In quick-service restaurant kitchens, the fast-paced environment can make safety a real challenge, especially when working with hot cooking oil. When staff rushes to keep up with orders, spills, and accidents become more likely, turning a busy kitchen into a potentially dangerous workspace. To maintain safety in these high-stress conditions, careful oil management and rigorous safety practices are essential.
A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found adolescents working in the restaurant industry were at a six times greater risk of sustaining a work-related burn injury than teens working in any other industry. This percentage can be significantly reduced by removing the need for handling hot used cooking oil.
Another major problem caused by improper oil management is decreased food quality. Overused or poorly filtered oil can impact flavor and consistency, resulting in subpar dishes that may disappoint customers. Additionally, inadequate oil management increases operating costs, as oil is often replaced too frequently.
J. Cody Neal, vice president of operations at 1788 Chicken and Zaxby’s, has extensive experience in restaurant operations, but oil management has remained a challenging area for him. Although frequently present in the restaurants, the day-to-day handling of cooking oil was not part of his direct responsibilities, leaving him with limited oversight. Without a structured oil management solution, Neal and his team relied on manual observations and antiquated testing procedures to monitor oil quality, which led to inconsistent results and recurring issues.
“Employees took a lot of shortcuts,” Neal says. “These included filtering too quickly, not cleaning fryers thoroughly, or even skipping the second filtering entirely. We’d also prematurely dump oil that could still be used if filtered properly. These shortcuts compromised food quality and increased costs.” After learning about Restaurant Technologies’ oil management solutions, Neal saw an opportunity to eliminate these challenges.
Restaurant Technologies offers a comprehensive solution for managing cooking oil, designed to enhance kitchen safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Its innovative services cover every stage of oil use, from automated oil delivery and disposal to ongoing monitoring and maintenance.
“Before partnering with RTI our oil management process was quite manual,” Neal says. “Filtering each fryer into rolling containers took up to 15 minutes per fryer, and then our employees had to roll those containers outside, often on uneven tile floors, which was a hazard. I knew that with the implementation of RTI we could improve safety and efficiency.”
By implementing an automated oil management system, restaurants can eliminate the need for manual handling of hot oil, significantly reducing the risk of burns, spills, and related accidents. Restaurant Technologies also provides tools to measure oil quality and usage, helping businesses optimize oil life and maintain food consistency. Through these services, Restaurant Technologies supports quick-service restaurants in maintaining a safer, cleaner, and more cost-effective kitchen environment.
“If an operator’s restaurant relies heavily on fryers, RTI is a no-brainer,” Neal says. “It offers better oversight, enhances safety, and brings cost savings. We’ve seen a 28 basis point reduction in oil costs year over year, saving us about $425,000 across our 60 locations. Restaurant Technologies has been a game changer for us.”
To learn more about Restaurant Technologies oil management solutions visit its website today.
By Abby Winterburn
