Broaster

What Broaster does

Broaster Company is a privately held U.S. food equipment manufacturer founded in 1954 in Beloit, Wisconsin, with a workforce of 11–50 employees. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes commercial pressure frying equipment—including the patented Broaster Pressure Fryer, the next-generation E-Series (electric and gas), ventless countertop fryers, the Instant Burger cooker, and the Smokaroma pressure smoker—along with a broad line of accessory and merchandising equipment. Its core technology centers on pressure frying under controlled pressure in a sealed environment, which the company originated in 1954 via L.A.M. Phelan's foundational patent; modern E-Series units layer SmartTouch controllers, automatic oil filtration, Auto-Comp cook-time adjustment, and energy-efficient burners onto that base technology. All products are manufactured in the USA.

The business operates a multi-stream revenue model: hardware sales of equipment, the sale of branded frozen foods and proprietary ingredients (marinades, coatings, batters, seasonings such as Chickite Marinade and Slo-Bro Coating), and trademark food programs—Genuine Broaster Chicken, Broaster Express, and Rock County Smokehouse—that license operators to use proprietary brands without franchise fees. Go-to-market is primarily indirect, executed through a global authorized distributor network covering 115+ countries across six continents, with broadline distributor Dot Foods handling frozen foods distribution in the United States. End customers span convenience stores (Broaster Express), restaurants, grocery delis, and non-traditional foodservice venues including youth sports centers, camps, and cafeterias.

Name

Broaster

Legal name

Broaster Company

Website

https://broaster.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Broaster Company, founded 1954 in Beloit, Wisconsin, manufactures commercial pressure frying equipment and licenses trademark food programs—Genuine Broaster Chicken, Broaster Express, and Rock County Smokehouse—to foodservice operators across 115+ countries via a global distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Foodservice Equipment

NAICS

Poultry and Poultry Product Merchant Wholesalers (42444), Poultry Processing (311615), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (424470)

SIC

Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Cooking Equipment & Parts Wholesale (AFAIALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIABAF), Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAHAF)

Keywords

• Pressure frying equipment
• Commercial fryers
• Foodservice equipment
• Trademark food programs
• Frozen chicken products

Headquarters

HQ city

Beloit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Broaster manufactures and sells pressure fryers, ventless fryers, instant burger machines, smokaroma smokers, merchandisers, and accessory equipment to foodservice operators through authorized distributors.
2. Trademark Food Programs: Licensed trademark food programs including Genuine Broaster Chicken, Broaster Express, and Rock County Smokehouse that allow operators to use proprietary brands without franchise fees.
3. Frozen Foods and Ingredients: Sale of marinated and breaded frozen chicken products, seafood, snacks, and side items. Also proprietary marinades, coatings, batters, and seasonings.
4. Private Label Programs: Custom menu development, coating blends, and foodservice programs for larger multi-unit operations that want to use Broaster equipment with their own private label.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Broaster manufactures and sells commercial pressure fryers, ventless countertop fryers, the Instant Burger cooker, the Smokaroma pressure smoker, heated merchandisers, holding cabinets, and accessory equipment to foodservice operators. Alongside the equipment, it licenses trademark food programs (Genuine Broaster Chicken, Broaster Express, Rock County Smokehouse) and supplies frozen chicken, seafood, snack, and side products plus proprietary marinades, coatings, batters, and seasonings. Distribution is handled through a global network of authorized distributors and broadline foodservice wholesalers.

Product overview

Broaster Company is a foodservice equipment manufacturer and branded food program provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of commercial cooking equipment and trademark food programs. The equipment lineup centers on pressure fryers (E-Series, 1600, 1800, 2400 models), ventless countertop fryers (VF-2, VF-3 with SmartTouch), the Instant Burger cooker, and Smokaroma pressure smoker, complemented by merchandising display cases, holding cabinets, and extensive accessory equipment. Three trademark food programs—Genuine Broaster Chicken, Broaster Express, and Rock County Smokehouse—enable restaurant, convenience store, grocery, and other operators to offer branded food without franchise fees. Supporting the equipment are frozen food products (chicken, seafood, snacks), proprietary marinades, coatings, batters, and seasonings. The SmartTouch controller with programmable profiles and Auto-Comp technology provides automated cooking management across the equipment range. Broaster's complete package approach combines equipment, food products, proprietary ingredients, and national branding to support operators in foodservice operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Genuine Broaster Chicken: Iconic trademark food program offering fresh, pressure-fried chicken prepared with proprietary ingredients and a unique cooking process. The brand has been trusted for more than 65 years.
• Broaster Express
• Rock County Smokehouse

Products and services

• E-Series Pressure Fryers Next-generation pressure fryers available in electric and gas models, delivering up to 35% gas energy savings, up to 4X more days of useful oil life, and 15-30 minutes of daily labor savings through automated cooking cycles, automatic filtration between cook cycles, onboard oil replenishment, and bulk oil handling. Sold to foodservice operators through authorized distributors.
• E-Series 18G Pressure Fryer Gas-powered E-Series 18G pressure fryer with 50,000 BTU/HR efficient burner system offering greater than 23% less gas usage than the Broaster 1800 model, automatic quick filtration cycle, reusable high-capacity filter, automatic controlled pressure release, and onboard oil replenishment from reservoir or bulk system. For foodservice operators.
• E-Series 24 Pressure Fryer High-volume E-Series 24 pressure fryer available in Electric and Gas models, cooking up to 64 pieces of fresh bone-in chicken per load in 11-12 minutes, with innovative shelving, racks, and an Auto-Lift basket feature that automatically raises and lowers the cooking basket. For high-volume foodservice operators.
• Broaster 1600 Pressure Fryer Compact, cost-effective medium-capacity pressure fryer using only 3.2 square feet of floorspace under the hood, cooking up to 16 pieces of fresh bone-in chicken per load in approximately 10 minutes, with SmartTouch controller and built-in filtration system. For foodservice operators with limited space.
• Broaster 1800 Pressure Fryer Most popular pressure fryer model, offering the best combination of production capacity and space efficiency; cooks up to 40 pieces of fresh bone-in chicken per load in approximately 10 minutes with 42-pound cooking oil capacity, available in gas or electric models with SmartTouch controller. For foodservice operators.
• Broaster 2400 Pressure Fryer Large-capacity, high-efficiency pressure fryer for high-volume foodservice operations, cooking up to 64 pieces of fresh bone-in chicken per load in approximately 11 minutes with 63-pound cooking oil capacity and a patented cover lift system. For high-volume operators.
• VF-2 Ventless Countertop Fryer with SmartTouch Space-saving ventless countertop fryer with 14-pound cooking oil capacity, round cooking well, SmartTouch touch screen controller with pre-loaded menu items and Auto-Comp feature, integrated ANSUL fire suppression system, and HEPA/charcoal two-stage air filter cartridge. Designed for c-stores and operators without hood infrastructure.
• VF-3 Ventless Countertop Fryer with SmartTouch Higher-capacity ventless countertop fryer with 21-pound cooking oil capacity, cooking up to 3 pounds per load, with SmartTouch controller featuring programmable library and Auto-Comp automatic cooking time adjustment. For operators needing ventless frying with higher throughput than the VF-2.
• Ventless Hood System Compact stainless steel hood providing vapor removal for electric Broaster pressure fryers, with built-in Ansul R-102 fire suppression system and an innovative triple-filter updraft system for trapping grease particles and removing smoke and odors. For foodservice operators using electric pressure fryers.
• Instant Burger Cooker Compact countertop cooking appliance that uses a direct energy transfer process to cook great-tasting burgers in under a minute, requires only 16" x 23" of counter space, needs no venting, operates on a 120-volt 30-amp circuit, and can cook over 200 burgers per hour; also cooks hot dogs, sausage patties, chicken fillets, and more. For c-stores and quick-serve operators.
• Smokaroma Pressure Smoker Electric pressure smoker combining pressure cooking with pressure smoking to create flavorful, juicy smoked foods, reducing product shrinkage by up to 40% compared to traditional methods and able to smoke up to 45 pounds of ribs in under 90 minutes in minimal kitchen space. Used by BBQ program operators including Rock County Smokehouse licensees.
• Perfect Hold Deli Cases Stainless steel and tempered glass heated display cases with multiple lighted display zones, thermostatic temperature control, rollerless sliding glass doors, waterless heating system, and countertop or stand-alone configurations. Used by grocery delis and foodservice operators to display cooked product.
• Standard Series Heated Merchandiser Heated display merchandiser with single or dual shelf display areas and radiant heat systems to maintain safe product temperature, featuring adjustable thermostat, tempered glass fronts, incandescent display lighting, and thermostatic controlled heated base. For foodservice operators displaying hot food.
• Designer Series Heated Merchandiser Premium heated merchandiser featuring curved tempered glass fronts, full view tempered glass sides, incandescent display lighting, and thermostatic controlled heated base with cool-to-touch construction for maintaining food quality and freshly prepared taste. For premium foodservice display applications.
• Metal Module Free-standing metal module with welded powder-coated steel construction and full-coverage stainless steel countertop surface, available in 4-foot and 6-foot versions designed to complement Perfect Hold deli cases for customized in-line or kiosk setups. For foodservice operators.
• Perfect Hold Cabinet Heavy-duty holding cabinet with welded stainless steel construction for holding cooked food at proper temperature, featuring adjustable humidity control, quick temperature recovery, capacity for up to 7 pans of cooked product, and stackable design for additional storage capacity. For foodservice operators.
• 620 Motorized Easy Breader Compact motorized breading unit requiring only 2.53 square feet of countertop space; marinates up to 14 pounds of product in 15 minutes and coats up to 14 pounds of product in just 3 minutes, with optional marinating accessory kit. For foodservice operators preparing breaded chicken and other products.
• Small Marinating Tub Small-sized marinating tub of durable clear plastic with built-in handles for easy transport, marinates up to 12 birds at a time with a perforated product support plate and secure lid with holes for convenient draining. For foodservice operators.
• Large Marinating Tub High-capacity marinating tub constructed of high-density polyethylene, marinates up to 52 birds at a time, performs in applications up to 180°F, and includes built-in spigot for easy draining and dolly for transport. For higher-volume foodservice operators.
• Landing and Dump Table Stainless steel work tables on four swivel casters for mobility; dump table features a high side frame to prevent product spill-over, while landing table provides a flat countertop surface for supporting equipment. For foodservice operators.
• Prep Station Stainless steel prep stations in standard and high-volume configurations for breading processes; standard model features smaller footprint with tray slots while the high-volume model includes built-in sifter for efficient breading usage and extension shelves. For foodservice operators.
• Oil Caddy Shortening Shuttle for safe disposal and transport of hot oil from pressure fryers, made of thick gauge aluminum with double-walled seams, perforated baffle screen, and two hard plastic handles to minimize heat transfer. For foodservice operators.
• Pressure Fryer Accessory Kit Comprehensive kit including drain bucket, brushes, o-rings, gloves, measure cups, skimmer, scraper, and spatula for cleaning and maintaining Broaster pressure fryers. For foodservice operators.
• 765 Portable Filter Portable shortening filter with 5-gallon-per-minute throughput for filtering up to 65 pounds of hot cooking oil in under five minutes, featuring a high-temperature flexible hose and reversible pump operating system. For foodservice operators.
• Ventless Fryer Accessory Kit Start-up accessory kit for Broaster ventless fryers including scouring pad, air filter, oil level indicator, o-ring, hot mitts, 5-gallon pail with lid, and oil strainer. For new ventless fryer operators.
• Genuine Broaster Chicken Trademark Program Flagship trademark food program featuring fresh chicken prepared with proprietary ingredients and pressure fried in patented Broaster Pressure Fryers; iconic brand for over 65 years providing tender, crispy, juicy chicken with incomparable taste and aroma. Licensed to restaurant operators, grocery delis, and other foodservice operators without franchise fees.
• Broaster Express Trademark Program Branded food program for convenience store operators featuring exclusive ventless or pressure fryers, ready-to-cook Broaster Foods products, unique flavor profiles, and nationally recognized branding, providing a complete grab 'n' go solution with appetizers and dipping sauces. For c-store and small-space operators.
• Rock County Smokehouse Trademark Program Turnkey BBQ program featuring fresh smoked meats including ribs, pulled pork, and brisket seasoned with proprietary rub and smoked in-house using the Smokaroma pressure smoker for authentic wood-smoked BBQ flavor from any location. For restaurant, grocery, and other foodservice operators.
• Broaster Frozen Foods Full line of marinated and breaded frozen chicken products including Extra Crispy Cut Chicken, Boneless Buffalo Wings, Chicken Tenders, Jumbo Popcorn Chicken, Chicken Fillets, and Spicy Fillets; also includes seafood products, snacks (mozzarella sticks, onion rings, cheddar curds, jalapeno peppers), and side items. For foodservice operators via Dot Foods and broadline distributors.
• Broaster Marinades, Coatings, and Seasonings Proprietary line of marinades (Chickite, Chickite Supreme, Ribite, Hot, Zesty), coatings (Slo-Bro, Extra Crispy, Crispy Cajun, Extra Seasoned), batters, and seasonings including Nashville Hot Dust shake-on seasoning, all designed for use with Broaster equipment. For foodservice operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 35% gas energy savings with E-Series pressure fryers
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dot FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDot Foods is a frozen food broadliner that distributes Broaster frozen foods nationwide, expanding availability of Broaster products to operators across the United States.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Henny Penny Corporation: Direct competitor in commercial pressure fryers and combi ovens serving the same QSR and foodservice operator base. Most analogous peer in pressure-frying technology and equipment category.
• Frymaster (Welbilt/Ali Group): Major commercial fryer manufacturer competing directly in restaurant and QSR frying equipment. Same end customers (restaurants, c-stores) and overlapping product category.
• Pitco Frialator (Middleby): Specialized commercial frying equipment manufacturer serving foodservice operators with high-volume fryers. Direct overlap with Broaster's pressure fryer and ventless fryer product lines.
• BKI: Commercial cooking equipment manufacturer including fryers, rotisseries, and merchandisers targeting similar foodservice operator segments as Broaster.
• Alto-Shaam: Manufacturer of commercial cooking, holding, and merchandising equipment for foodservice operators. Overlapping product categories and customer base in restaurants and grocery.
• Perfect Fry: Manufacturer of ventless countertop commercial fryers targeting c-stores, small kitchens, and non-traditional foodservice—a direct competitor to Broaster's ventless countertop line.

Broad incumbents

• Middleby Corporation: Large diversified commercial kitchen equipment conglomerate owning multiple brands (Pitco, Blodgett, Viking). Overlaps with Broaster's cooking equipment portfolio across restaurants and foodservice.
• Welbilt (Ali Group): Global foodservice equipment manufacturer and Ali Group brand portfolio including Frymaster, Cleveland, Garland. Competes with Broaster in commercial frying and cooking equipment across all operator segments.
• Vulcan (Middleby): Established commercial cooking equipment brand under Middleby serving restaurants, institutions, and foodservice operators with frying, grills, and ranges. Comparable customer base to Broaster.

Emerging players

• Hatco Corporation: Foodservice equipment manufacturer specializing in warming, holding, and toasting equipment with adjacent merchandising cases. Comparable foodservice operator customer base with complementary product overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BroasterCompany
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebroastercompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Broaster