Boss Defrost’s goal to preserve fresh water

Thawing food with the traditional running water method is a hidden water waste stream in food prep across the United States. Boss Defrost was invented to address this waste. Boss Defrost reduces average water use for thawing by 98.5%.

Their goal is to give food service operations everywhere the power to make a positive impact on the world by preserving fresh water, while reducing monthly water bills.

We spoke with Diana Lopez Starkus, partner & CO of Brand Development, about Boss Defrost’s commitment to rethinking how we defrost frozen food.

Best for Colorado: Tell us more about your company in general. What do you do? What is your mission? What makes you different? 

Diana Lopez Starkus: Boss Defrost is an NSF-certified kitchen appliance transforming the way kitchens thaw frozen food. Our mission is to improve on the decades-old industry practice of using running water to thaw food by reducing the amount of water needed for the task by 98.5 percent with net-positive financial and environmental results.  

Boss Defrost is first-to-market.  This means that we’re addressing a water waste stream and environmental challenge no one has looked at before. Besides brand development and sales, data collection and education are a big part of our work.

When the pandemic made our primary market (restaurants) unreachable, we turned to secondary markets like grocery chains. It’s astonishing how much fresh water is going down the drain in your local meat & seafood department.  

Boss Defrost is priced so everyone can implement this new standard at a low cost. Many restaurants save enough money on their water bill to pay for their Boss Defrost in three months.  

During this spring and summer, we began looking for ways to encourage participation and defray initial costs. Subsequently, Boss Defrost is partnering with water utility companies like Efficiency Works and the City of Fort Collins to offer a custom business rebate for every Boss Defrost purchase in their service area. Even restaurants who only slack-in-the sink for five hours a week can qualify for a rebate, save money on their water bill, and conserve up to 60,000 gallons a year. 

Ultimately, Boss Defrost is a water conservation company. If we had our wish, it would be to completely transform a wasteful industry practice into a sustainable one. One day, we hope that Boss Defrost becomes part of the Required Equipment List for every food service operation.  Fresh water is one of our most precious natural resources. Boss Defrost is a NOW solution to a NOW challenge.

BFCO: How did your company first hear about Best for Colorado, and why did you decide to join?

DLS: Boss Defrost learned about Best for Colorado through The Alliance Center, the Good Business Colorado Association and Resilient Restaurants. We joined to learn and share best practices that make Colorado a beautiful, sustainable and resilient place to live.

BFCO: What is a challenging aspect of your work? 

DLS: During the best of times, launching and growing a business is a huge endeavor.  With food service operations being our main customer base, the landscape changes every day.  Our challenge is keeping up with where the industry is going and answering that call.  

BFCO: What is an achievement your company is proud of? 

DLS: Boss Defrost was quickly embraced by cooks and chefs and is now represented in 18 states — and growing — across the United States. 

BFCO: Would you recommend joining Best for Colorado to other companies? 

DLS: Joining Best for Colorado connects companies with similar or complementary goals.  We believe there is strength in numbers!