When Jonathan Chen signed on as the new  Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions franchise owner in  Northeast Los Angeles , he knew he was stepping into an opportunity to create positive change. After years in the digital marketing world, including a recent tenure at Google, Chen found himself drawn to a brand that aligned his entrepreneurial ambitions with his values around sustainability and community impact. “Everyone there is very heavily motivated and wants to do good for the world,” Chen said. “I was looking for a new opportunity to move into, and I came across an article about Filta during the Super Bowl. A lot of it clicked and made sense.” From Tech to Green Business Ownership Though Chen admits the world of fryer management and environmental kitchen solutions was entirely new to him, the  Filta concept resonated on multiple levels.  “It wasn’t really anything I had considered before, but I was drawn to owning and building something on my own,” he said. “When I learned about the brand, it really made sense. It’s in that B2B space, which I have some experience in from Google. I liked that it was environmentally friendly and helping businesses. I’m also a bit of a foodie myself — I understand the importance of consistency.” Filta, known for its sustainable kitchen services such as fryer oil micro-filtration, waste oil recycling, and humidity and drain management, offers franchisees like Chen  the chance to serve commercial kitchens while helping them reduce waste and costs .  “The fact that there isn’t a whole lot of competition in the space was appealing,” Chen said. “The ability to do good and still build something that’s stable and repeatable — that’s what really stood out to me.” A Strong Local Opportunity Chen officially signed his franchise agreement in July 2025 and has already completed Filta’s comprehensive training program while working through local licensing.  “With the customer potential list that Filta shared, there are a lot of restaurants and facilities out here,” he said. “We already have some existing customers with local hospitals and colleges, and I’ve been visiting some of the places with existing owners. There are a lot of businesses in the area that could use these services.” Chen also sees strong alignment between his own background and the diverse neighborhoods he’ll serve. “I grew up as an Asian American, so I’m also looking to see how I can help that community,” he said. “There’s a lot of volatility in the food industry right now, so I’m excited to determine how we can help and serve the community.” Why Filta Stands Out For more than 25 years , Filta has provided sustainable fryer management and eco-friendly kitchen services to thousands of clients across North America. Franchisees offer a suite of services, including cooking oil micro-filtration, waste oil recycling, humidity control for coolers, grease-free drain maintenance and steam-based kitchen cleaning. “I looked at other industries — commercial cleaning and senior care — but Filta stood out because of its reach,” Chen said. “With the type of cleaning that we’re doing and the expansion potential it has, it allows me to hit on a lot of different industries. We can help all these communities and generations.” For Chen, the opportunity to combine purpose with business ownership was key. “This whole space is really new to me,” he said. “There’s a lot to learn, and I’m not from the food or restaurant industry, so I want to focus on it. But I’m motivated to learn and to grow this into something meaningful.” A Sustainable Future in L.A. As Chen prepares to launch operations in Northeast L.A., he’s eager to bring Filta’s proven model of sustainability and efficiency to local restaurants, hospitals, universities and food service operators. His goal is to build long-term relationships and demonstrate the value of sustainability-driven operations. “One of my goals is to build out a network of customers,” Chen said. “I want to create something stable that provides value for my customers and my community.” For more information on franchising with Filta, visit:  https://1851franchise.com/filta .