simply Add Fish dinner kits. A new brand launch packaging design program.

The PAC Leadership Awards recognizes excellence in packaging design from graphic design, branding and innovation in sustainability. The evening was full of some of the industry’s leading designers and packaging design firms, as well as representatives of some of the biggest brands in packaging design.

The ET TU Simply Add Fish dinner kits are an extension of the popular ET TU Caesar Salad kits, produced by Linsey Foods. We were excited about the prospect of bringing this new concept to life, and are very proud of the recognition of PAC and the award Jump received. The product line is enjoying great success at retail since the launch of the ET TU Simply Add Fish dinner kits in stores.

View other packaging design case studies from Jump Branding & Design.

The store and brand design was developed by Jump Branding & Design Inc. in late 2010. We are very excited about this frozen yogurt brand, we feel that it evokes the energy and excitement of the product and the process.

Yogurty’s frozen yogurt are already launching three more stores in the very near future with another batch about to open in the very near future.

Elm Hill Cookies is a new boutique retail concept selling delectable, gourmet cookies located in Oakville, Canada. The Bakery’s philosophy of “no corners cut”, is not only reflected in the unique square shape of their cookies but also in the high quality, all-natural ingredients that are used in the creation.

Elm Hill engaged Jump to help build the brand and the retail environment from the ground up. The Elm Hill logo was designed with a simplicity and elegance that enabled it to bridge the styles of classic and contemporary. The brand name and retail concept were inspired by the beautiful cobbled stone lane located in Norwich, England that acquired its name from the elm trees that stood in the square since the 16th century. The store interior captures this old world heritage and charm and combines it with a modern aesthetic. A collection of antique displays, lighting fixtures and found treasures were utilized in tandem with clean lines and rich materials selections such as white Carrera marble, elm wood and travertine limestone.

We brought back nostalgic traditions such as a ‘cookie and milk’ parlour counter and integrated Elm Hill’s signature square shape into the cabinetry detailing, millwork, the bulkhead details and stone tiles. The stores rich colour palette of chocolate brown, crisp white and soft beige was inspired by the ingredients of the cookies and product itself. Overall, the environment was designed to reflect their contemporary twist on the classic baked treat.

With the store now open in Oakville, Janis Smith, the entrepreneurial owner of Elm Hill Cookies is looking forward to sharing her ‘dream made reality’ with the public. You can also visit www.elmhillcookies.com

Labatt has launched Budweiser 4 into the Canadian market. It is a full-bodied, light beer that is brewed with the uncompromising quality that has made Budweiser the King of Beers. It is designed to satisfy those consumers who enjoy the drinkability of a light beer but do not want to sacrifice on flavour. Labatt engaged Jump to develop the brand identity and package design for this new product. The objectives were to create a look that embodied refreshment and carried the cues of a light beer that consumers have become accustomed to. One of the challenges Jump faced was to design the packaging to clearly be part of the Budweiser family but give it enough distinction that there would be no confusion with the parent brand.

Budweiser 4 launched in 2010 initially in Quebec and is positioned well to take market share away from competitors.

Spec’ing sustainable equipment helps South St. Burger Co. follow its ‘Be the Right Choice’ motto—and greens the bottom line, too.

By: Janice Cha
01/03/2011

You could call it evolution. Or revolution. Or maybe even revelation. Whatever the term, South St. Burger Co.’s adherence to sustainable operations has been part of the plan since the 14-unit Toronto chain opened its first premium burger and fries eatery five years ago. And it’s a plan that grows a little more with each new store.

“We try to apply that to all facets of the business, from oil and food products to equipment and furnishings,” says Jay Gould, president. And while it’s true the payback on some sustainability items can be slow, Gould focuses on the long haul, and he says the payback is there. “You have to expect to be in business for a while,” he notes.

And he does. His first concept—the 160-unit New York Fries brand—is approaching its 27th anniversary and going strong. And for its part, South St. is going strong too, currently generating average unit volumes of $875,000 (U.S.). The 14th unit, whose contract was inked on the day Gould and his team spoke with FER, will open later this year in Oakville, Ontario.

Meet South St. Burger Co.

The South St. Burger Co. concept was developed as an offshoot of New York Fries, a premium quick-service restaurant specializing in one central menu item done really well. And when it came time to get South Street up and running, Gould and Project Manager Smiley Cheung called on Eric Boulden, president and principal of Toronto-based Jump Branding & Design, which had worked on New York Fries as well.

“Jump handled all aspects of the South St. Burger Co. design, its brand logo, look, layout and even menu development,” says Gould, who also gives credit to Jump team members Strategic Director and Principal Jason Hemsworth, Creative Director and Principal Jerry Alfieri, Environmental Designer Melissa Zurfluh and Graphic Designer Richard Patmore.

South St.’s equipment demands are (relatively) simple. The restaurants turns out nearly all menu items in full view of guests with the use of a charbroiler, a bank of fryers and a salad-bar style display of burger toppings.

“Four menu panels, one each for proteins, combos, sides and drinks, make it easy [and fast] for guests to decide their orders,” Boulden says. “We try to be speedy at the cashier station so customers can take time during the build process.” As customers move down the line, they’re asked to choose from about 25 gourmet toppings and condiments arrayed in a salad bar-style unit. A 42″ flat-screen TV on the wall near the serving line helps time pass quickly.

Sure, the process takes longer than other quick-service burger shops, but “most people accept the five- to six-minute wait as part of getting what they want,” Gould says. “When your burger is completed, you know it’s exactly what you wanted.”

The South St. Burger Co. interior features a contemporary, urban New York loft-style feel. Exposed beams, columns, polished concrete and glass are balanced by warm, light maple wood shaped into the flowing curves of the signature seating. Blocks of bright colors and lighting highlight key areas. “Brand humor” signs create personality and discussion within the restaurant. Reclaimed wood adds character to the front counter and serving lines in newer stores; in others, backlit etched glass-style panels highlight SSBC restaurant reviews.

A typical store covers about 2,000 sq. ft. with seating for 40.

Green Equipment

South St. Burger Co.’s commitment to “be the right choice” informs specs for everything from back- to front-of-house. What’s more, when the company finds green elements that work especially well—such as the heat-exchange hood or LED lighting—they’re incorporated into future store designs and where possible, retrofitted into existing stores.

“Our motives [for using so much sustainable technology] are twofold,” Gould says. “On one hand, this is a business and we want to save money. At the same time, we’re marketing our initiatives to customers, letting them know that we’re a responsible corporate entity as well as a good restaurant.”

Environmentally friendly back-of-house equipment at South St. Burger Co. stores includes a heat-exchange hood system, air-cooled ice machines, high-efficiency gas fryers and solar technology for water heating and electricity.

The hood and its heat-capture system for warming make-up air works well for restaurants in cold northern climates. The system, now installed in 10 South St. stores, was developed by a Canadian company called Martin Air, which was recently been acquired by Halton.

“A typical store uses two exhaust hoods, each pulling out more than 5,000 cfm of hot air,” Cheung says. The heat-exchange system takes the place of a rooftop gas-fired heating unit that uses 350,000 Btu/hr. Heat-transfer takes place when hot air from the charbroiler or fryer flues warms liquid glycol. The now-hot glycol, circulating through tubes running in a closed loop between flue and make-up air intake area, in turn warms cold incoming air and thus eliminates the need for a gas-fired preheating unit.

The system also uses a temperature-controlled variable-speed fan that reduces exhaust fan speeds during slow periods to boost energy efficiency.

The initial adjustment was tricky—there’s an art to achieving the ideal balance between fan speed, smoke extraction, and fan motor noise and vibration. Once it’s set, “no unusual maintenance is required,” Cheung says.

The cost of the exhaust fan and makeup air system is about double that of a traditional unit. “Our estimated annual savings from not paying for a heated make-up air system for the kitchen, based on 12 hours of daily operation and an energy cost of $0.50/m3 natural gas, is about $4,700 per year,” Cheung adds. So payback on this item is a lengthy seven years—but ventilation is a long term item, and after the payback is all good.

In the all-important fryer department, South St. Burger Co. relies on a bank of four high-efficiency units. “These new fryers use only 80,000 Btu/hour to generate the same heat performance as our previous standard model that would use 110,000 Btu/hour,” Cheung says. “That works out to savings of about 120,000 Btu/hour of operation for the four units, which in turn translates to an annual reduction of 41,400 lbs. (18.6 tons) of CO2 emission per store.” Not to mention the savings on the energy.

Considerable water savings, to the tune of about 264,000 gals./yr., come from the company’s use of air-cooled instead of water-cooled ice machines. Water-cooled units require about 137 gals. to cool the compressor for every 100 lbs. of ice made, Cheung explains. By contrast, air-cooled units rely on a fan whose incremental energy cost-per-year is about $200. “We’re saving the cost of all that water that otherwise would literally run down the drain,” Cheung says.

Solar-generated electricity and hot water are a recent move by SSBC planners—but so far, use of solar technology tends to be constrained by landlord cooperation. Currently only one restaurant is testing solar hot water heating while another is testing photovoltaic panels.

“Part of the problem is that landlords don’t reap any of the benefit of the extra costs that come with installing solar panels,” Gould says. “It’s the retailer that gets all the glory.”

South St. Burger Co. installed a solar thermal water heating system at its Barrie, Ontario, location. The system includes an overall collector area of about 87 sq. ft. Solar-heated hot water is collected in an 80-gal. tank, which provides pre-heated water to the store’s main hot water tank for kitchen and general use. The system’s capital cost is $9,300 and has an expected three-and-a-half year payback time. Again, payback is not quick, but the benefit is there long term.

Meanwhile, solar photovoltaic panels have been installed at the Markham, Ontario, store. The system includes 10 panels, 215-W each, that each (or collectively?) contribute 2 kw of electricity directly into the power distribution grid.

Sustainable FOH Elements

Front-of-house green elements include LED lighting, Bullfrog Power and more.

For starters, LED lights supply about half of the stores’ lighting needs, and save about 4,400 kWh per store annually.

The company buys electricity from Bullfrog Power (which generates electricity from renewable sources such as wind power) for six of its stores. The choice costs the company a premium of 3 cents/kwh above regular hydro billing, but “It’s our way of supporting the production of clean, renewable power in Ontario,” Gould says.

“We also deploy occupancy-sensor light switches in public washrooms, low-flow toilets, low-flow pre-rinse spray valves, automatic sensor urinals, light dimmer switches, programmable thermostats, LED lamps in all outdoor signage, recyclable waste management and used cooking-oil management,” adds Cheung, ticking off the many sustainable aspects used daily in South St. Burger Co. restaurants.

The use of epoxy coated concrete flooring—instead of tile or carpeting—eliminates the addition of another layer of flooring material.

Many of the sustainable elements are being retrofitted into older stores. “Our second—and busiest—store is probably in line for a heat-exchange hood system,” Gould says. “We’ve just added LED lights to that store, plus ceiling fans to help pull heat down from the ceiling. Where possible, we’re adding vestibules or partitions to help keep warm air inside the stores during winter.”

Looking Ahead

Five years down the road, Gould expects to be operating some 50 South St. Burger Co. stores, each of them a notch greener than the previous one.

“It’s been an evolutionary process,” Gould says. “So far what we’ve done, apart from being responsible citizens, has not been as painful as it might seem. Our [energy efficient] investments are paying for themselves, and they do have a place in our business, along with the ‘feel good’ side our customers appreciate.

“Hopefully equipment manufacturers will continue to innovate,” Gould adds. “We’ll be there to take on whatever they’ve got.”

FACT BOX
MENU/SEGMENT:
Premium gourmet burgers and fries
UNIT VOLUME: $875,000
SIZE: 1,800-2,500 sq. ft.
SEATS: 40-60 seats
MEALS/DAY: 350
FF&E PACKAGE: $245,000
UNITS: 13
PLANS: 5 openings in 2011
DESIGN: Jump Branding & Design, Toronto
FOR MORE INFO: southstburger.com

Source: www.fermag.com

Here is an example of three installations that have been recently completed and opened to strong positive reactions. These installations include; Vietnam, Dubai, Brazil and Calgary. Yah we know Calgary isn’t too far from the Yogen Fruz head office but it is great to see this longstanding foodcourt brand in Canada continue to evolve here as well. In fact, watch for two more Western Canada installations over the next months!

Almost to the week 5 years ago, the first South St. Burger Co. opened its doors. Since that day at Dufferin & Steeles in the north part of Toronto, the South St. Burger Co. brand has continued to evolve. With 12 corporate stores and one franchised location, it has been the mandate of the New York Fries and South St. Burger Co. team to continue a path of evolution. From product and operations to lessening their footprint through sustainable and greening initiatives through to the store design, Jump Branding & Design Inc. has proudly been a part of every store location and the brands’ consumer touchpoints.

The newest location at The Shops at Don Mills opened this Labour Day weekend. The team at Jump are very excited about this latest location as it has incorporated some new design elements to strengthen the visual brand and create a uniqueness that is often lost in multi-store brand roll-outs. Our mandate was to find ways to make the store appear different but still maintain the core equities of the brand developed over 5 years ago. These initiatives included a new brand graphic package, new material choices that included a reclaimed wood, yellow glass and some new details as well, a continued effort to look for ways to create impact on the consumer and not on the environment.

Check out this latest location and enjoy a burger and fries while you are at it!

For more information on store and restaurant designs by Jump Branding & Design Inc., please visit our website www.howhigh.ca

Canada Guaranty is a new Canadian-owned private mortgage insurance company that was formed by a private investor group, comprised of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and National Mortgage Guaranty Holdings Inc., that acquired AIG United Guaranty Mortgage Insurance Company Canada. Their business model is designed to target lenders and brokers, offering them competitive insurance products with a commitment to superior customer service.

Canada Guaranty came to Jump with the vision to be the leading private mortgage insurer. They were looking for an identity that reflected the company’s pillars of financial strength and service excellence. To distance themselves from the unstable U.S. mortgage industry, the mandate also included conveying that the ownership of Canada Guaranty is 100% Canadian. The final logo features an expression of the Canadian flag with a subtle maple leaf spanning two vertical red columns. These columns are a representation of the two founding pillars and the glow within gives the identity a warmth and approachability. The upper case serif font brings an sense of stability to the logo, a quality that is so important for success in this industry.

After establishing the new moniker for Canada Guaranty, Jump deepened the brand identity through the development of clean and professional website complete with a mobile component that allows users to navigate their products from their handheld device. The site features a wealth of information broken into channels for the lenders, brokers and homebuyers. In preparation of the public announcement of Canada Guaranty on Apr.16th, Jump also developed the corporate stationery, marketing material, digital templates, news templates as well as the signage for the office reception area.

“Full marks to the Jump team as they delivered throughout the process and kept their word on deliverables and budget. They were a great team to work with throughout the process” said Brian Bell, VP of Marketing at Canada Guaranty.

Feeling Corporate? If so, check out the Canada Guaranty, Centre for Ethics at the University of Toronto, Maple Lake, Wayne Swadron or Tara Good Gifts.

At South St. Burger Co. every item on the menu is designed to be “Best in Category” – offering not only top quality ingredients, but the best taste as well. Our latest refresh of the South St. website helps the customer clearly understand this point of difference.

From naturally raised, 100% pure beef to fresh cut onion rings, serving real food with outstanding flavour is what sets South St. Burger Co. apart. To date, we have helped South St. launch 12 locations, and South St. Burger Co. is more focused than ever on ingredient quality, simple cooking methods, the customer experience and their obligation to operate responsibly and conscientiously. South St. Burger Co. is involved in each step of the process, from “farm to fork” to ensure that their mandate is fulfilled.

South St. Burger Co. believes that better beef really does make better burgers; that’s why they buy their beef from small co-op farms that practice conscientious and natural farming. The beef has no hormones, antibiotics, preservatives or filler. And, like the fries, these patties are fresh, not frozen. They are flame grilled and made to order giving them a juicy, home-made taste, and served on your choice of regular or whole wheat bun, which are baked locally and delivered daily. But it’s the company’s vast selection of toppings that truly makes it stand out. With a variety of real cheeses and over 25 free condiments, including unusual items like guacamole, wasabi mayo and mango chutney – your burger will be unique and outstanding.

For the complete South St. experience, add an order of New York Fries, signature poutine, or onion rings. All are hand made in-store from fresh ingredients and cooked in trans fat free sunflower oil. Hand-scooped milkshakes are made with premium ice cream from a local dairy. Side orders are treated with the same respect as the burger. Because of this, South St. Burger Co. believes it is unmatched in the Canadian burger business.

Telling customers about the food is only half the story.
When you eat at South St. Burger Co., you’ll get more than just good food — you’ll get a good feeling, too. Here’s a sample of the areas they impact:

• They use 100% clean, renewable electricity for five of their stores from Bullfrog PowerTM, reducing their stores’ environmental impact.
• Purchase local ingredients. Their beef, buns, potatoes, chicken, cheeses and ice cream, are all purchased locally; reducing their carbon footprint and supporting local farms and businesses.
• Employ grill hoods with high technology heat exchange ventilation systems so their heating requirements are reduced by more than 300 cubic meters of gas per month, with a carbon savings of 6.84 tonnes per year, per store.
• Use LED bulbs as 50% of their store lighting requirements, saving 4,400 KwH annually and reduces carbon emissions by 1 tonne, per store, per year.
• Use environmentally friendly, non toxic cleaning products and post-consumer recycled paper products wherever possible and practical.
• Changed to air-cooled ice makers from water-cooled ice makers eliminating 2,600 litres of water per day or 950,000 litres (950 m3) in a year, per unit.
• Installed a solar-powered water heater and solar electric panels in 2 restaurants so far, with plans to add more.
• South St. Burger Co. is committed to its support of both local and international charities and to continuing their efforts to reduce their footprint on the environment.

So while we have been busy designing their restaurants and shaping the customer experience, the folks at South St. have been working hard to deliver best in category food and limit their impact on the environment. Check it out at http://southstburger.com/.