“There are so many moving parts in a restaurant business that you have to worry about, but our oil management system isn’t one of them,” said Tyler Rose, General Manager of Buffalo Wings and Rings in Cincinnati. Rose attributes that to the recent installation of Restaurant Technologies closed-loop oil management system. Rose and his father Si own and manage two Buffalo Wings and Rings restaurants in the Cincinnati area. He said, “In our first location, we had the standard jugs or boxes of oil. We had a holding tank for waste oil, which was one step above transporting the oil with a cart and dolly out to a dumpster in the parking lot. So it was somewhat sophisticated, but you still had boxes of oil you had to pick up and dump in the fryer and find someplace to store.”
A Clean, Streamlined Operation
When they were ready to open their second location, the Roses didn’t waste time with another “somewhat sophisticated” oil management system, and instead installed the Restaurant Technologies Total Oil Management solution. As a result, Buffalo Wings and Rings cooks no longer have to have to haul jugs of oil to and from the fryer all the time and the restaurant has enjoyed the opportunity to get rid of the rendering tanks and clean up the back corral area.
Rose said, “We’ve had other Buffalo Wings and Rings owners come see the system and what they comment on the most is how clean it is and how clean the install is. Just the look of the bulk oil tank and the waste oil tank makes it look clean and not out of place. Even in the kitchen where you make all the connections with hoses and power cords and things, it’s just a clean, streamlined look. And it’s also easy to clean because oil is not spilling all over the place. It just goes straight from the hose into the fryer.”
“It’s just a clean, streamlined look. And it’s also easy to clean.”
Filtering the Right Way
Another benefit of the system is that the restaurant’s oil life lasts longer thanks to its effective filtering technology. In the beginning, Rose did not tell the cooks there was a system in place to monitor oil filtering. After about a month of monitoring the oil filtering done by both the a.m. and p.m. crews, the results were somewhat surprising. Rose said, “At the monthly cooks’ meeting, I asked how filtering was going and everyone was quick to say that, yes, they were doing a good job filtering the fryers every day. They even did a little friendly finger pointing, saying the a.m. crew was doing it better than the p.m. crew, and vice versa. It was kind of a game.”
“But once we put the numbers up there, it was apparent that no one really did the best. We only had about a 40 to 50 percent success rate in filtration before the cooks knew the system was monitoring it. Now we’re up to 93 percent compliant with filtering being done the right way for the right amount of time, which really helps save oil. If you can get an extra day out of the oil, the savings can be massive over time. And the crews take pride in their improved filtering efforts, which is a good thing,” he added.
“If you can get an extra day out of the oil, the savings can be massive…”
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Enhanced Safety for Better Focus
The decrease in oil usage as a result of filtration monitoring has been a big benefit. Rose said, “Comparing our two restaurants, cost wise we’re definitely using less oil in the location with the filtration monitoring system.” One of the biggest wins for Buffalo Wings and Rings since the installation has been the improvement in safety. Rose said, “You’re going from carrying 35- to 40-lb boxes of oil to basically just having to hold a gas pump. Every cook we’ve had come on board with us and who has worked with the system just loves it. Before, maybe you’re filling up a fryer by picking up 35-lb boxes of oil five or six times. But after a while, doing that several times a week takes a toll on your body. The new system makes the cooks’ job easier so they can focus on the things that matter.”
“The people using the system…love the idea of it, the look of it, the ease of it.”
- Operational efficiency: Restaurant Technologies’ oil management system has given Buffalo Wings and Rings restaurant in Cincinnati one less thing to worry about in a business full of moving parts.
- Cleanliness: Implementing the system has allowed the restaurant to get rid of its rendering tanks while helping to clean up the back corral area.
- Filtering technology and oil usage: Effective filtration monitoring technology has helped the restaurant improve its filtering compliance numbers and has reduced oil usage, leading to a significant cost savings.
- Safety: Picking up 35-lb boxes of oil five or six times to fill up a fryer several times a week takes a physical toll, which is eliminated with the automated system.
- Customer service: Prompt delivery of oil and quick resolution of any problems makes it easier for restaurant owners and general managers to do their jobs.
A Top-Notch System and Customer Service Team
Rose and his father often talk to others in the restaurant business about their experience with the system, but come at it from different angles. Rose said, “When we talk to people about the benefits of the system, different people at different levels have different interests. As owner, my dad usually talks to other owners about money and cost savings. Or they might think it’s cool that they can use a wand to fill up the oil tanks.
“But for me as GM, I’m usually talking to the people who are actually going to be using the system. They know the struggles day in and out, and they love the idea of it, the look of it, the ease of it. The dual-pronged approach of talking about both kinds of benefits makes it seem like a no-brainer of an idea.”
Another no-brainer is having a top-notch customer service team ready to serve at a moment’s notice. Rose said, “I just call customer service when the oil tanks get low and they are automatically notified and the oil is delivered within 24 hours. If there is an issue and a service light is on, I call and they say, ‘Yep, we already know about it and we’ll have someone there in 24 hours.’ That is awesome and makes my job easier.”
Buffalo Wings and Rings also has been pleased that they can maintain the same quality and consistency in their fried foods while experiencing all the other benefits. Rose said, “From the ease of adding oil to the extensive information about oil management and filtration, the Restaurant Technologies system has helped us lower our oil costs without lowering the high quality of food we are producing. Our whole kitchen loves it. All of the feedback we have received has been very positive, from not having to deal with boxes of oil to refill to the discharging of the oil. It’s an all-thumbs-up from our kitchen team.”
