Case Study: Hotel Zachary

Hotel Zachary, a Chicago hotel across the street from Wrigley Field, needed one cooking oil disposal system that could serve ten restaurant kitchens under one roof. Mahoney Environmental designed and installed a custom multi-tenant automated system while the hotel was still under construction. Today, every kitchen feeds one disposal unit, staff no longer carry hot oil outside, and the property stays in line with health code.

About Hotel Zachary

Hotel Zachary opened in 2018 in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, across the street from Wrigley Field. The property houses a collection of restaurants under one roof, which meant ten separate kitchens all producing used cooking oil. While the hotel was still under construction, the team called Mahoney to design and install a cooking oil disposal system that would work for all ten kitchens at once.

The Challenge: Ten Kitchens, Manual Oil Handling, and Outdoor Tanks

With ten kitchens producing used cooking oil, the hotel needed a setup that kept oil moving without adding work for each restaurant. The team came to Mahoney with three goals.

• All 10 kitchens needed to feed one disposal unit. A single system collecting oil from every kitchen made disposal simpler for the restaurants and gave the hotel more control.
• The outdoor manual waste oil tanks had to go. They were an eyesore and forced staff to carry oil outside by hand.
• Employees needed to stop handling oil by hand. Manual oil handling is a safety risk, and removing it lowers the chance of burns and injuries.

The Solution: One Multi-Tenant System for Every Kitchen

We designed and installed a custom oil disposal system for the property. It includes the following.

• One MEC72 pump and motor multi-tenant system
• Shuttles and caddies for each restaurant on the system
• Direct-connect caddies tied into the filtration built into the fryer banks
• Web-based activity monitoring

Each restaurant sends its used oil into the same central unit, and the monitoring gives the hotel one view of activity across all ten kitchens.

The Results: Safer Kitchens and a Cleaner Property

• Kitchens got safer and more productive. Staff no longer carry oil to outdoor tanks, which removes a hazard and frees time for work that contributes to the bottom line.
• The dock and alley stayed clean. With the outdoor tanks gone, the exterior looks right in one of Chicago’s premier neighborhoods.
• Health code fines disappeared. The system meets health code, so the hotel avoids violations, and those avoided fines effectively cover the cost of the system and its installation.
• Restaurants and guests stayed satisfied. The kitchens run smoother, and guests keep enjoying the property’s dining without disruption.

For Hotel Zachary, ten kitchens now run on one system, with less handling for staff and less clutter outside.

Plan a Cooking Oil System for Your Property

Every multi-kitchen property has its own layout, volume, and access points. Mahoney can design an automated system that fits yours and keeps hot oil out of your staff’s hands. See how we serve hotels and resorts, or call (800) 892-9392 to talk through your setup. Contact us to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can one cooking oil system serve multiple kitchens?

A multi-tenant automated system connects each kitchen to one central disposal unit. At Hotel Zachary, direct-connect caddies tie into the filtration built into the fryer banks, and each restaurant has its own shuttles and caddies feeding a single MEC72 pump and motor system. Web-based monitoring tracks activity across all ten kitchens.

Why did Hotel Zachary remove its outdoor waste oil tanks?

The manual outdoor tanks were an eyesore and forced staff to carry hot oil outside by hand. Replacing them with an automated system kept the dock and alley clean and removed a burn risk for kitchen staff.

Can an automated cooking oil system be installed during construction?

Yes. Hotel Zachary brought Mahoney in while the hotel was still under construction, which let the team design the system around all ten kitchens from the start.

What happens to the used cooking oil Mahoney collects from hotels?

Mahoney recycles collected oil into renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The oil leaves the property as a renewable fuel feedstock instead of a disposal cost.

Where is Hotel Zachary located?

Hotel Zachary is in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, across the street from Wrigley Field. It opened in 2018 and houses a collection of restaurants under one roof.