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Don't Be Greasy, Tacoma: Navigating the New Grease Trap Policy

Tacoma’s grease trap policy pushes a problematic status quo onto local restaurant owners instead of seeking solutions to support the city’s growing food scene—and it’s causing money to slip right through our fingers.

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Here’s one thing you’re probably not thinking about right before you tuck into your favorite meal: where the grease used to cook the food is going. But for Tacoma restaurant owners, that thought is anything but out of sight and out of mind. 


That’s because the local government’s grease trap policy has tempers popping like bacon grease on a hot skillet. Tacoma’s governing body is legally required to keep public sewers clean and free of fats, oils, and grease. However, to ensure these results, it seems as though the city has chosen to push the most expensive solution, requiring all restaurants — whether large or small — to install massive bunker-style grease traps.


Let’s be clear: all organizations should try to enact sustainable policies and practices that keep the environment strong. Restaurant owners—who are often residents of the area they run their business in—want clean, grease-free pipes just as much as the next person. The issue is how the city is choosing to enforce this policy. Pitting well-supported environmental goals against small businesses feels just as slimy as the oil pollution we’re trying to avoid.


A Small Fry In a Big Grease Trap

This means local restaurants are left with two options: get a grease trap or risk the punishment. Except the grease interceptors the city mentions, are roughly the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, and cost around $100,000. Or, alternatively, restaurants can spring for a hydromechanical grease interceptor, which, while smaller (this model is about the size of a large cooler) and cheaper, can still run you back $50,000.


Fortunately, around 1 in 5 existing restaurants already have a gravity grease interceptor. But for the many who cannot afford to install a grease trap of their own, the government hasn’t been as helpful as they should be to find funding.


And, wait for the kicker: in 2023, Tacoma reported 13 overflows. Five were caused by grease, with three referencing nearby restaurants and two noting residential education locations. The majority of these overflows were caused by debris, such as cloth or other material that doesn’t break down and is harmful to the environment. Other contributing factors include tree roots, collapsed pipes, construction, vandalism and heavy rain. Since 2018, the city has reported 85 blockages, attributing 11 to grease. Only two of those directly mentioned food service as the culprit.


Just Like a Grease Trap, We’re Here to Catch You

King’s Dream is a small business that stays loyal to helping other, local small businesses succeed. We want this policy changed, but in the meantime we’re still helping our fellow small businesses until that reversal comes. That means wading through the greasy trenches to help our fellow Tacoma business owners find adequate funding for the impractical grease traps the city now requires. We want to see you succeed, even if that means rolling up our sleeves and getting ourselves dirty! If the current restaurant situation has you feeling trapped, reach out today!



 

About King's Dream Business Consulting: Founded in 2019, King's Dream Business Consulting is a small business consulting and management firm established initially in response to Seattle's gentrification and displacement of its minority business communities. To Date, King's Dream has served over 300 small businesses nationwide. King's Dream Business Consulting is a leading provider of business advisory services, offering strategic planning, marketing strategies, financial management, operational efficiency, and human resources consulting. Committed to the success of small businesses, King's Dream Business Consulting provides tailored guidance and support to drive sustainable growth.



 

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Samaria Johnson writes many things, hopefully none of which you consider boring. She loves taking complex information and breaking it down into engaging, understandable content. Samaria’s goal is to only use her words in ways that help make the world a better place.

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