History

RF Hunter Celebrates It's 65th Year in Business

In 1945 after graduating from the local culinary institute, Robert Hunter started a classic fish & chip restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts.

In order to get the traditional New England flavor, he knew he had to find a way to make sure the cooking oil was light, pure, and savory. He had the recipe just right and a great following of customers.

Next he needed to solve a new challenge: how to change and reuse hot oil safely without causing injury to himself or his crew.

The Challenge of Safe Oil Filtration

The safety issue kept Mr. Hunter awake at night. Being an engineer at heart, he started experimenting with industrial designs in his garage. After testing several prototypes, he designed the perfect oil filtration machine allowing kitchen staff to safely and efficiently filter resulting in clean and reusable oil.

He immediately saw the commercial implications of his design and launched a company to sell his new product commercially.

RF Hunter in the Early Days

By 1952, Hunter received a patent on his invention. During those early days, his family sewed filter bags out of cotton fabric to supply the machines for his customers. He ventured out to sell his new product to Dunkin Donuts, Howard Johnsons, and a burger chain or two. 

Sales were made one restaurant at a time, from the back of his car, where he would demonstrate the equipment and tell his story as a restaurant owner and chef.

Family Owned & Operated for 65 Years

Today, RF Hunter celebrates 65 years in business as a family owned and operated company.

We now provide safe, reliable, and durable supplies and equipment to restaurants, cruise lines, resorts, hotels, universities, and health care institutions world-wide.