Creating a comfortable and cool environment for customers is so important – but it’s easy for air conditioning costs to get out of hand. Whether designing a new building or renovating an existing one, there are many ways to improve restaurant cooling systems without doubling your power bills!
Reducing heat stress on staff is also important if they’re going to work efficiently through a long shift – cooling the kitchen is often overlooked. Here are the key factors to consider in creating a cool and pleasant venue where customers are happy to stay:
Insulation: A building needs proper insulation to minimise heat transfer. This includes well-insulated walls, roofs, and windows to keep the interior cool and reduce the need for excessive air conditioning – if you economise on this, you’ll always have higher cooling and heating expenses.
Orientation and Shading: Pay attention to the building’s orientation and strategically place shading devices such as awnings, canopies, or external blinds to block direct sunlight. This helps reduce heat gain and keeps the interior temperature comfortable. In the southern hemisphere, a north-facing building lets in the sun, which is welcome in winter but needs to be shielded in summer – and reverse this for the northern hemisphere.
Ventilation: To facilitate airflow and allow hot air to escape. Consider using natural ventilation techniques like operable windows, louvres, or ventilation stacks to maximise fresh air circulation. You’re working to create ventilation without an annoying draft.
Efficient Cooling Systems: Energy-efficient cooling systems, such as high-efficiency air conditioning units or evaporative coolers, consume less energy while providing adequate cooling. Properly size the cooling system to match the restaurant’s requirements – the inexpensive domestic systems from home-ware stores are rarely powerful enough for a space with dozens of people and constantly opening doors.
Understand Thermal Mass: Materials like concrete or stone absorb and store heat during the day and release it gradually during cooler periods, maintaining a more stable indoor temperature. This also applies to keeping the place warm in winter.
Reflective Surfaces: Choose light-coloured or reflective materials for external surfaces to minimise heat absorption from sunlight. This helps reduce the heat load on the building and lowers cooling demands.
Landscaping: Incorporate green spaces and vegetation around the restaurant to provide natural shade and improve microclimate. Trees and plants can also help reduce the heat island effect and create a more pleasant outdoor dining experience.
Every project is unique, so consulting a professional architect and engineer will ensure the design solutions are designed for your needs and local climate conditions. Government grants may also be available to improve insulation or reduce the need for air conditioning.
Cooling down a hot and stuffy restaurant space
Understanding some of the design features and ‘heat physics’ involved will help you find inexpensive solutions and keep the naturally hot areas of the restaurant (like the kitchen) separate from customer areas. Options include:
Air Conditioning: Install or upgrade your air conditioning system to ensure it is properly sized and capable of cooling the entire space efficiently. Regularly maintain and clean the filters to optimise their performance.
Fans: Use ceiling or portable fans strategically placed throughout the space to promote air circulation and create a cooling breeze. Fans can help distribute cool air from the air conditioning system more effectively – large commercial units will be more effective than domestic ones, but you want to create a cooling draft, not a cyclone!
Insulation: Check the insulation of the walls, ceilings, and windows. If inadequate, add insulation to prevent heat transfer and keep the cool air inside.
Window Treatments: Install blinds, shades, or curtains on windows to block direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. This helps reduce heat gain and keeps the interior cooler. Window tinting is also possible – good solutions are available as a film.
Exterior Shading: Consider adding external shading devices, such as awnings or canopies, outside windows or entrances. These can block sunlight and reduce heat buildup in the restaurant.
Heat-Reducing Materials: Use light-coloured or reflective materials for the walls and ceilings to minimise heat absorption. This can help maintain a cooler interior temperature.
Natural Ventilation: Create opportunities for natural ventilation by opening windows or using ventilation louvres. This allows fresh air to flow through the space, providing a cooling effect – heat rises, so any windows that can be added or opened at the top of a wall will create a natural draft to remove hot air – it’s surprising how few places use this simple law of physics!
Evaporative Coolers: These devices can be useful in a dry climate (not humid) – they cool the air by evaporating water, providing an energy-efficient alternative to traditional air conditioning.
Indoor Plants: Introduce indoor plants to the space as they can help cool the environment through transpiration and improve air quality.
Effective use of ceiling fans
To make ceiling fans more effective in cooling your space and prevent them from simply circulating hot air, it’s important to consider size, design and placement.
Most ceiling fans have a switch on the motor housing that allows you to change the direction of the blades. In hot weather, set the fan to run counterclockwise (as you look up at it). This creates a downdraft, producing a cooling breeze that can make you feel more comfortable. Experiment with different speeds to find the balance that provides the best comfort. The blades should be 2.5 – 3 m. above the floor for safety and maximum cooling efficiency.
Ceiling fans work well when used in conjunction with air conditioning. By running the ceiling fan while the air conditioner is on, you can distribute the cool air more effectively throughout the space. This allows you to raise the thermostat setting slightly and potentially save energy while maintaining comfort. Regularly dust the fan blades to ensure the best performance and so they don’t look dirty.
How to reduce heat from the kitchen entering the front of house
Kitchen Ventilation: Ensure the kitchen has a well-designed and properly functioning ventilation system. A commercial-grade exhaust hood will remove heat, smoke, and odours and stop excess heat from spreading into the customer area.
Mount Refrigeration Motors Outside: the external motor that cools the inside of a refrigeration unit is sometimes mounted on the side or top of the unit – and pushes the heat into the same space! It’s a little more expensive to mount this externally, but highly desirable, otherwise you’re just heating the space you want to be cool!
Kitchen Layout and Equipment Placement: Optimise the kitchen layout to minimise heat transfer. Place heat-generating equipment away from the customer area, such as ovens, grills, and fryers. There’s a gradual move to electric induction cooktops, which dramatically reduce heat in the kitchen – this is a great development for kitchen comfort and overall temperature control.
Separation and Insulation: Create a physical barrier or separation between the kitchen and customer areas. This can be achieved by using walls, partitions, or curtains made of materials with good insulation properties. Proper insulation helps contain the heat within the kitchen, preventing it from seeping into the dining space.
Air Curtain or Air Barrier: Install an air curtain or air barrier system near the entrance to the kitchen. These devices blow a stream of air downward, creating a barrier that prevents transferring heat, odours, and insects while allowing staff to move freely. This helps maintain a temperature boundary between the kitchen and the customer area.
Insulated Ductwork: Ensure the ductwork carrying exhaust air from the kitchen to the exterior is properly insulated. This prevents heat transfer through the ducts, minimising the heat entering the customer area.
Sealed Openings: Seal gaps, cracks, or openings between the kitchen and dining space. This includes doors, windows, and other potential entry points for heat. Weatherstripping and caulking can be used to seal these openings effectively.
Zoning and Separate Air Conditioning Systems: Consider implementing zoning within the air-con system to control the temperature and airflow between the kitchen and dining areas separately. This allows for customised climate control based on the specific requirements of each area.
Prevent kitchen exhaust systems sucking air-conditioned air from the front of house
This can be an expensive way to waste the cooling you create for customers, and needs careful design of how your exhaust system works.
Makeup Air Unit: Incorporate a makeup air unit into the kitchen ventilation system. A makeup air unit helps balance the air pressure by supplying fresh outdoor air into the kitchen to replace the exhausted air. This prevents the kitchen exhaust system from creating negative pressure and pulling conditioned air from the dining area.
Air Balancing: Properly balance the airflow within the restaurant space to prevent air imbalances and minimise the effect of kitchen exhaust on the conditioned air. This involves adjusting dampers and registers throughout the HVAC system to ensure adequate supply and return airflows.
Air Curtains or Airlocks: Consider installing air curtains or airlocks at the entrance between the kitchen and dining area. These systems create a barrier of moving air that helps prevent air transfer between the two spaces while allowing for easy movement of staff.
Air Conditioning Zone Control: Separate the kitchen and dining areas into different temperature zones. This allows for independent control and adjustment of the airflow and temperature in each zone, reducing the risk of conditioned air being drawn into the kitchen exhaust.
Well-Sealed Kitchen: Ensure the kitchen space is properly sealed to minimise air leakage. This includes sealing gaps, cracks, and openings in walls, floors, and ceilings. Reducing air leakage can help prevent the loss of conditioned air to the kitchen exhaust system.
Regular Maintenance: Conduct regular maintenance and inspections of the kitchen exhaust system to ensure it functions properly. This includes cleaning the exhaust hoods, filters, and ductwork to maintain optimal performance and prevent any disruptions to the airflow balance.
Misting systems in outside areas
These can effectively cool outdoor areas, reducing the temperature by several degrees. They work on the principle of evaporative cooling, where water droplets are sprayed into the air and quickly evaporate, absorbing heat and lowering the surrounding temperature. Check that the systems are allowed by your local water supply authority – they have been banned in some areas when there have been drought and water shortages.
Misting systems are most effective in dry climates with relatively low humidity – the water droplets evaporate quickly, creating a cooling sensation for individuals standing or sitting near the misting area. They work better in smaller outdoor areas or close to the misting nozzles. In larger open spaces, the cooling effect may be less pronounced due to the dispersion of mist in the air. A slight breeze or fans can help distribute the mist, enhancing the cooling effect by improving evaporation and preventing excessive moisture buildup.
Creating a comfortable and cool environment in hot areas while keeping cooling costs low can be a big challenge. A well-designed and properly maintained space with efficient cooling strategies can keep customers comfortable, minimise heat transfer, and balance customer satisfaction with cost-effective operations.
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Creating a comfortable and cool environment for customers is so important – but it’s easy for air conditioning costs to get out of hand. Whether designing a new building or renovating an existing one, there are many ways to improve restaurant cooling systems without doubling your power bills!
See also: Warmth and Energy Efficiency in Restaurants: Heating and Design Choices and also Understanding Energy Use: A Restaurant’s Guide to Lower Costs.
Reducing heat stress on staff is also important if they’re going to work efficiently through a long shift – cooling the kitchen is often overlooked. Here are the key factors to consider in creating a cool and pleasant venue where customers are happy to stay:
Insulation: A building needs proper insulation to minimise heat transfer. This includes well-insulated walls, roofs, and windows to keep the interior cool and reduce the need for excessive air conditioning – if you economise on this, you’ll always have higher cooling and heating expenses.
Orientation and Shading: Pay attention to the building’s orientation and strategically place shading devices such as awnings, canopies, or external blinds to block direct sunlight. This helps reduce heat gain and keeps the interior temperature comfortable. In the southern hemisphere, a north-facing building lets in the sun, which is welcome in winter but needs to be shielded in summer – and reverse this for the northern hemisphere.
Ventilation: To facilitate airflow and allow hot air to escape. Consider using natural ventilation techniques like operable windows, louvres, or ventilation stacks to maximise fresh air circulation. You’re working to create ventilation without an annoying draft.
Efficient Cooling Systems: Energy-efficient cooling systems, such as high-efficiency air conditioning units or evaporative coolers, consume less energy while providing adequate cooling. Properly size the cooling system to match the restaurant’s requirements – the inexpensive domestic systems from home-ware stores are rarely powerful enough for a space with dozens of people and constantly opening doors.
Understand Thermal Mass: Materials like concrete or stone absorb and store heat during the day and release it gradually during cooler periods, maintaining a more stable indoor temperature. This also applies to keeping the place warm in winter.
Reflective Surfaces: Choose light-coloured or reflective materials for external surfaces to minimise heat absorption from sunlight. This helps reduce the heat load on the building and lowers cooling demands.
Landscaping: Incorporate green spaces and vegetation around the restaurant to provide natural shade and improve microclimate. Trees and plants can also help reduce the heat island effect and create a more pleasant outdoor dining experience.
Every project is unique, so consulting a professional architect and engineer will ensure the design solutions are designed for your needs and local climate conditions. Government grants may also be available to improve insulation or reduce the need for air conditioning.
Cooling down a hot and stuffy restaurant space
Understanding some of the design features and ‘heat physics’ involved will help you find inexpensive solutions and keep the naturally hot areas of the restaurant (like the kitchen) separate from customer areas. Options include:
Air Conditioning: Install or upgrade your air conditioning system to ensure it is properly sized and capable of cooling the entire space efficiently. Regularly maintain and clean the filters to optimise their performance.
Fans: Use ceiling or portable fans strategically placed throughout the space to promote air circulation and create a cooling breeze. Fans can help distribute cool air from the air conditioning system more effectively – large commercial units will be more effective than domestic ones, but you want to create a cooling draft, not a cyclone!
Insulation: Check the insulation of the walls, ceilings, and windows. If inadequate, add insulation to prevent heat transfer and keep the cool air inside.
Window Treatments: Install blinds, shades, or curtains on windows to block direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. This helps reduce heat gain and keeps the interior cooler. Window tinting is also possible – good solutions are available as a film.
Exterior Shading: Consider adding external shading devices, such as awnings or canopies, outside windows or entrances. These can block sunlight and reduce heat buildup in the restaurant.
Heat-Reducing Materials: Use light-coloured or reflective materials for the walls and ceilings to minimise heat absorption. This can help maintain a cooler interior temperature.
Natural Ventilation: Create opportunities for natural ventilation by opening windows or using ventilation louvres. This allows fresh air to flow through the space, providing a cooling effect – heat rises, so any windows that can be added or opened at the top of a wall will create a natural draft to remove hot air – it’s surprising how few places use this simple law of physics!
Evaporative Coolers: These devices can be useful in a dry climate (not humid) – they cool the air by evaporating water, providing an energy-efficient alternative to traditional air conditioning.
Indoor Plants: Introduce indoor plants to the space as they can help cool the environment through transpiration and improve air quality.
Effective use of ceiling fans
To make ceiling fans more effective in cooling your space and prevent them from simply circulating hot air, it’s important to consider size, design and placement.
Most ceiling fans have a switch on the motor housing that allows you to change the direction of the blades. In hot weather, set the fan to run counterclockwise (as you look up at it). This creates a downdraft, producing a cooling breeze that can make you feel more comfortable. Experiment with different speeds to find the balance that provides the best comfort. The blades should be 2.5 – 3 m. above the floor for safety and maximum cooling efficiency.
Ceiling fans work well when used in conjunction with air conditioning. By running the ceiling fan while the air conditioner is on, you can distribute the cool air more effectively throughout the space. This allows you to raise the thermostat setting slightly and potentially save energy while maintaining comfort. Regularly dust the fan blades to ensure the best performance and so they don’t look dirty.
How to reduce heat from the kitchen entering the front of house
Kitchen Ventilation: Ensure the kitchen has a well-designed and properly functioning ventilation system. A commercial-grade exhaust hood will remove heat, smoke, and odours and stop excess heat from spreading into the customer area.
Mount Refrigeration Motors Outside: the external motor that cools the inside of a refrigeration unit is sometimes mounted on the side or top of the unit – and pushes the heat into the same space! It’s a little more expensive to mount this externally, but highly desirable, otherwise you’re just heating the space you want to be cool!
Kitchen Layout and Equipment Placement: Optimise the kitchen layout to minimise heat transfer. Place heat-generating equipment away from the customer area, such as ovens, grills, and fryers. There’s a gradual move to electric induction cooktops, which dramatically reduce heat in the kitchen – this is a great development for kitchen comfort and overall temperature control.
Separation and Insulation: Create a physical barrier or separation between the kitchen and customer areas. This can be achieved by using walls, partitions, or curtains made of materials with good insulation properties. Proper insulation helps contain the heat within the kitchen, preventing it from seeping into the dining space.
Air Curtain or Air Barrier: Install an air curtain or air barrier system near the entrance to the kitchen. These devices blow a stream of air downward, creating a barrier that prevents transferring heat, odours, and insects while allowing staff to move freely. This helps maintain a temperature boundary between the kitchen and the customer area.
Insulated Ductwork: Ensure the ductwork carrying exhaust air from the kitchen to the exterior is properly insulated. This prevents heat transfer through the ducts, minimising the heat entering the customer area.
Sealed Openings: Seal gaps, cracks, or openings between the kitchen and dining space. This includes doors, windows, and other potential entry points for heat. Weatherstripping and caulking can be used to seal these openings effectively.
Zoning and Separate Air Conditioning Systems: Consider implementing zoning within the air-con system to control the temperature and airflow between the kitchen and dining areas separately. This allows for customised climate control based on the specific requirements of each area.
Prevent kitchen exhaust systems sucking air-conditioned air from the front of house
This can be an expensive way to waste the cooling you create for customers, and needs careful design of how your exhaust system works.
Makeup Air Unit: Incorporate a makeup air unit into the kitchen ventilation system. A makeup air unit helps balance the air pressure by supplying fresh outdoor air into the kitchen to replace the exhausted air. This prevents the kitchen exhaust system from creating negative pressure and pulling conditioned air from the dining area.
Air Balancing: Properly balance the airflow within the restaurant space to prevent air imbalances and minimise the effect of kitchen exhaust on the conditioned air. This involves adjusting dampers and registers throughout the HVAC system to ensure adequate supply and return airflows.
Air Curtains or Airlocks: Consider installing air curtains or airlocks at the entrance between the kitchen and dining area. These systems create a barrier of moving air that helps prevent air transfer between the two spaces while allowing for easy movement of staff.
Air Conditioning Zone Control: Separate the kitchen and dining areas into different temperature zones. This allows for independent control and adjustment of the airflow and temperature in each zone, reducing the risk of conditioned air being drawn into the kitchen exhaust.
Well-Sealed Kitchen: Ensure the kitchen space is properly sealed to minimise air leakage. This includes sealing gaps, cracks, and openings in walls, floors, and ceilings. Reducing air leakage can help prevent the loss of conditioned air to the kitchen exhaust system.
Regular Maintenance: Conduct regular maintenance and inspections of the kitchen exhaust system to ensure it functions properly. This includes cleaning the exhaust hoods, filters, and ductwork to maintain optimal performance and prevent any disruptions to the airflow balance.
Misting systems in outside areas
These can effectively cool outdoor areas, reducing the temperature by several degrees. They work on the principle of evaporative cooling, where water droplets are sprayed into the air and quickly evaporate, absorbing heat and lowering the surrounding temperature. Check that the systems are allowed by your local water supply authority – they have been banned in some areas when there have been drought and water shortages.
Misting systems are most effective in dry climates with relatively low humidity – the water droplets evaporate quickly, creating a cooling sensation for individuals standing or sitting near the misting area. They work better in smaller outdoor areas or close to the misting nozzles. In larger open spaces, the cooling effect may be less pronounced due to the dispersion of mist in the air. A slight breeze or fans can help distribute the mist, enhancing the cooling effect by improving evaporation and preventing excessive moisture buildup.
Creating a comfortable and cool environment in hot areas while keeping cooling costs low can be a big challenge. A well-designed and properly maintained space with efficient cooling strategies can keep customers comfortable, minimise heat transfer, and balance customer satisfaction with cost-effective operations.
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