Summary of Operation
FiltaFry Plus is a mobile, onsite service for the microfiltration of cooking oils and vacuum cleaning of deep fat fryers and the supply of kitchen hygiene products and services.
Initial investment required from £14,950 + VAT
When he was made redundant from his job as a print operator, Dean Martin decided to turn his misfortune into a golden opportunity by becoming a FiltaFry Plus franchise owner.
Dean explains: “I had just turned 30 and when I heard that I was going to lose my job, I decided to start researching franchises and FiltaFry kept popping up.”
Within four months of being made redundant, Dean was able to launch his Norwich franchise, thanks to a comprehensive week of training at the company’s head office in Rugby, followed by a week of in-field technical training and a third week in the franchise owner’s territory with one of the company’s Development Managers.
“The franchise model, training and equipment have been so good, I rarely need to contact head office, but it is reassuring to know that help is just a phone call away,” adds Dean.
“Commercial kitchens, which do not use our service, don’t realise that the FiltaFry system cleans and filters the fryers when they are hot and takes just 20 minutes per fryer,” he says.FiltaFry franchise owners do this by using special equipment to extract oil from the fryer, which then goes through a two-way filtration process.
“As oil prices continue to soar, FiltaFry saves our customers money as our service typically extends the life of the oil by 100 per cent, while improving frying and food quality and reducing Health & Safety risks,” adds Dean.
As FiltaFry is a weekly repeat service business, franchise owners do not need a large client base – 30 to 40 customers can provide a generous income.
“I love working for myself and although I miss the people from my previous job, many of my customers are now my friends – we go to watch the football and have beers together,” he beams. “As such, when I visit my clients it doesn’t feel like work at all!”
Dean’s long-term plan, now he has renewed his franchise, is to build up his FiltaFry business so that he has four vans on the road, while he manages the workload and concentrates on creating new business.
“I am always looking in the local newspapers for new outlets opening in my area such as schools, restaurants, golf clubs and other places with commercial fryers,” he says.
“No job is safe in this day and age, so a FiltaFry franchise made sense as people are frying food everywhere and the potential to be a success is unbelievable. After five years, I have hardly made a dent in my territory and already have a turnover of £5,000 a month.
“I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending FiltaFry to anyone looking for a profitable opportunity to be their own boss, while enjoying the support of a highly experienced franchisor.”