As the Filta franchise owner covering Lancaster, Berks, and Chester counties in Pennsylvania, Bart O’Connor helps restaurants and commercial kitchens. He does this by extending the life of fryer oil by micro filtering it. He also recycles old waste oil into biodiesel all while keeping kitchens clean and ready for use. 

Thanks to our proprietary machinery and systemized process, Filta franchise owners such as Bart are actually keeping restaurant and commercial kitchens a lot safer as well. According to the American Burn Association about 12,000 restaurant burn injuries are reported each year.  But the actual number is likely higher. Many injuries often go unreported. That’s just one of the many benefits Bart’s service provides.

Filta Franchisee Bart O’Connor Changes Pennsylvania Restaurants 

Bart was recently quoted in the Reading Eagle as saying, “In today’s world of understaffing, this is a morale thing,” O’Connor said. “I’ve actually been hugged by quite a few kitchen workers, they’re like, ‘Oh, great, you’re doing this now.’ We’re prepared to do this. Kitchen workers, they might not have all (our equipment). There could be burns, there could be quite a lot of spills.”

What Filta Does

As a Filta franchise owner, Bart and his staff visit kitchens for cleanings anywhere from one to three times a week depending on fryer use. With his FiltaFry service, Bart grades oil on a scale of dirtiness. He then drains that oil out of the fryer into our proprietary microfiltration machine. All the impurities are removed. While the oil is filtering, he cleans the fryers by removing carbon buildup and contaminants. Once the filtration process is complete, the clean oil is put back into the fryer. And once the oil reaches the point it can no longer be reused, Bart and his team remove the old oil and take it off site to recycle into biodiesel.

Bart O’Connor on Filta’s Impact

“We’re making oil last longer, and that can save (clients) money,” O’Connor told the Reading Eagle. “We’re really the only one that really does the active management, in terms of really scrubbing the fryer and making sure it’s clean. We pay so much attention to it. Usually, we’ll filter one time a week, and we’ll dump the oil and take it with us the second time a week.”

Pennsylvania Service

Bart and his team are already working in commercial kitchens at Albright College in Reading, Penn., Lititz Springs Inn and Spa in Lititz, hospitals in Lancaster and Reading, corporate cafeterias at Mars and Manheim Auto Auction, Clipper Magazine Stadium, the home field of the 2023 Atlantic League Champions Lancaster Barnstormers, and others.

Bart O’Connor’s Future Plans

“Right now, I want to get maximum growth out of the three counties,” Bart told the Reading Eagle. “And I’m looking at growing into Montgomery County. I’m really looking to keep building routes. I’m putting capital in, with new technicians, and a new van I just bought, I have three vehicles (now). Just looking to keep it growing.”

What We Do

Nationwide, Filta’s customers range from single and chain restaurants to commercial kitchens inside hospitals, hotels, groceries, universities, casinos, business facilities, stadiums (NFL, NCAA, MLB, NHL), and more. Filta has recycled nearly 1 billion pounds of used cooking oil into biodiesel, significantly reducing the impact of waste fryer oil on the environment. For every gallon of biodiesel put into use, Filta prevents 16 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. For more information about Filta and its franchise opportunities, please visit www.filtafranchise.com. 

The post Filta Franchisee Bart O’Connor Helps Pennsylvania Restaurants and Commercial Kitchens first appeared on Filta.

Did you know that Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions serves more than 50 Dairy Queens nationwide? In fact, three Filta owners were recently highlighted in Retail & Restaurant Facility Business for their Dairy Queen work. That story focused on how Filta makes those kitchens run faster, greener, safer, and cleaner.

Filta Ohio

Terry Walkerly serves nine Dairy Queens in northern Ohio. One has been a Filta customer as long as 15 years. At all the restaurants, Terry’s team microfilters existing oil to extend its life (FiltaFry). Additionally, he picks up waste oil to be recycled for biodiesel fuel (FiltaBio). Regardless of which service, all Filta franchise owners will customize their approach to meet the unique needs of individual kitchens.

“We’ll adjust service based on seasonality, usage and basically any type of service the individual Dairy Queen wants,” said Melissa Smith-Hignite, Walkerly’s VP of sales and marketing.

Filta Michigan

In Romeo, Mich., Filta Franchisee Steve Bral works with his local Dairy Queen. Steve microfilters, cleans, and removes waste oil from two 50-pound fryers.

Steve started Filta in his Michigan territory in 2018. He began with two employees, one vehicle, and less than 10 customers. Today, his family-owned business has 15 employees (13 full time and two part-time) and seven vehicles. Together, they service more than 130 customers. These include Dairy Queen, Little Caesars Arena, and University of Michigan stadiums. Other customers include Ascension, Corewell–Beaumont, and DMC hospitals. Corporate clients feature GM, Ford, Stellantis, and Toyota.

Filta Pennsylvania

David and Laurie Hoover along with their son Zach, are South-Central Pennsylvania Filta franchise owners. They serve a Dairy Queen in Steelton, Penn., which they brought on at the height of the pandemic.

“Zach came in and offered a trial,” said Dharmesh Makwana, Steelton Dairy Queen Grill & Chill Owner. “They cleaned the fryer once and the chicken strips were coming out golden brown instead of dark. I never have bad reviews. Sales for my fried products have doubled since I started working with Filta.”

The Hoover’s team cleans Makwana’s two 50-pound fryers and removes waste oil twice a week during the summer. Winter is slower. Subsequently, the Hoovers customize their service to once-a-week to save Dairy Queen money.

Filta Serves More Than 50 Dairy Queens Nationwide

Read the full article in the October issue of Retail & Restaurant Facility Business.

To learn more about Filta ownership and the available territories, contact Rob Totten at rtotten@filta.com. To learn more about Filta’s services including fryer cleaning, microfiltration, and waste oil removal/recycling, please call 866-51-FILTA. Or you can visit GoFilta.com for 24-hour live chat.

The post Filta Serves More Than 50 Dairy Queens Nationwide first appeared on Filta.

Repeat Customer Model

Once a Filta owner begins work for a commercial kitchen client – a chain restaurant, a business employee cafeteria, a university, hospital, stadium, etc. – those fryers need to be serviced on a regular basis. That repeat business is bread and butter for Filta owners.

The cadence for micro-filtration, cleaning, and oil removal varies. It depends on the number of fried items on the menu. Timing also depends on what foods are cooked in the fryer and heavy use times versus slower seasons. Whether it’s every night, twice a week, or bi-monthly, commercial kitchen clients rely on Filta. That’s because our regular service keeps food tasting great and fryers operating in tip-top condition. It also extends the life of cooking oil.

A Sticky Business

John Maloney, a franchise owner in Delaware, said when he was considering all the franchise brand options available, what attracted him to Filta was this repeat customer model.

“With other franchise concepts you’re always chasing business,” said Maloney. “You are always looking for the next client. But Filta is sticky. We’ve doubled our business in five years because of how Filta offers a repeat customer model to franchisees.”

Customers Don’t Leave

Scott Clark, an owner in Athens, Ga., agrees but adds that Filta’s reputation has helped him get in the door and stick with a customer.

“I was able to add a restaurant because they had heard of Filta’s amazing reputation,” Clark said. “You don’t have customers leave.”

Franchise Information

To learn more about Filta ownership and the available territories, contact Rob Totten at rtotten@filta.com. To learn more about Filta’s services including fryer cleaning, microfiltration, and waste oil removal/recycling, please call 866-51-FILTA. Visit GoFilta.com for a 24-hour live chat.

The post Filta Offers a Repeat Customer Model to Franchisees first appeared on Filta.

Corporate America to Franchise Success in 5 Years

After leaving corporate America, Steve acquired a Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions (Filta) franchise in 2018. After navigating the uncertainty of COVID with support from Filta, his Detroit-area franchise has achieved a run rate of $2 million per year. He’s now on track to hit $4 million by 2025. This is how Steve Bral is transforming his Detroit-area Filta business and achieving astounding success.

Formerly with GM, Ford, and Bosch, Steve started Filta with two employees, one vehicle, and less than 10 customers. Today, his family-owned business counts 13 full time and two part-time employees, seven vehicles, and more than 130 customers.

Arenas, Hospitals, Restaurants and More

Steve’s team works in a huge variety of locations including Little Caesars Arena and University of Michigan stadiums. He services a host of hospitals including Ascension, Corewell – Beaumont, and DMC. Restaurants in his portfolio include Detroit Wing Company, Hyde Park Grille, Village Market, and Union Joints. Corporate clients feature GM, Ford, Stellantis, and Toyota. The Detroit Filta team also works with CJ Barrymore’s, which is an amusement park and entertainment venue.

Achieving Astounding Success

“When we opened our family owned and operated business, we faced numerous challenges. The pandemic added another layer of complexity. However, we continued to see potential. With the support of the Filta franchise system and our dedicated employees, we embarked on a transformational journey,” Bral said. “Without the hand of God and our exceptional team, this success would not have been possible.”

To learn more about Steve’s success, read the full story of about his five-year success trajectory here.

Franchise Information

To learn more about Filta ownership and the available territories, contact Rob Totten at rtotten@filta.com. To learn more about Filta’s services including fryer cleaning, microfiltration, and waste oil removal/recycling, please call 866-51-FILTA or visit GoFilta.com for 24-hour live chat.

The post Steve Bral is Transforming his Detroit-Area Filta Business and Achieving Astounding Success first appeared on Filta.