Honor marks company’s third KI Award

March 1, 2022—Frontline International is proud to be honored as a recipient of the 2022 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award for the Kitchen Controller cooking oil management system. This is the third Kitchen Innovations Award won by Frontline (previous wins came in 2012 for its EZ Oil direct-plumb automatic fresh oil dispensing system and 2013 for the M3 cooking oil data management system). 

The Kitchen Controller system is an end-to-end automated cooking oil management system that monitors oil quality via a hand-held fry-vat sensor. Oil condition is communicated via WIFI to a wall-mounted tablet on which restaurant staff are prompted to select actions to help extend oil life, such as skimming, topping off or changing out. 

Actions are push-button and automated, helping to keep kitchen staff safe from contact with slippery, hot, and potentially dangerous interaction with cooking oil. A data management backend allows mangers to remotely monitor functions and verify recommendations are being performed.

“Frontline International is pleased to be recognized with its third Kitchen Innovations Award for the Kitchen Controller System,” said John Palazzo, president of Frontline. “Our business was founded on helping foodservice kitchens find safer, more sustainable, and more profitable methods of using their cooking oil, and honors like this demonstrate we’ve succeeded while encouraging us to further that mission.”

The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show announced the 2022 recipients of the Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards, which recognizes the year’s most forward-thinking and cutting-edge innovations that meaningfully improve foodservice operations. The National Restaurant Association Show is the premier event to learn about foodservice technology innovations, unique ingredients, and emerging trends in the restaurant industry, and will take place May 21-24, 2022, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Frontline is attending the NRA show at Booth 1440 in the South Building. Attendees are invited to visit the booth to see live demonstrations of the KI Award-winning Kitchen Controller System.

Frontline International’s new higher-capacity EZ Oil Fresh Oil Dispensing System keeps 385 pounds of oil at the ready for automated fryer vat refills

Frontline International revolutionized automated cooking oil for foodservice kitchens when it introduced the EZ Fresh Oil Dispensing System, which allows boxed-bulk oil to easily route to fryer vats at the push of a button. Now, the company is introducing a new, higher-capacity version that dramatically increases the amount of oil it can store. Its 385-pound capacity immediately makes it the front-runner for use in automated cooking oil systems.

The new EZ Fresh Oil Dispensing System has three boxes of oil plumbed to an expanded reservoir, for a capacity of 280 pounds of oil tapped and ready to flow hands-free to the fryer. Plus, another 105 pounds of cooking oil store on the equipment, for 385 total pounds of cooking oil at the ready. The expansion was accomplished without adding to the footprint of original EZ Oil, allowing it to mesh seamlessly with virtually any kitchen environment.

This expanded capacity system allows operators to use higher-quality boxed bulk oil and get the same convenience as using a tank. In fact, the EZ Oil system allows even greater convenience because there’s no more waiting for tank-oil truck deliveries and no more long-term contracts. Operators simply choose the boxed oil they want to use, from a vastly wider pool of options, and have it delivered with their other regularly scheduled kitchen deliveries.

The expanded EZ Oil Fresh Oil Dispensing system is automated, hands-free, and bulk for the ultimate in quality and convenience.

“Automation is king in foodservice kitchens, but the downside has always been that large, unwieldy tank and the inconvenience of waiting for oil to be delivered. It’s delivered on the oil provider’s schedule, not on the kitchen owner’s,” said Giovanni Brienza, senior vice president of Frontline International. “The expanded EZ Oil system opens up a world of options to operators, to choose exactly the boxed bulk oil they want, free themselves from long-term contracts, and successfully automate their processes for a consistent, high-quality food product.”

Closed system collects fats, oils, and greases directly from rotisseries, convections, combitherms

In busy commercial kitchens, fats, oils, and greases are generated by many different pieces of cooking equipment alongside fryers. Grills, rotisseries, and convection and combitherm ovens must be considered as well. Unfortunately, many oil management systems are only concerned with fryer oil, leaving kitchen operators to fend for themselves when handling the many other types of waste fats and greases.

Frontline International, Inc., a leader in smart oil management solutions, makes collection equipment to handle them all, so you can collect and dispose of fats, oil, and greases safely, smartly, and sustainably.

Frontline’s newest piece of equipment is the Direct Plumb^® Oven System, which connects directly to ovens and rotisseries. Its hose attachment plugs into the cooking units to automatically suction out fats and grease from the equipment’s drip pan with no handling, dumping, or exposure to material required. Waste product is easily sucked through the hose and into the containment caddy. Then simply wheel the sealed caddy over to your used oil containment tank and pump the collected grease out of the caddy and into the tank using the same hose attachment.

The Direct Plumb^® Oven System makes safe and mess-free collection of fats and grease accessible to any commercial kitchen operator. Eliminating exposure to these cooking byproducts keeps employees safer by helping to reduce the risk of slip and fall accidents and keeps kitchens cleaner and operating more smoothly.

“Fats, oils, and greases are among the main offenders in creating potentially unsafe and unsanitary conditions in kitchens,” said Giovanni Brienza, Frontline senior vice president. “Frontline understands that, for kitchens to be truly safe, smart, and sustainable, you can’t discriminate between fats, oils, and greases. [The] Direct Plumb^® Oven System is another tool operators can use to handle these waste products holistically.”

New Kitchen Controller™ oil management system uses real-time data to more consistently and profitably cook fried foods.

Put Grease into Sustainable Biofuel, Not Sewer Drains

MINNEAPOLIS — The foodservice industry is under intense pressure to deliver consistent, quality food on razor-thin profit margins. Recognizing that proper cooking oil management plays a critical role in achieving both objectives, Cargill has joined with Frontline International to develop the Kitchen Controller™ end-to-end, automated oil management system.

The state-of-the-art solution leverages Cargill’s foodservice experience and oil quality knowledge with Frontline International’s Smart Oil Management® equipment expertise and customer relationships, providing foodservice operators with an integrated, intelligent approach to oil management.

“Proper oil management can have a huge impact on product quality and production costs. Identifying the best times to safely filter and replace oil has significant benefits, yet too often, kitchen staff end up guessing when to do these critical tasks,” said Mike Christensen, foodservice category leader for Cargill’s global edible oils business. “The Kitchen Controller system will be the first of several solutions we’re working on to address industry challenges and help shape foodservice kitchens of the future.”

The Kitchen Controller system simplifies cooking oil management by automating the oil filtering and replacement process. At the heart of the system, a fry vat sensor gathers oil quality data. The data is then analyzed by the Kitchen Controller proprietary software and fed to a touchscreen pad. Kitchen staff use the green, yellow and red on-screen indicators on the touchpad to take action with the oil. This helps to ensure consistency and quality of fried foods and improves profitability.

“The collaboration between Frontline International and Cargill is a critical component of a multiyear strategic plan for business growth driven by our ongoing investment in emerging technology in commercial foodservice,” said John Palazzo, president and CEO, Frontline International. “Value is achieved when cooking oil is viewed as more than a commodity, but a key driver of brand value and bottom-line benefit. The Kitchen Controller system literally puts operators in control of their investment in cooking oil.”

Kitchen Controller oil management system, developed in partnership with Frontline International, is the first digital solution offered to foodservice operators under the new Cargill Serve™ umbrella, an initiative to help customers streamline kitchen management. Other Cargill Serve tools are already in development, including the Kitchen Trainer™ oil management training program designed for foodservice employees and the Kitchen Advisor™ app that recommends prescriptive oil management actions to kitchen staff. Both of these solutions will be available to foodservice customers later this year.

Learn more about Kitchen Controller oil management system here.

Two-way pump avoids cross-contamination, keeps vegan dishes vegan

When is a vegan dish not a vegan dish? When it’s fried in the same oil as meat-based foods. Even if you regularly filter your cooking oil, standard filtration procedures send oil from all vats through a common plumbing system, where they become commingled. Once this pool of oil is filtered and pumped back into the vats, your vegan dishes become tainted with traces of meat from the other vats’ oil. Frontline International, creators of smart cooking oil management solutions, eliminates the problem with the new Reversible Pump Filter Machine.

With the Reversible Pump Filter Machine, the two-way pump both sucks out the oil from the individual vegan-designated vat and pumps it back in after filtering. There’s no longer any need to use the fryer’s common drain. Vegan stays vegan.

Here’s how it works. At filtration time, before draining vats, first use the Reversible Pump Filter Machine to suck used oil from the vegan tank. The machine filters the oil separate from oil drained from the other vats. When finished, reverse the pump and pump filtered oil back into the vegan vat. The oil never comes in contact with any oil used to fry meat-based food products.

Eating vegan is among the fastest-growing diets in the world, with the U.S. alone seeing a 600% increase between 2014 and 2017. The adoption of a vegan diet is in line with recent trends toward healthier eating, which has gradually been on the rise and has seen increased interest as the link emerges between a healthy lifestyle and milder COVID-19 symptoms. In short, more foodservice customers are expecting vegan options when they choose where to dine.

The Reversible Pump Filter Machine can also keep different oil types separate as well, for restaurants that offer a range of oils for different dishes. This is ideal for Frontline’s EZ Oil fresh oil system, which uses boxed oil—available in innumerable variations for health and flavor benefits—instead of bulk oil.

For more information, visit www.frontlineii.com.

Frontline’s easily wheeled Tank Tank keeps spent grease trapped inside

In many communities, retail supercenters have replaced the town square, offering a collection of products—including food—that in days gone by used to be spread among several smaller shops. This versatility brings stunning convenience to consumers, but also poses unique challenges to operators. They must find a way to be all things to all people. One aspect of this involves the diversity of food now expected to be available to shoppers, including a dizzying mix of complete take-home meals, rotisserie chicken, grab-and-go items, snacks, coffee and drinks, and full-service delis.

It’s not only hard to keep straight; it’s hard to maintain. Grease generated by cooking oil fryers, combi ovens, convection ovens, and other commercial ovens scattered throughout a location can create logistical problems, to say nothing of cleanliness issues and slip-and-fall hazards that pose a threat to both guests and employees.

Frontline International’s Tank Tank mobile waste oil collection system (Model 74SS-NA) was specifically designed for these diverse environments. The 74-gallon Tank Tank is a safe temporary tank that acts as an oversized caddy system. Containment options include pouring spent grease into the tank or using the unit’s integral pump and wand to draw oil into the tank.

Called Tank Tank because it’s an oil tank and also mobile and rugged like a military tank, it can be easily wheeled to each location and accepts multiple deposits before needing to be emptied. Once oil is housed safely inside, it can be transported with no hazardous sloshing. It’s locked in!

When the tank is full, operators can simply wheel it to a permanently positioned, centrally located containment tank and pump the used oil into the permanent tank. It helps eliminate the risk of burns, slips, and falls, which can often increase in likelihood when employees walk any distance with exposed oil. All hoses and attachments come standard on the Tank Tank, which can also serve as its own secure storage tank for smaller operations with a lower used oil turnover.

In addition to supercenter environments, the Tank Tank is also ideal for malls, sports stadiums with concession stands, conference centers, airports, casinos, and colleges and universities, among others.

Tank Tank is also available in a 47-gallon capacity (Model 47SS-NA) for smaller operations.

Two decades of “Smart Oil Management^®”

The year 2000 wasn’t just the start of a new millennium, it also ushered in a new era in cooking oil handling for foodservice. That was the year Frontline International created the Smart Oil Management category—and in 2020, the company celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Founder and president John Palazzo had spent his career in diverse industries, including aerospace, healthcare, and consulting for Fortune 500 companies before transitioning to the foodservice industry. He understood how to build a company for longevity and growth. He also knew there was a better way to increase safety, savings, and sustainability in foodservice kitchens via the thoughtful, well-planned, and well-executed management of cooking oil.

Frontline International, Palazzo’s company, introduced the first closed system, in which there was little or no need to touch oil throughout its life cycle—from the moment of its introduction into the fryer, to its accumulation in tanks, to its collection by renderers. Frontline’s approach was modular, scalable, and easily customizable to suit any kitchen environment. It revolutionized foodservice’s approach to cooking oil.

Products borne of the Frontline method include EZ Oil^®, Auto Top-Off, Direct-Plumbed^® Waste Oil Systems, smart containment tanks, and the Grill Grease Caddy, to name a few. Frontline built in other attractive features, such as the ability to collect data on cooking oil management in order to adjust usage and further maximize efficiency and profits. It was a revolutionary cradle-to-grave approach to cooking oil usage that forever changed how foodservice kitchens would operate.

The company’s products are marketed under the umbrella theme Smart Oil Management^®.

Now—20 years, tens of thousands of installations, and six continents later—Frontline International pauses for a brief moment to consider all it has accomplished in a very short time. “I want to thank the hundreds of customers who have trusted us to make their oil handling safer, more profitable, and more sustainable,” said Palazzo. “We began Frontline because we knew there was a better way, but without customers willing to embrace change, we never would have had our proving ground.”

Distributor named; new government grant covers half of customer cost

February 12, 2020—Frontline International continues its worldwide expansion by announcing a new partnership with Mii Foodservice for distribution in Singapore and Malaysia. In addition, Frontline’s Smart Oil Management® solutions have been approved for a Singaporean government grant program that can cover half of customers’ cost of equipment purchases.

Frontline is a global leader in cooking oil management solutions, helping to create safer workplaces, provide brand protection, and automate the complex science of fried-food quality. The company manufactures equipment for handling fresh oil, filtration, and used oil to help customers manage, monitor, and make money from their cooking oil.

The Singaporean government grant, known as a Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), covers up to 50% of the cost of certain Frontline equipment purchased by qualifying customers within the country. Eligible Frontline equipment must transfer oil directly from the fryer to a used oil containment tank without an intermediate caddy (Frontline’s Direct-Plumbed® system). The containment tank must be equipped with fill-level sensors, Frontline’s exclusive M3 data management system, and diagnostic functions.

Prospective customers can get a quote from Mii Foodservice before applying for the PSG through Singapore’s Business Grants Portal.

“Frontline’s message of safety, sustainability, and savings resonates around the globe,” said Giovanni Brienza, vice president. “We have enjoyed tremendous success in the eastern hemisphere and look forward to continued growth in Malaysia and Singapore through our partnership with Mii Foodservice. At the same time, the Productivity Solutions Grant makes Frontline equipment an even clearer choice for foodservice industry professionals in Singapore.”

With installations on six continents, Frontline International is the only U.S.-based manufacturer of oil management equipment that maintains the equipment quality certifications to sell internationally.

About Frontline International

Frontline International, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes superior commercial foodservice equipment for the storage, handling, and disposal of cooking oil. Customers own their own equipment, negotiate their own oil rebates, and have the freedom to choose their own oil vendors. The company also offers turnkey oil management under its OilCare® bundled services program. Frontline International and its Smart Oil Management® systems offer users more freedom and more control over their processes and their profits. For more information, contact Frontline International, Inc. at 187 Ascot Parkway, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223. Phone: +1 330-861-1100. Toll free: 1-877-776-1100. Web: http://www.frontlineii.com. Email: info@frontlineii.com.

Key member of leadership ‘invigorated’ for future

A key member of Frontline International’s leadership team has been promoted to a new position. Giovanni Brienza, a longtime fixture with the company, is now senior vice president.  

A native of Italy, Brienza earned his engineering degree from the University of Cassino before moving to the United States and joining the company in 2004. In his previous role as vice president, he was responsible for furthering the company mission of savings, safety, and sustainability through smarter use, storage, disposal, and management of cooking oil. 

In his new role, Brienza will continue with these efforts while adding new responsibilities such as long-term strategic planning, overseeing ongoing product enhancements, optimization of workflow, and resource acquisition.

“Frontline is my home, and I look forward to being here for many years to come,” said Brienza. “Our technology leads the industry, and our team is strong. I’m invigorated to share our vision of a safer, sustainable, more profitable commercial kitchen with more markets around the world.”

With two engineers in the top spots—company president Palazzo is also an engineer—Frontline International has built its reputation on using creative problem-solving and the latest technological advancements to revolutionize all aspects of handling cooking oil.

About Frontline International

Frontline International, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes superior commercial foodservice equipment for the storage, handling, and disposal of cooking oil. With Frontline, you own your own equipment, negotiate your own oil rebates, and have the freedom to choose your own oil vendors. Frontline and its Smart Oil Management systems offer users more freedom and more control over their processes and their profits. For more information, contact Frontline International, Inc. at 187 Ascot Parkway, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223. Phone: +1 330-861-1100. Toll free: 1-877-776-1100. Web: www.frontlineii.com. E-mail: info@frontlineii.com.

Sizes doubles to 30,000 sq. ft., deepening manufacturing capacity

In response to dramatic increases in international and domestic equipment sales as well as growth spurred by new initiatives, Frontline International has completed an expansion project doubling the size of its headquarters in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. With the facility now totaling 30,000 square feet, the company anticipates customers will realize immediate benefits from the increased space, including faster product turnaround and faster delivery.

The expansion touches virtually every aspect of Frontline’s business, highlighted by significantly larger fabrication and welding departments and vastly increased warehouse space. The expanded manufacturing and warehousing capacity positions the company to better respond to the needs of customers globally.

“We’re excited about our current growth trajectory,” said John Palazzo, president of Frontline International. “Customers globally are responding to our message of safe, sustainable, and profitable cooking oil use. This larger facility helps us serve our customer base even better than before and gives us the capacity to continue reaching into new markets. We will continue growing strategically to anticipate demand.”

Frontline moved to the Cuyahoga Falls location in 2010 after previously being based in nearby Barberton, Ohio. At that time, company officials mindfully designed the plant to be modular to easily respond to future growth. Palazzo anticipates additional expansions in the future as demand for Frontline grows and new programs such as OilCare®, a turnkey initiative that bundles cooking oil management services with fixed monthly equipment leases, continue to gain popularity. 

About Frontline International

Frontline International, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes superior commercial foodservice equipment for the storage, handling, and disposal of cooking oil. With Frontline, you own your own equipment, negotiate your own oil rebates, and have the freedom to choose your own oil vendors. Frontline and its Smart Oil Management systems offer users more freedom and more control over their processes and their profits. For more information, contact Frontline International, Inc. at 187 Ascot Parkway, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223. Phone: +1 330-861-1100. Toll free: 1-877-776-1100. Web: www.frontlineii.com. E-mail: info@frontlineii.com.