TAMPA – The kitchen at Whiskey Joe’s thaws frozen food as part of its daily routine. Now, it’s doing so more quickly while using significantly less water.
The waterfront restaurant is the first business to receive a Tampa Bay Water Wise rebate for a commercial food-defrosting technology. The rebate helps offset the cost of the new CNSRV system, which is expected to save about 2,000 gallons of water every day.
Whiskey Joe’s defrosts nearly one ton of product each week.
Rather than continuously using and wasting drinking water throughout the thawing process, the system recirculates the water. It can also be used to quickly cool large quantities of hot food, giving the kitchen another opportunity to cut down on water use.
“We’re always looking for ways to make our kitchen run better, and this was a change that made sense for us,” said Martin Duffany, brand manager at Whiskey Joe’s. “We can keep doing what we need to do in the kitchen while using a lot less water, and the rebate helped make the decision easy.”
The project comes as the Tampa Bay region remains under a Stage 3 Regional Water Supply Shortage.
“Saving 2,000 gallons of water a day with one piece of equipment is pretty significant,” said Amelia Brown, demand management program manager at Tampa Bay Water. “We know the upfront cost could make it harder for businesses to make these kinds of changes. This rebate helps make this investment a little easier for Whiskey Joe’s, and now that change is making a difference every day.”
Tampa Bay Water Wise helps businesses make water-saving improvements by offering rebates that can offset some of the upfront cost. Whiskey Joe’s received a $1,000 rebate toward the food-defrosting system, which costs approximately $3,600 without a rebate.
Larger projects may qualify for customizable rebates covering up to 50% of eligible project costs. Restaurants can also receive up to $200 for qualifying WaterSense toilets and half-gallon urinals.
“We know businesses are looking at their bottom line, too,” Brown said. “If you can save water and lower your utility costs at the same time, that’s a win for the business and for Tampa Bay.”
On the web: tampabaywater.org/conservation/tampa-bay-water-wise/
