Restaurant Services FAQs

What services does Grand Natural Inc provide to restaurants, casinos, hospitals, stadiums, and hotels?

Grand Natural Inc offers used cooking oil collection and pickup, grease recycling, restaurant hood cleaning , pest control, waste management, pressure washing, and grease trap services to restaurants, hotels, casinos, and other commercial and industrial foodservice establishments.

How to dispose of cooking oil from a deep fryer

In a country that loves fast food, fries and fried chicken, there is a lot of used cooking oil generated in restaurants, hotel kitchens and other foodservice establishments that has to be handled... and handled safely, efficiently, and - even better - recovered for use in other ways. Keep your used oil safe in secure grease storage tanks/bins, which are usually provided by your used cooking oil service provider. Using outdoor bins or indoor tanks, the oil is moved from fryer to tank, where it is stored until your service provider comes per a defined schedule to pick up your grease. By keeping your used oil free of contaminants, you protect the value of your grease and any potential rebate from your service partner.

Used cooking oil disposal vs. Used cooking oil collection and recycling

Rather than asking how to dispose of used oil, think in terms of how it can be recovered and reused. Some restaurants believe that their used cooking oil can be poured down the drain (BAD IDEA!) or thrown out with the garbage (a slightly less bad idea). Drains clog, and greasy garbage smells even worse than regular garbage. Instead, restaurant managers should think in terms of used cooking oil collection and recycling. The advantages are many:

• Improve your curb appeal (bad smells don't encourage a customer's appetite)
• Save your kitchen drains and plumber bill
• Avoid fines and down time if your grease trap should overflow from clogged grease in the pipes
• Realize the potential of rebates for your used cooking oil
• Know you are helping the planet by helping to recycle otherwise unusable material into something of value
• Support your company's sustainability goals

Can I put my used cooking oil down the kitchen drain?

No, always avoid pouring grease down the drain. Over time, it solidifies and builds up a thick coating in pipes which can cause blockages and backups. Plumbers are expensive, and so are fines if your backup should contaminate a city water supply or overflow onto streets requiring municipal cleanup crews.

Why does used cooking oil have value?

Used cooking oil, once properly processed, is used in a number of consumer products. This used cooking oil can be processed and repurposed into biofuel, animal feed ingredients, or used in a number of common household or commercial products, such as paints, solvents, cleansers, lotions, plastics, tires, and much more. As the demand for yellow grease (processed UCO) grows, so does its inherent value.

How much will I get for my used cooking oil?

It will vary depending on a number of conditions. Yellow grease (processed used cooking oil) is a commodity tracked by sources like The Jacobson, Urner Barry, Informa, and others, which monitor the market values of various agricultural commodities such as corn, soybeans, and more. Yellow grease value is driven by demand, which is determined largely by biofuel and animal feed demand. Yellow grease is an economical substitute for corn in animal feed, and used as an alternative feedstock to virgin oils for biofuel production.

We use formulaic pricing to determine rebates to our customers, based not only on market value and volume, but also the quality of the oil. 
  • Has it been kept free of contamination (trash, rainwater, food debris)? 
  • Is it secure from theft? (We can’t rebate for what we don’t pick up.) 
Moving grease collection to indoor tanks has proven the best way for customers to protect the value of their oil and maximize their rebate potential.

Do thieves really steal restaurant grease?

Yes, they do oddly enough! Because of the increase in demand for biofuel, due in large part to government mandates, the value for the feedstock that is used to produce the biofuel has increased proportionately. Thieves have discovered a grease bin in the back of a restaurant parking lot is often an easy and open target. They then sell the used grease to a biofuel producer who doesn’t ask sourcing questions… and rob the restaurant of any rebate they may be entitled to. Because these are criminals engaged in a crime, such theft can also be a danger to both employees and customers. If theft is observed, call the local police first to report the crime, then call us. Getting a photo or license tag number would be helpful in prosecuting the theft, but only if it is safe to do so.

What do you charge to pick up my UCO?

This varies by service providers, as well as the current market conditions for yellow grease (recycled cooking oil), but Grand Natural Inc typically does not charge for picking up used cooking oil. There are a few cases where higher than normal processing costs, difficulty in accessing the storage tank, or other special circumstances may require us to assess a small service fee. This would be discussed prior to entering into any agreement. We provide storage equipment to our customers, and if markets are healthy, pay our customers a rebate for the oil we collect from them, determined by volume and quality of the oil. Keeping your oil secure from contamination and theft will help preserve the rebate amount. Grand Natural offers solutions so that our customers can receive the most value from their grease.

What if I need UCO pickup before my scheduled time?

Part of our excellence in providing satisfied customer service is determining a pickup schedule that is tied to a store’s volume, so that we are always picking up your grease BEFORE your tank or bin is full. But sometimes, an unexpected boost in business can generate higher volume. If you need pickup prior to your regularly scheduled visit, call our Customer Service Center, 855-519-5550. Our phones are answered 24/7/365.

Do you sell fresh virgin cooking oil?

No. We have found that our customers can often find better prices on virgin oil by shopping suppliers, retaining the ability to buy at lower market prices versus being locked into a purchase contract. Grand Natural Inc’s focus is on what we do best – we offer the industry’s best in used oil collection tanks, dependable service, a nationwide infrastructure and skilled service partners to ensure our customers are satisfied and we are consistently meeting their needs.