Used Cooking Oil Recycling: What Do Restaurant Owners Want?

This article summarizes the priorities of restaurant owners when choosing a used cooking oil recycling company. I’ve worked with 1000s of restaurants and this is the feedback I have received about what restaurant owners want.

I. Core Priorities of Restaurant Owners:

• Service Delivery and Reliability:
  • Indoor Recycling Solutions:
    • Worry-free operation
    • Space-saving
    • Safety:
      • Prevent oil spills
      • Keep employees safe
    • Cost:
      • Cost of indoor systems
  • Outdoor Used Cooking Oil Tanks:
    • Sturdiness to prevent leaks
    • Theft proof
    • Safety and ease of use for staff
    •  Tools for transporting oil to the tank
  • Consistent and On-Time Service:
    • Avoid full/overflowing tanks
    • Options:
      • Fixed pickup schedules
      • Technology to predict tank fullness
• Ease of Scheduling Service:
  • Convenient scheduling options
  • Prompt response to kitchen emergencies
  • Accessibility to a decision-maker (e.g., 1:00 am)
  • Response time in hours, not days
• Compliance with Regulations:
  • Ensuring full compliance with local and state regulations
  • Avoidance of:
    • Fines
    • Reputational damage
    • Business shutdowns
• Rebates
  • Essential revenue source for small to medium restaurants
  • Not as important to large restaurants/chains

II. Restaurant Owner Priorities Table:

Service Component	Performance	Benefits	Importance
Service delivery	Indoor systems	Low cost, maintenance-free, safe	High
	Outdoor tanks	Sturdy, theft-proof, easy access,	High
Service reliability	Consistent, on-time	No overflowing tanks, convenient	High
Rebates	On-time, verifiable	Income to restauant	High
Ease of scheduling	Online, phone	Schedule service to my needs, emergency response time	Medium
Compliance w/ regulations	Reliable, safe disposal	Worry-free compliance	Medium