How To Save On Labor Using Pitco Fryers

What’s on the menu isn’t the only factor that can make or break a foodservice operation. Labor also plays a sizable role in your restaurant’s success. The restaurant industry is no stranger to labor challenges, but as more restaurants gear up to operate at full capacity once more, businesses must now contend with constraints in staffing and the labor considerations that come with those restrictions.

For labor-constrained kitchens, any innovation that makes the frying process more manageable while reducing the amount of labor needed is always welcome. Good help may be hard to find, but Pitco eases the burden on your existing kitchen staff with its versatile commercial deep fryers.

How Menu Selections Affect Fryer Choices

Whether you’re starting out with a new venture or remodeling your current space, your menu selections set the template for your restaurant’s equipment and labor needs. If French fries are your primary fried food item, for instance, then a standard 14″ fryer with 2 baskets may be the best fit for your operation. For heavier items like fried chicken or fried fish, however, an 18″ fryer with 3 baskets gives your staff more cooking area as well as increased throughput.

In addition to having the best fryer size for your foodservice operation, you’ll also need the right basket sizes to capitalize on your choices. Using a 14” basket in an 18” fryer means wasting valuable oil, whereas an 18” basket won’t be able to fit inside of a 14” tank.

Manual vs. Automatic Lifts

Basket lifts are another area where menu selections and labor considerations go hand-in-hand. Casual onlookers might not think much about lifting a basket, but repetitive lifting over the course of a shift can have profound effects on your staff. Light items like French fries are easy to handle, but heavier items like fried chicken can induce fatigue and the likelihood of wrist injuries.

There are also operational efficiencies to consider, especially in labor-constrained kitchens where the ability to multi-task between cook cycles can help boost throughput and lower wait times. Rack fryers with automatic fry basket lifts offer an effective way to streamline labor functions without risking degradation in food or service quality.

Used with fryers featuring built-in timer controls, automatic fry basket lifts allow kitchen staff to finish other tasks as fry cook times elapse. Once the timed cook cycle is complete, the baskets automatically rise and lift the food out of the hot oil. An alarm also sounds to let staff know that it’s time to remove the food.

Automatic lifts not only make multi-tasking easier but frying tasks can also be done in a safer manner. With this system, fry cooks are less likely to drop baskets into hot oil too quickly, which could cause splashes and potential injuries.

Our ROV Rack Fryer models feature manual lift-assist or fully automated lifts, giving you more options that best fit your foodservice needs. These options can help your restaurant enjoy significant labor savings by streamlining a variety of common fry cooking tasks.

Ready to learn more about how Pitco fryers can help with labor?