HTP
Walter Terry, right, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Jennifer, confers with Ansley Houston, Vice President of Sales for Ariston USA.

Rapid Response Rescues Georgia Restaurant

Dec. 23, 2024
Contractor’s quick work helps owners comply with inspector’s directive.

No business enjoys downtime due to faulty mechanical equipment, and the problem is particularly distressing for restaurant owners. An establishment near Atlanta found a swift solution with a high-capacity unit from HTP that meets the job demands and provides long-term benefits.

Walter Terry, who owns Pascal’s Bistro in Peachtree City with his wife, Jennifer, purchased the business early in 2024. The water heater, however, that was installed in the facility was a 50-gallon residential water heater. Shortly afterwards, the community’s health inspector deemed the existing unit unfit for the building and gave the Terrys 60 days to replace the unit even though it was just one year old.

 “When the former owner took out the water heater, they put in a much smaller one,’’ said Walter Turner of HBP Plumbing, who installed the HTP unit. “When new owners come in, the inspectors will frequently go in and look at the recovery rate and make sure it’s properly sized. When the inspector came in and saw the size of the tank, he flagged it for not being up to code.”

HBP Plumbing was founded by Allen Turner and Harry Posey in 1987 with the goal of providing fast, friendly and dependable service to the Atlanta Metro area. Today HBP is the primary emergency repair company for many regional and national restaurant chains, hotels and franchise operations including assisted living facilities.  

Unusual Situation

When the Terrys purchased the restaurant, they believed the equipment had the approval of the Peachtree City’s inspection department. They soon learned everything still required  proper documentation.

 “It’s not an easy, thing,’’ Walter Terry said. “We had to fill out an application that was 30 pages long. When we turned in the paperwork, it was more than 100 pages. They wanted documentation on every piece of equipment.”

The city’s inspection team informed Terry that the restaurant needed several improvements, including a new hot water heater. As his team worked on upgrades, the executive chef quit, and some other pieces of equipment needed replacement. After trying unsuccessfully to bargain for more time, the inspection team told Terry the restaurant would need to close until the hot water heater was addressed.

 “I was flabbergasted,’’ Terry said. “I was given a cease work order until we got the application finished and the hot water heater was replaced. That was on a Friday, but we had to shut down the next day.”

Going Social

The Terrys apologized to customers for the cancellations of Saturday evening dinner plans through social media and mentioned the water heater issue, which caught the attention of Ansley Houston, Vice President of Sales for Ariston USA and a resident of a nearby community. He implemented Ariston RED, which provides emergency replacement for water heaters in commercial businesses. He contacted Turner, who quickly assessed the situation and recommended the HTP Phoenix to accommodate the restaurant’s hot water needs.

“They had been using electric water heaters—I had to get roofers in there to run the gas to the water heater,’’ Turner said. “Most of the time you’ll replace electric with electric. Then we needed to establish venting. Switching from electric to gas will lead to faster hot water delivery and quicker recovery times. It should also lower operational costs.”

Once the proper venting was installed, Turner and his team worked swiftly to install the new water heater and restore restaurant operations.

“We’re used to these types of situations,’’ Turner said. “We often have these types of problems with restaurants and all kinds of commercial buildings.”

Turner’s crew installed the 100-gallon, 199k BTU HTP Phoenix. The unit is manufactured with 316L stainless steel and comes with a 5-year warranty and a 96 percent thermal efficiency rating. It is also equipped with a sanitizer for high temperature applications, which is particularly critical for the restaurant industry and has the capacity to heat water up to 184 degrees.

The Phoenix Multi-Fit, which was installed at Pascal’s, can handle loads for both water heating and space heating applications, and its compact size allows it be installed in tight spaces.

 “I use the Phoenix in a lot of my jobs,’’ Turner said. “With their capacity and high efficiency, they work great in restaurants. I don’t have any problems with HTP units. I keep them in the shop, and they are easy to install.”

Averting a Crisis

The swift response and installation by Turner and the rapid work of Ariston RED helped the Terrys get back on their feet swiftly.

 “The community in Peachtree City stepped up and supported us,’’ Terry said. “The timeliness of it was great. We spoke to Ansley and then met with Allen, and everything was spot on. Allen was at the restaurant by 9:30 on Monday morning and told me how things would transpire. We were closed for four days, but it could’ve been a whole lot worse. We felt fortunate that we had a responsive team and were able to address the issue quickly.”

About the Author

Thomas Renner

Thomas Renner has produced award-winning journalism for more than 40 years. After a long career in the newspaper industry, Mr. Renner now writes on architecture, building, engineering and other trade industry topics for publications throughout the United States.

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