How important is a restaurant oil recycling company?
At first thought, a restaurant oil recycling company would seem to be no more important than the company who empties the trash bins. But the choice of the restaurant oil recycling company is very important to the financial performance of a restaurant. A good choice of a restaurant oil recycling company insures your kitchen is safe, the surrounding aromas are of only your freshly-cooked food and that your restaurant is bringing in additional revenues.
What to look for in a restaurant oil recycling company
The restaurant oil recycling company is your business partner. Are you hiring someone trustworthy, reliable? Will they show up on time? Will they do what they say they will? With oil prices as high as they are, the fly-by-nighters flock to the industry and promise the moon. Often they don’t have the tools, the expertise or the insurance coverage to keep you and your employees safe. When oil prices decline (and they inevitably do) the fly-by-nighters disappear.
If you are a medium sized restaurant do you want to work with an industry giant? How important will you be to them? If you need emergency service do you want to be on hold at a “customer engagement center” trying to find someone to help? Or would you prefer to have the cell phone number of the owner/CEO when you have a problem? A better bet might be to find a solid, trustworthy, local company with a great track record and strong references. Your business will be more important to that local, regional company.
Do they handle all of your needs?
So you found someone to recycle your used cooking oil. But, will they be able to clean your grease trap? Will they inspect your trap and highlight dysfunctional pieces and alert you to potential failure of an inspection? A good grease recycling company does both. It allows you to make one call and have your oil collected and your trap cleaned and inspected.
Areas around oil bins invariably get dirty and greasy over time. Does your potential cooking oil recycling company power wash regularly? The look of your restaurant from outback and the parking area affects the impression your patrons get from their experience.
Kitchen Automation
Can your restaurant oil recycling company offer you cutting-edge automated cooking oil management systems that will keep your employees safe, avoid the handling of hot oil, reduce your insurance premiums, and avoid workman’s comp claims?
Or will you deal with a manufacturer who is thousands of miles away? You may not need kitchen oil automation day 1 but at some point you will.
You need all of the above
Your restaurant oil recycling company must be able to deliver all of the above. Otherwise the burden of your time away from your restaurant duties will cost you.
Other questions to ask:
- Ask for length of time in business. Ask for 3 references and above all read the google reviews of this prospect.
- Ask for a copy of their liability insurance policy and their state licensing documentation.
- Check out their website. Is it professional? Or is it just facebook and local shares?
If the website isn’t professional, move on.