LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17, 2016  – Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) offers restaurant and hospitality professionals such as chefs, caterers and cooks a hands-on, one-stop shopping and learning experience at its sixth annual Foodservice Equipment Expo on Oct. 18 and 19.

The event, which is free to the foodservice industry, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the SoCalGas Energy Resource Center (ERC), 9240 Firestone Blvd., Downey, Calif. The ERC is a state-of-the-art facility with more than 125 pieces of equipment from 45 different manufacturers operating in its kitchen and barbecue garden. For more information, click here.

The Foodservice Expo provides visitors with opportunities to sample the most energy-efficient and money-saving natural gas equipment available. Foodservice executives looking to revamp or upgrade their kitchens will also glean ideas from the event. In addition to on-site cooking demonstrations from representatives from 100 different manufacturers, the Expo will offer attendees educational programs and special events.

“Upgrading old inefficient foodservice equipment with new state-of-the-art highly efficient natural gas equipment can save our customers time and money,” said Dan Rendler, SoCalGas’ director of customer programs and assistance.  “We are pleased to offer incentives to encourage our business customers to invest in natural gas appliances that help them remain competitive through reduced operating costs and improved customer satisfaction.”

At the Foodservice Expo, restaurateurs and foodservice operators will learn about industry trends, energy efficiency, current health codes and technological advancements in equipment ranging from ice makers to ovens. Most importantly, visitors will have an opportunity to try out all types of equipment.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what’s available at this year’s show. Just to see the equipment side-by-side and to cook with different components and technologies on display and to have it all fully monitored is fantastic. We never had that ability before this event,” said Dan Milojevich, El Pollo Loco’s director of facilities.

SoCalGas offers its residential and industrial customers incentives to conserve energy by offering them rebates on qualifying cooking equipment. Since 1990, SoCalGas’ energy-efficiency programs have helped customers save more than 585 million therms - the equivalent of taking more than 655,000 cars off the road.

A list of the manufacturers attending the Expo include: Accutemp, Alto Shaam, Bakers Pride, Blodgett, Cleveland Range, Dean, Eloma, Frymaster, Unified Brands, Henny Penny, Imperial Cooking Equipment, Jade, Lang, Lincoln, Market Forge, Middleby Marshall, Moffat, Montague, Nieco, Pitco, Rational, Revent, Rosito Bisani, Royal Range, Southbend, Star Mfg, Ultra Fryer, Woodstone, XLT, Turbo Chef, True, Beverage Air, Hoshizaki, Manitowoc Ice, Turbo Pot, Browne, Cardinal, Cambro, Hobart, Oneida and more.

About the ERC

The ERC is a 44,572 square-foot building and was designed in part by recycling the original 1957 building 20 years ago and adding cutting-edge materials and technologies. It is the first building in California to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) "green building" recognition and one of only two buildings in the state to be awarded Platinum Level LEED by the U.S. Green Building Council. Through the years, the ERC has hosted more than 20,000 events, including seminars, demonstrations and consulting services, attended by more than 650,000 people to help businesses, schools, government and community officials find the most cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions to their energy needs.

The ERC uses 40.7 percent less water than other commercial buildings its size (outdoors) and 38.3 percent less water (indoors). It also uses 51.39 percent less energy than the national average of a building its size, and 60 percent of its employees use energy-efficient transportation including bikes, low emission vehicles and carpooling.

The ERC includes a 10,000-square-foot main exhibit hall capable of accommodating more 700 people. A dozen specialty rooms are available for meetings, workshops, demonstrations and presentations to the public. The ERC also provides technical assistance, computerized equipment simulations, and air quality and environmental permitting assistance.

About Southern California Gas Co.

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 145 years. It is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 21.6 million consumers connected through 5.9 million meters in more than 500 communities. The company’s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border. SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.

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