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 Allen 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.”