Cooking oil is known to cause significant safety problems within the fast-paced work environment of quick-service restaurants. Handling hot cooking oil can be a difficult task and oftentimes leads to employee injury. For restaurants that rely on their fryers for the bulk of their menu, like Dave’s Hot Chicken, these problems are only exacerbated.
Dave’s Hot Chicken, a fast-growing chain restaurant known for its signature mix of spices, operates more than 130 locations. To make the process of cleaning out its dirty oil more efficient and safe, Dave’s implemented Restaurant Technologies (RT) Total Oil Management solution. RT Total Oil Management solution is an entirely closed-loop system. This type of system has many benefits, which include employees not having to handle hot oil, fewer oil spills, and more opportunities for employees to complete pleasant tasks, which leads to a more efficient kitchen and a happier crew.
“You’re able to avoid what we used to have to do, which included carrying a heavy drum of dirty oil to the parking lot,” says Edgar Villa, vice president of operations at Dave’s Hot Chicken. “That step is avoided with this system. When we need new oil, we have an oil pump so that you can pump the new oil inside of the fryer, resulting in fewer problems.” The employees simply have to turn the key and hit a button to release the dirty oil in order to clean the inside of the fryer. They then turn the key back, push the button again, and clean oil fills the fryer back up.
The Total Management system is also easily integrated with existing kitchen equipment. “The equipment is simple and safe operation-wise,” Villa says. “It’s also easy to manage in conjunction with our other equipment.” This not only allows for seamless workflow but also ensures employee efficiency.
In addition to employee efficiency, the RT Oil Total Management solution enhances employee retention and productivity. In a tight labor market, it’s important to have happy employees. RT’s system ensures employees aren’t missing work because they’re injured, provides employees the opportunity to complete more tasks, and increases employee retention. In turn, the lower worker compensation claims can also lead to lower insurance costs.
These results were validated through Dave’s Hot Chicken implementation of the system. The restaurant chain found that rebuilding its fryer oil system contributed to an increase in employee safety. “We used to have to buy a 35-pound container for the oil,” Villa says. “These containers were always way too heavy for our employees to carry.”
James McGehee, CFO at Dave’s Hot Chicken, notes a similar experience: “Employees would push these large totes across the floor, which caused hot oil to spill all over. From a liability standpoint, the oil spill was one of the top three things we used to see in the restaurants.”
Now, Dave’s Hot Chicken is able to protect its employees from hot oil transport and spillage. The franchise also saves on oil costs after implementing RT Total Oil Management solutions. “Another place where the system is helpful is on oil pricing,” McGehee says. “It is something we still have to manage even though the system is streamlined. However, if managed correctly, the system will save on labor and keep your commodity cost consistent.”
With the help of RT Total Oil Management solutions, Dave’s Hot Chicken has experienced several positive changes. The franchise has kept costs consistent, saved on labor, avoided the unsafe process of oil cycling, enhanced restaurant productivity and success, and, most importantly, increased employee safety. “We experience fewer employee injuries,” says Villa. “I would say employee safety has improved by 85-90 percent.”
For more information on transforming your oil management system, visit Restaurant Technologies.
