Fry Guy Focus: Introducing Will O’Kelley

Fried foods are some of the most beloved in America. There’s a process behind those foods, and in this ongoing series from Pitco, we sit down with the Fry Guys and Fry Gals who know how to get the most out of their fryers. In this edition, we sat down with Will O’Kelley Corporate Chef with PMR in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Chef Will O’Kelley started out studying marketing in college before he transferred to the Art Institute of Atlanta to study his passion, culinary arts. With 20 years of experience in the industry, Will considers himself a true end-user specialist and loves to help find the correct piece of equipment to develop a menu and create the customer’s overall vision. 

Pitco: What is the most common question you get about fryers?

Chef Will: Is upgrading to a digital or computer control worth it? What is the best way to make my oil last longer?

Pitco: What question do you first ask someone when they want help with a fried food menu item?

Chef Will: What is your current procedure? What are your pain points now?

Pitco: What are the most important accessories to have for fryers?

Chef Will: Built-in filtration, and a dump station.

Pitco: What is the best piece of advice you would give someone who wants to add fried food to a menu?

Chef Will: Spend the money to upgrade to a solid state control. Don’t buy a fryer based on what is the cheapest. All fryers are not created equal!!

Pitco: What are common frying mistakes that you see?

Chef Will: Not filtering often enough. Also not waiting for a fryer to recover before the next load is dropped.

Pitco: How would you recommend fixing them?

Chef Will: Purchase the built-in filter drawer which makes the process a breeze. Train team members to pay attention to their oil temp.

Pitco: What is the best fried food you ever had?

Chef Will: Duck egg rolls with a sweet Gochujang sauce.

Pitco: What are your best three pieces of advice for a restaurant to make more money with fried food?

Chef Will: Buy the built-in filter, use computer controls to help maintain consistent results, and use a blended oil which can help keep oil cost down.

We know what to fry. Schedule a culinary consultation with us to get some ideas for your operation!