Commercial Grease Trap or Interceptor: A Guide for Food Businesses

Commercial kitchens produce fats, oils, grease, food solids, and wastewater every day. Restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, cafeterias, hotels, and food production facilities all need a way to prevent that material from entering drains and sewer lines.

To do this, there are two primary mechanisms: grease traps and grease interceptors. While they are both designed to capture grease before it enters the plumbing system, the specific type of device your kitchen needs depends on the demands of your establishment.

While the main difference between a grease trap and a grease interceptor is the size, and location, in this guide we will walk you through everything you need to know about these important devices.

What Is a Grease Trap?

A commercial grease trap is a plumbing device that captures wastewater from sinks, dishwashers, floor drains, and other kitchen fixtures. As the water flows through, fats, oils, and grease rise to the surface, while heavier food particles settle to the bottom. The remaining water continues to flow through the plumbing system.

Grease traps are smaller than interceptors and are best suited for small cafes, bakeries, and establishments with small kitchens. Because of their size, grease traps are commonly housed under sinks.

What Is a Grease Interceptor

Similar to a grease trap, a grease interceptor collects fats, oils, grease and food solids before they enter the main plumbing system. However, they are larger and designed for higher-volume operations.

Due to its size, grease interceptors are commonly installed outside the building or below ground. It’s often connected to several kitchen drains or departments, such as a grocery store’s deli, bakery, and food prep department.

What Is the Practical Difference Between a Grease Trap and Grease Interceptor?

Size and Capacity

Grease traps are smaller than interceptors. Interceptors are used in kitchens that have higher volume of grease and wastewater.

Location

Grease traps are instilled indoors, usually under sinks or close to the dishwasher. Interceptors are installed outside, often underground

What Is the Best Fit for Your Kitchen?

Grease traps are best for smaller kitchens that have limited food prep and lower food volume. Interceptors are better for larger kitchens, multi-department food businesses, and operations with heavier grease output.

The Type of Food Business Is Important

Different food businesses create different amounts of grease. A small cafe, full-service restaurant, bakery, and grocery store deli may all need grease management, but they do not produce the same amount of grease.

The specific grease management system, as well as the maintenance schedule, depend on:

• Food volume
• Menu items
• Dishwashing volume
• Fryer, grill, rotisserie, and oven use
• Hours of operation
• Local FOG (fats, oils, grease) requirements
• Existing plumbing layout

Grease Management for Restaurants

Restaurants produce grease from cooking oil, meat, sauces, dairy products, dishwashing, and food prep. But depending on the type of restaurant, it can still vary.

Full-Service Restaurants

Full-service restaurants may need larger grease interceptors because they generally have multiple grease-producing menu items, dishwashing stations, prep sinks, and floor drains.

Fast Casual and Quick-Service Restaurants

Fast casual and QSRs may produce heavy amounts of grease if they use fryers, grills, griddles, or high amounts of dishwashing. Even a smaller QSR can create a large grease load.

Cafes and Smaller Foodservice Operations

Cafes and smaller foodservice businesses often use smaller grease traps, depending on the menu, but breakfast menus, sandwiches, dairy-heavy items, and bakeries can still create regular buildup.

If an establishment produces a lot of grease, even if they only have a smaller grease trap, they should schedule more frequent grease trap cleaning service.

Grease Management for Grocery Stores

Grocery stores vary widely in the amount of grease they produce, because it can depend on how many departments any particular grocery store operates.

Common grease-producing departments include:

• Deli
• Bakery
• Meat department
• Seafood department
• Hot bar
• Prepared foods
• Rotisserie for fried chicken area
• Dishwashing station

Since grease output can vary by department, a grocery store may need to keep an eye on grease levels and schedule frequent grease interceptor cleaning.

Grease Management for Bakeries

It may not be obvious that a bakery produces grease, but the ingredients they use can definitely create buildup:

• Butter
• Oils
• Shortening
• Creams
• Icings
• Fillings
• Dairy-based ingredients
• Dough and flour solids
• Washdown water from trays, bowls, and other equipment

Solids and sticky residue can cause issues, especially when staff rinse trays, mixing bowls, and utensils without proper scraping.

Grease Management for Other Commercial Kitchens and Food Facilities

Baker Commodities also serves other food establishments and facilities to keep grease traps and interceptors clean:

• Hotels
• Schools
• Hospitals
• Senior living facilities
• Commissary kitchens
• Catering kitchens
• Food production facilities
• Event venues
• Corporate cafeterias

These types of facilities may have high daily volume, longer operating hours, and strict inspection or documentation requirements.

How to Tell If Your Current System Is Not Keeping Up

If you don’t have the correct size equipment, regular cleaning, or you’ve changed your menu items, you may have issues with your grease collection system.

• Here are signs you may notice:
• Slow-draining sinks
• Floor drain backups
• Grease odors inside or outside
• Gurgling drains
• Grease trap filling too quickly
• Frequent emergency service calls
• Visible grease or solids
• Failed inspections or warnings

How Often Should a Commercial Grease Trap or Interceptor Be Serviced?

The frequency of grease service depends on the size of your systems, amount of grease and solids, volume of wastewater, type of food your establishment serves, and local requirements.

Most commercial kitchens get their grease trap or interceptor pumped every 30 to 90 days. However, high-volume operations may need more frequent service.

Many municipalities have a 25% rule: if your grease trap or interceptor reaches 25% capacity of combined fats, oils, grease and solids, it’s time for a cleaning. It’s better to schedule regular service than end up with odors, slow drains, or backups.

What to Expect from Professional Grease Trap or Interceptor Service

When a technician from Baker Commodities services your grease trap or interceptor, they will follow a standard procedure. Steps may include:

1. Access the trap or interceptor
2. Inspect the contents and visible condition
3. Pump out fats, oils, grease, food solids, and wastewater
4. Clean accessible areas of the unit with a metal scraper
5. Check for obvious issues, such as damaged parts, unusual buildup, or access problems
6. Transport the collected material responsibly to our facilities for recycling
7. Provide service documentation via email and our customer portal

This process allows you to not only keep your operations running well, but to be ready for inspections from local Health and FOG departments.

Choosing a Grease Service Provider

The right grease service provider should make maintenance easier for your business. Before choosing a company, look for a team that understands the daily demands of a commercial kitchen and can build a service plan around your specific needs.

Look for a provider that:

• Works with restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, bakeries, and other commercial kitchens
• Services both grease traps and interceptors
• Can set up recurring service based on your volume
• Provides service records and documentation
• Understands local FOG compliance requirements
• Has the necessary equipment to access and serve your location properly
• Can support both smaller and larger kitchens
• Handles collected grease, solids, and wastewater responsibly

This is especially important for businesses with multiple grease-producing areas, such as grocery stores, hotels, schools, malls, airports, and resorts.

Baker Commodities has a multi decades long history of working with commercial kitchens to provide grease trap and interceptor service, recurring maintenance schedules, and responsible handling of collected material. With the right service plan, your business can minimize the risk of backups, odors, compliance issues, and last-minute service problems. We’ve been rendering since 1937!

Contact Us to Keep Your Commercial Grease Trap or Interceptor Maintained

Grease traps and interceptors serve the same purpose, but the specific device that is installed depends on the kitchen volume, food type, plumbing layout, and local requirements. Restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, and other commercial kitchens have different grease management needs.