When Augie Perry was looking to relocate his Prescott restaurant, it was critical to find a place with consistent, reliable natural gas service for cooking.

UniSource stepped up to make the upgrades needed to supply gas capacity to Augie’s Restaurant in the expanded eatery and event space. Such work aligns with UniSource’s focus on economic development in our communities.

Augie’s Restaurant opened in April in the Pine Ridge Marketplace.

“For commercial appliances, gas is imperative. It’s more effective,” Perry said.

UniSource upgraded the gas meter outside the restaurant to serve the additional appliance load, specifically from the stoves and ovens to make the food. The meter feeds a line that goes overhead to serve the kitchen equipment.

Perry said UniSource was easy to work with to meet his energy needs for the from-scratch kitchen.

“The nature of what we do requires natural gas,” Perry said. “We can’t do it without it.”

The new 6,000-square foot location spans about 1,000 square feet more than the previous restaurant. The venue includes three banquet rooms that can accommodate 20, 50 or 250 people.

Teresa Inman, District Manager of Gas in UniSource’s Prescott office, said UniSource crews regularly work with local businesses to ensure their energy needs are met and the local communities can grow. UniSource Gas is currently working on long-term plans to grow its gas service, both for businesses and residential customers throughout Arizona.

“This work is key to what we do and we want our communities to thrive by using safe, reliable gas as an energy source,” Inman said.