Frymaster

What Frymaster does

Frymaster is a U.S.-based manufacturer of commercial frying equipment founded in 1935 and headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana. The company designs and produces open-pot and tube-type gas and electric fryers organized into tiered product series (Value, Value Performance, High Performance, High Efficiency, Oil Conserving, and FilterQuick), together with the DEAN brand line (Decathlon, GF, SuperRunner, PowerRunner) and supporting oil-management accessories including portable filtration units, shortening disposal units, and cleaning caddies. Its flagship FilterQuick platform integrates built-in filtration, Auto Top Off (ATO), Oil Quality Sensor (OQS), and touchscreen controllers, while FQLink IoT connectivity software (built on AWS KitchenConnect and RIoT) and MenuSync enable remote monitoring, fleet management, and chain-specific menu configuration across multi-unit foodservice operators.

Frymaster's core customer base is concentrated in enterprise quick-service restaurant chains, including McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Popeye's, Whataburger, Chick-fil-A, 7-Eleven, Casey's General Stores, and Slim Chickens, with additional exposure to full-service restaurants, convenience stores, and institutional cafeterias. Manufacturing is split between Shreveport, LA and a Chinese facility, both operating under unified quality standards and supporting international shipping through a global service network.

The business model is exclusively indirect: Frymaster does not sell directly to end customers but routes all transactions through local factory representatives, authorized dealers, and distributors, with installation, warranty, and maintenance delivered via a global Factory Authorized Servicer (FAS) network. Pricing is quote-based, not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contracts and start-up service included for fryers with built-in filtration. Frymaster is a privately held subsidiary of Welbilt, Inc., which itself sits inside the Ali Group foodservice-equipment conglomerate, and the brand has earned 15 consecutive years of ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year recognition alongside the 2024 PRIDE Centric Resources Team Choice Vendor Award.

Name

Frymaster

Legal name

Frymaster, L.L.C.

Website

https://frymaster.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Frymaster manufactures commercial fryers, oil-management equipment, and IoT-connected fryer management software, selling exclusively through dealer and factory-rep channels to enterprise QSR chains (McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A), convenience stores (7-Eleven), and institutional foodservice operators worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Cooking Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)

SIC

Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Cooking Equipment & Parts Wholesale (AFAIALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Restaurant & Commercial Kitchen Equipment Wholesale (AFAIALAB), Food Preparation Equipment & Smallwares Wholesale (AFAIALAK)

Keywords

• Commercial frying equipment
• Commercial fryers
• Oil filtration systems
• Foodservice equipment manufacturing
• Kitchen connectivity software

Headquarters

HQ city

Shreveport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commercial Frying Equipment Sales: Frymaster generates revenue primarily through the sale of commercial fryers and associated equipment including gas and electric fryers, portable oil filtration systems, shortening disposal units, and cleaning disposal caddies. Products are sold through a dealer and rep network rather than direct-to-consumer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Frymaster manufactures commercial gas and electric frying equipment, including open-pot, tube-type, and large-vat chicken fryers, organized into Value, Value Performance, High Performance, High Efficiency, Oil Conserving, and FilterQuick series, alongside the DEAN brand product line. The portfolio is complemented by oil management accessories (portable filtration, oil disposal units, cleaning caddies) and chain-specific software such as FQLink IoT connectivity and MenuSync for remote fryer monitoring and menu management. Sales are conducted exclusively through authorized dealers and local factory representatives to commercial foodservice operators worldwide.

Product overview

Frymaster is a premier manufacturer of commercial frying equipment founded in 1935, headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana. The product portfolio consists primarily of standalone commercial fryers and oil management equipment rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include multiple fryer models (FILTERQUICK, 1814, ESG35T, H55, HD, MJ, OCF, RE14/RE17, RE80, LHD65) and the acquired DEAN brand line (Decathlon, GF, SuperRunner, PowerRunner), organized into product series (Value, Value Performance, High Performance, High Efficiency, Oil Conserving, FilterQuick). These are supported by oil management accessories (Portable Oil Filtration, Oil Disposal Units, Cleaning Disposal Caddies) and chain-specific software solutions (FQLink IoT connectivity, MenuSync for menu management). The products range from basic affordable fryers to intelligent touchscreen-controlled systems with built-in filtration and IoT connectivity, targeting quick-service restaurants, commercial kitchens, and major food service chains worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DEAN: DEAN fryers product line including Decathlon, GF, SuperRunner, and PowerRunner models.
• FilterQuick

Products and services

• FilterQuick Fryers Intelligent commercial fryers with built-in filtration, Auto Top Off (ATO), and touchscreen controls (FQ4000 and FQ3000 options) for precision frying, oil savings, and simplified operation. Designed for high-volume commercial kitchens and major QSR chains.
• 1814 Fryer Full-size commercial fryer designed for high-volume kitchen operations.
• ESG35T Fryer Gas-powered commercial fryer model designed for foodservice operations.
• H55 Fryer High-performance commercial fryer available with or without built-in filtration, offering configuration options for different kitchens.
• HD Fryer Series Heavy-duty commercial fryer series including HD50 and HD60 models with filtration and non-filtration options, and the HD63 filtration model.
• MJ Fryer Series Commercial fryer series including MJ40, MJ50, and MJCF models for varied kitchen needs.
• OCF (Oil Conservation Fryer) Oil-conserving commercial fryer available in gas (OCF30 GAS) and electric (OCF30 ELECTRIC) variants for energy-efficient frying operations.
• RE14 / RE17 Fryers Compact commercial fryer models suitable for operations with space constraints or lower volume needs.
• RE80 Fryer Commercial fryer model designed for specific foodservice applications.
• LHD65 Fryer Large-vat chicken fryer built for high-volume operations and consistent, golden-crisp results, with advanced heat distribution and easy-to-clean construction.
• DEAN Decathlon Fryer High-performance commercial fryer under the DEAN brand, part of the Welbilt portfolio.
• DEAN GF Gas Fryer Gas commercial fryer under the DEAN brand for foodservice operations.
• DEAN SuperRunner Fryer Commercial fryer under the DEAN brand designed for efficient kitchen operations.
• DEAN PowerRunner Fryer Commercial fryer under the DEAN brand offering robust performance for demanding kitchen environments.
• Portable Oil Filtration Equipment Mobile filtration equipment for maintaining cooking oil quality and extending oil life in commercial fryers.
• Oil Disposal Units Equipment for safe and efficient disposal of used cooking oil and shortening.
• Cleaning Disposal Caddies Caddies for handling and disposing of cleaning solutions and fryer maintenance materials.
• FQLink Connectivity Software IoT connectivity software enabling integration of Frymaster kitchen equipment with cloud platforms (KitchenConnect AWS IoT, RIoT). Supports FilterQuick fryers with Ethernet installation and chain-specific software updates.
• MenuSync Software Menu synchronization software for managing menu files on M4000 and FQ4000 touchscreen controllers across chain-specific configurations.

Quantifiable outcome

• ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for 15 consecutive years

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Welbilt, Inc.coreOthersWelbilt, Inc. is the parent company of Frymaster and its affiliated entities. Frymaster operates as part of the Welbilt portfolio of commercial kitchen equipment brands. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy are governed by Welbilt, Inc. Parent entity is Ali Group, Inc.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Giles Foodservice Equipment: US manufacturer specializing in commercial fryers and foodservice cooking equipment with an emphasis on filtration and oil management. Direct technological and product overlap with Frymaster's FilterQuick and oil conservation lines, particularly in mid-market QSR.
• Anets (Anetsberger Brothers): Niche manufacturer of commercial frying and cooking equipment, primarily serving regional and mid-market foodservice operators. Overlaps with Frymaster's Value and Value Performance series in target customers and price points, though smaller in scale.
• BKI (Blodgett Holdings): US manufacturer of commercial cooking equipment including fryers, holding cabinets, and display warmers. Competes with Frymaster in the convenience store and QSR segments where BKI's display and merchandising capabilities complement its fryer line.

Direct peers

• Henny Penny: Privately held US manufacturer of commercial pressure fryers and open fryers widely used by QSR chains (including chicken specialists). Direct head-to-head competitor to Frymaster in the core commercial frying category, with overlapping customers and comparable product lineups.
• Pitco (Middleby Corporation): Pitco is the leading commercial fryer brand within Middleby's portfolio. Competes directly with Frymaster on gas and electric fryers for QSR and full-service operators, with similar distribution channels and overlapping target customers.
• Vulcan (ITW): Vulcan, part of Illinois Tool Works, manufactures commercial cooking equipment including a broad fryer line. Direct competitor to Frymaster in foodservice kitchens, particularly within full-service and institutional segments where Vulcan has strong presence.

Regional players

• Lincat: UK-based manufacturer of commercial cooking equipment including a fryer lineup. Comparable to Frymaster in product architecture but primarily serves the UK and European markets rather than North America where Frymaster is concentrated.

Broad incumbents

• Ali Group: Italian foodservice equipment conglomerate and ultimate parent of Frymaster. Operates numerous commercial cooking brands globally (e.g., Scotsman, Ice-O-Matic, Bravilor) — Frymaster operates within this portfolio as the dedicated frying equipment specialist.
• Welbilt, Inc. Frymaster's direct parent and a major foodservice equipment manufacturer with sibling brands (Cleveland, Garland, Lincoln, Merrychef, Convotherm, Manitowoc Ice). Operates in adjacent commercial cooking categories that overlap with Frymaster's installed customer base.
• Middleby Corporation: Diversified global leader in commercial kitchen equipment with a broad portfolio spanning fryers (Pitco), combi ovens, refrigeration, and more. Competes with Frymaster through Pitco and adjacent categories, offering foodservice operators one-stop procurement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8pxIgx6TlNPkmJgcyr-TSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/WBTFrymaster
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frymaster

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Frymaster