Restaurant Technologies

Restaurant Technologies: Automated Cooking Oil Management for Commercial Kitchens

Restaurant Technologies (RTI) presents itself as a provider of automated cooking oil management solutions for more than 45,000 commercial kitchens in the United States. The company states it has over 25 years of experience and a workforce of more than 1,200 employees, and operates a network of 41 depots nationwide.

Its offering is built around Total Oil Management, a system that integrates bulk oil delivery, automated filtration and monitoring, safe hands-free disposal of used oil, and used oil pickup and recycling. The company maintains that this approach improves kitchen safety, operational efficiency, and consistency in fried food quality.

Solutions for the complete oil cycle

RTI's service catalog covers various phases of oil handling in a commercial kitchen:

• Automated cooking oil management.
• Bulk oil delivery.
• Oil filtration and monitoring.
• Restaurant rendering tanks.
• Used oil removal and recycling.

The company indicates that used oil is recycled into biofuel.

Implementation process

The company describes a three-stage implementation process. The first consists of an assessment of the space to determine its readiness and plan equipment, calculate the volume of oil the business expects to use regularly, and advise on the most suitable solutions. The second is installation, which according to the company typically takes 4 to 7 hours and is carried out with minimal disruption to daily operations, so the kitchen can remain open during the process. The third stage is automation, which allows discarding and replenishing cooking oil with just the flip of a switch.

Industries served

Restaurant Technologies targets its solutions at a wide variety of foodservice and restaurant operators:

• QSR and fast casual restaurants.
• Casual and fine dining restaurants.
• Convenience stores.
• Grocery stores.
• Colleges and universities.
• Hotels, resorts, and casinos.
• Cafeteria services and non-commercial food services.

Operational and economic benefits

According to a 2024 proprietary survey of 301 customers, users of Total Oil Management reported average savings of $250 per week (about $13,000 annually), a reduction of 9 labor hours per week (approximately $7,020 annually), and savings of 102 pounds of oil per week (about $5,000 annually). The company also notes that customers can save up to 15% on insurance premiums thanks to a safer kitchen.

Among the benefits the company attributes to its system are reduced risk of accidents and injuries related to hot oil, improved consistency in fried food quality through more precise automation, reduced waste, and reduced storage space needed by avoiding 5-gallon jugs.

Service network and national presence

Restaurant Technologies operates 41 depots and employs more than 1,200 people to serve over 45,000 customers across the United States. The company offers coast-to-coast service and has a depot locator tool on its website.

Customer resources

The company maintains a learning center with a blog called The Back-of-House, case studies, training and troubleshooting materials, a referral program, and content on insurance premium savings. It also publishes information about its leadership team, board of directors, social impact, values, sustainability, and an educational foundation.