Just over seven years ago in 2014, Anticius Bartley bought a trailer with the intention to turn it into a food truck. At the time, he didn’t have a concrete idea of what he wanted to serve, but he knew he wanted to start a food truck like the one his father ran -- that he helped work on during his childhood.
Anticius has worked in the food service industry his entire life. He spent the next three years building his trailer into a food truck as a passion project in addition to his day job. One day, the clarity he sought arrived. Anticius says his vision became clear: he wanted to make seafood. From there, Got Fish? was born. The name and idea were born out of his childhood background, with his father as the source of inspiration.
“The idea was always there from my youth,” Anticius said. “The name Got Fish? came about in the early 2000's back in my hometown in New Jersey. My father was in bible study and wrote down ‘GOT FISH’ as an acronym. It stood for ‘God of Time Father in the Servant House.’ My dad repeated it to me a few years ago, and I knew right then, that’s the name I wanted to go with.”
Initially, the Got Fish food truck specialized in a select few menu items such as fried fish, grits, French fries and cake. Anticius wanted Got Fish to become a destination for quality seafood. As the food truck grew in popularity, the menu expanded, adding crab cakes, a crabby sandwich, po-boys and more. The quality of Got Fish’s product spoke through its success. It quickly grew from a small food truck concept into Anticius opening a dine-in restaurant location. In February of 2020, Anticius opened Got Fish’s initial restaurant location in Hampton, Virginia and has since opened a second store in Chesapeake, Virginia, with further expansion looming.
As Got Fish’s delicious food fuels its growth, the store needed a better, safer way to handle the hot used cooking oil that is crucial to frying its food.
Given the contents of its menu, Got Fish does a lot of frying and is a high-volume producer of cooking grease. Prior to calling DAR PRO, the restaurant staff was disposing of used cooking oil by wheeling a bucket of oil on casters out of the kitchen and through the parking lot to an outdoor bin.
This was both a hazardous and time-consuming process. Spills were unavoidable and it was just a matter of time before a burn, or some sort of other workplace injury, occurred. Being a small business owner trying to grow his initial location, Anticius could ill-afford such a liability.
We were using this receptacle and dragging it out back on wheels, spilling oil,” Anticius said. “It got to where I only wanted certain people to do it because I can’t afford the liability of an injury. So then, I was pigeonholing myself when it comes to my scheduling. It was just creating a lot of issues."
~Anticius Bartley
This inefficient method was pressing him for time and gave limited options on who he entrusted to get the job done. Anticius knew there had to be a better way that cultivated a safer work environment for his staff. When our Senior Account Executive, Alexis Goldstein, reached out regarding DAR PRO becoming Got Fish’s service partner, he discovered a more optimal solution.
One of the core reasons Got Fish has blossomed into a successful, multi-store business, is Anticius’s tireless work ethic and attention to detail. He wanted a solution that fit seamlessly within the framework of his kitchen and provided a simpler, safer transfer process for his employees.
“I thought about safety and my employees,” Anticius said. “My whole thing was wanting to create an enjoyable experience for the employees first and the customers second. Our interactions are with each other before we serve the customers. I wanted to create a win-win situation. If you do it wrong, you are just choosing to do it wrong. This system you guys provided is a win-win in that regard.”
Alexis meticulously measured Got Fish’s kitchen layout in search of the most efficient solution. She settled on a method that featured our signature Fat4Fuel tank that rests subtly inside Got Fish’s kitchen and a portable filter machine that suctions the oil out of fryer and then is wheeled over to the tank, where it connects via hose and pumps the hot oil into the tank.
“Once Alexis showed me there was a better way, and it was free, it was a no-brainer,” Anticius said. “Getting rid of that trough on wheels to dump the oil out was the biggest thing in making it a better and safer environment for our employees. It was nice having options to choose from and Alexis was very thoughtful and accommodating throughout the process.”
The system Alexis helped outline for Got Fish completely eliminated the kitchen staff handling hot oil. It also minimized the time and effort it took to get the hot oil to the storage bin by shrinking the distance traveled between fryer and the newly installed indoor tank, and the filter machine provided an easier transfer method.
“The aspect of someone carrying hot oil outside is totally removed. The filter machine is well-designed and on wheels. You just roll it up, roll it down. Anyone can do that. It’s easy and the liability is completely eliminated,” Anticius said.
Ever since Anticius got clarity on his vision for Got Fish, the brand has grown rapidly in a short amount of time. With the Chesapeake location up and running, Got Fish is eyeing to further expand into other markets and plans reincorporate the original food truck concept.
By partnering with DAR PRO, Got Fish found a service provider equipped to foster that growth. When the Chesapeake store opened, Anticius knew he could call Alexis and not have to worry about the hassle of figuring out how grease recycling would be handled.
“Alexis has been great in communicating and understanding how we want things done,” Anticius said. “Stability and peace of mind. You guys create that win-win scenario with safety and our employees.”
As their brand continues to flourish and more people discover the brand’s delicious food, handling grease is no longer something Got Fish has to worry about.
DAR PRO Solutions is an industry leader in used cooking oil recycling for businesses across the country. Our program will help your business grow and will provide solutions that are a seamless fit for your kitchen. Call us 24/7/365 at 855-DAR-PRO1 (855-327-7761).
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