A new foodservice equipment installation in a quick-serve chain located in Kuwait was heralded by three days of collegiate-level product training and system indoctrination. The intensive training sessions were balanced by a 48-hour open house atmosphere, complete with celebratory dinners, and attendance by all levels of chain employees, including operators, purchasing, customer service, and quality control staff, and executives. And what was creating such a buzz? A cooking oil management system for fresh and waste oil, the first of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
The goal was to implement an automated fresh oil dispensing and waste oil collection system to reduce the expense and human injury toll associated with oily messes, spills, and burns that are often (and unfortunately) assumed to be a routine part of foodservice operation. The restaurant chain’s management worked closely with the system’s manufacturer, Frontline International, for almost two years to develop and customize the equipment solutions.
From the depth of the training to the festivities that surrounded the training, the focus was always on employee safety and quality of life. Operators and owners from a great number of other stores were on hand to see the system at work.
“This installation was special. There was so much excitement surrounding this modern, hands-free solution to oil management. It was celebrated like a grand opening,” says Giovanni Brienza, vice president, Frontline International. “The equipment managers really understood how the system would benefit everyone in the chain and approached the training with such great enthusiasm.”
The custom oil-management system designed for the Kuwaiti installation will dispense fresh oil to the fryers and collect and store the waste cooking oil for eventual pickup or disposal. The automated system means that employees don’t have to handle hot and messy cooking oil, chicken fat, and grill grease. The chain’s managers see the system as a big win because it will give them huge safety, environmental, and cost-saving advantages.
The system is equipped with some of Frontline International’s most advanced technologies, including an application that calibrates the condition and volume of the oil automatically. As oil is lost—or naturally absorbed into the fried product—the system automatically tops off fryers with fresh oil, which maximizes consistent taste and quality. Oil filtering is also completely automatic and hands-free.
“It was really enjoyable to see the customer finally ready to reap the benefits of their plan to reduce injuries related to hot oil use,” Brienza says. “And they’re loving the idea of managing their oil supply and making the food taste even better.”
Frontline International plans to expand installation of this equipment in restaurants throughout the region, cascading sales through other locations in Kuwait. Plans also foresee implementation of equipment in select neighboring countries that will include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
