With cooking oil prices exceeding gasoline per gallon, Las Vegas franchise Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions is helping restaurants, casinos and other commercial kitchens cut fryer operating costs. The company provides on-site microfiltration through its mobile FiltaFry system, which extends oil life and reduces the frequency of full oil replacements.
Owner Lauren Wanco said a typical 50-pound fryer requires about $75 worth of fresh oil to fill. Filta charges roughly 80 cents per pound, or about $40 to service the same fryer. Wanco said the service often offsets its own cost, becoming a net-zero expense for clients.
Before hiring Filta, the CasaBlanca and Virgin River casinos in Mesquite were dumping 22 fryers daily. Wanco said filtration now handles about 70 percent of that volume, presenting significant savings. Other local clients include Bishop Gorman High School, UNLV, Mandalay Bay Events Center, Johnny Mac’s Sports Bar & Grill, the Renaissance and Westin hotels, and the Raiders’ Henderson headquarters.
Chris Bulen, corporate executive chef for Honest Hospitality managing the Raiders’ culinary program, has used Filta for years. He said the company services fryers up to three times weekly, straining and purifying oil as needed. “They don’t just come here to replace oil and to sell more product and give me a higher bill,” Bulen said. “They actually do care about providing a better service.”
The FiltaFry system was invented in 1996 in Great Britain by Jason Sayers after a friend suffered a severe oil-related burn. The franchise network has grown to more than 350 owners globally, including about 120 in the United States. Wanco, a classically trained chef with a nutrition science degree, purchased the Las Vegas franchise with her husband in 2017 after using Filta as a customer.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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