VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0586 1911640
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101640Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1028
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000586 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/EPSC, OES AND EEB/ESC/IEC/EPC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENGR ECON SENV CS
SUBJECT: GREASE TO GAS: COSTA RICAN FAST FOOD FRANCHISOR DISTILLS 
BIODIESEL 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  A Costa Rican fast food franchisor firm, The Aizenman 
Group, has successfully converted the majority of its delivery fleet 
from diesel to 100 percent biodiesel fuel.  The company internally 
transforms refuse cooking oil into biodiesel.  The project started 
small, but demonstrated the positive impact of a creative idea, 
growing from two to twenty vehicles.  We offer this as a case study 
that may find resonance not only in environmentally-conscious Costa 
Rica, but elsewhere in the region.  End Summary. 
 
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GREASE TO GAS 
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¶2. The Aizenman Group, owner of Burger King, Papa Johns, Churches 
Chicken, and Schlotzsky's fast food franchises in Costa Rica, powers 
its fleet of distribution vehicles on the spent oils from its 54 
fast food restaurants.  The company started the project in November 
2008 and launched it in January 2009.  The company wanted to 
demonstrate corporate social responsibility by protecting the 
environment from some of its cooking oil by-products.  (Prior to the 
biodiesel project the residual oil was hauled away and dumped.) 
 
¶3.  At the outset of the project, the company used a 10/90 percent 
blend of biodiesel/diesel in two trucks.  Very favorable results 
prompted the company to gradually increase its ratio of 
biodiesel/diesel.  Currently, The Aizenman Group runs 20 of their 35 
trucks using 100 percent biodiesel, up from 10 percent in June 2009. 
The company saves approximately USD 2,000 per month (However, the 
company would not divulge its total monthly fuel costs).  The 
franchises process/produce about 12,000 liters of biodiesel per 
month and use roughly 7,000 to 8,000 liters for transportation.  The 
company plans to purchase more equipment in order to process more 
biodiesel from their own and other franchisors such as Demasa, 
Walmart, and Pipasa, turning the endeavor into another separate 
revenue generating unit of their business.  As the forerunners in 
this biodiesel initiative, The Aizenman Group is seeking 
international training due to a lack of specialists in Costa Rica. 
The project moved ahead as a result of The Aizenman Group studying 
laboratory essays and internet web pages, demonstrating the 
company's commitment to reducing costs. 
 
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COMPANY BACKGROUND 
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¶4.  The Aizenman Group owns and/or operates automobile dealerships, 
fast food chains, food and beverage distribution centers, a meat 
processing facility, and a car rental agency (Avis).  Its 
distribution center carries a number of U.S. brand items such as 
Kettle, Otis Spunkmeyer, Arizona, Atkins, Jolly Time, Walden Farms, 
Mrs. Fields, and others.  Its fast food outlets include 32 Burger 
Kings, 11 Papa Johns, 10 Churches Chickens, and 1 Schlotzsky's 
distributed throughout Costa Rica.  The Group's meat processing 
facility exports USDA-approved hamburger patties to the United 
States. 
 
BRENNAN