Keeping the temperature just right in your restaurant is key to making your customers’ experience more comfortable. If your customers are too hot or too cold while they are eating at your restaurant, there’s a good chance that they won’t come back! Here are some great solutions for regulating the temperature in your restaurant with minimal disruption to the overall dining experience.
1. Packaged central air conditioners
When it comes to air conditioning, there are three types of air conditioners you can choose from:
- central air conditioners, which rely on ducts being built in the walls, floors, and ceilings and come with a centralized cabinet that is placed on the roof or on a concrete slab next to the building (for packaged models) or with an outdoor and an indoor cabinet (for split systems);
- ductless mini-split air conditioners, which have an outdoor and one or more indoor units to control individual rooms and don’t require ducts to be installed;
- room air conditioners, which are plugged into the building’s existing electrical network and cool down individual rooms.
A room air conditioner is going to be too small for a restaurant. Of the remaining options, a ductless mini-split air conditioner is probably the best option in the long term. Even though the set-up costs are going to be higher with a ductless air conditioner than with a central one, you are going to save on energy costs in the long run, as the lack of ducts means that there will be no energy loss.
Another advantage of ductless air conditioners for restaurants is that they are the quietest type, which means that your customers’ dining experience won’t be affected as much. Finally, ductless conditioners are great for varying the temperature in different rooms, which is very useful in a restaurant, as you will probably need to use more cooling power in the kitchen than in the rest of the building.
2. Diesel radiant heaters
A radiant heater is an alternative to a fan heater. While fan heaters blow out hot air, radiant heaters heat up surfaces through infrared rays. Diesel radiant heaters are a great way to provide immediate warmth, so you might want to consider installing them in the outdoor area of your restaurant for chilly days and only turning them on when you have customers sitting in that particular spot.
Unlike fan heaters, radiant heaters are noiseless, which won’t disturb your customers as they enjoy their food and conversation. As with any kind of heater, consider installing a child guard on them to prevent little fingers from getting burnt.
3. Covered radiators
If your restaurant has radiators in it, for instance, because it’s a house conversion, consider installing radiator covers. Although this will reduce their efficiency, it’s a great way to reduce noise and to childproof the area where the radiator is located. To minimize heat loss, you should put a heat-reflective surface on the inside of the cover.
A bonus of radiator covers is that you can place plants and other decorative items on top of them, making your restaurant look even more beautiful!
