If you operate a corner cafe, then you know how important it is for your customers to feel comfortable. It's more of a relaxed environment than a fancy restaurant, and you might even have a nice sidewalk or outdoor seating area, but people will still want to feel comfortable. Just because the vibe of the place is more chill, it doesn't mean that people will want to sit around in the heat or cold while they are having coffee or brunch. So, here's a few ideas about how to improve the climate inside and outside your cafe.

Install An Upblast Fan In Your Kitchen And Vent It Through The Roof

Don't make the mistake that some small restaurants make and use the wrong sort of kitchen fan. First, make sure you're using an upblast and not a downblast. You want to have the hot air sucked out of the kitchen, not just bring in fresh air. The hot air (not to mention the aroma of the kitchen) shouldn't spread around the interior of your cafe. A downblast fan  will just suck in fresh air. The upblast will pull out the kitchen air. This will keep the inside of the cafe from smelling like burnt butter, or whatever else might be going on in the back of the house.

The next important thing to do is to make sure you vent it correctly. Have you ever walked past a restaurant and gotten a powerful whiff of what's cooking? That's because the owners decided to vent the fan frontside. Big mistake. You don't want people to be accosted by the smells and heat of the kitchen as they pass by. This is even more important if you have sidewalk seating. People sitting outside don't want the kitchens air vented out onto their sitting space. So, make sure you vent the kitchen fan through the roof or, if not possible, through the rear of the store.

Quiet Air Conditioning For The Summer Months

Good air conditioning is absolutely essential. If customers end up sweating and fanning themselves while they are waiting for their order, then you're going to lose a ton of repeat business. So, you might think that getting full blast air conditioners is the solution. This is not a great idea. First, you want to have the commercial heating and air conditioner people to install more sensitive units that don't turn the place into an icebox. This means a commercial grade unit with a adjustable thermostat. Also, you want it to be quiet. Some big units can be quit loud, and if they are installed in a factory or some other area, then that's not much of an issue. However, you don't want people to be annoyed at the loud hum of an air conditioner, so make sure that the company installing your heating and air conditioner units understand how important it is to muffle any excess sounds.

Radiant Outdoor Commercial Heating Solutions For Late Fall

The outdoor section of your cafe shouldn't be forgotten. During the spring, summer and fall, this can be a huge draw. Customers love to sit outside and people watch and have drinks of brunch. However, to make sure you extend the seasons (get the early spring and late fall) you want to have good outdoor commercial heating solutions. A popular choice that many restaurants and outdoor cafes favor are outdoor radiant heaters. These gently throw off heat, instead of blowing hot air via a fan onto people. They can boost the temperature of the outdoor space without making it uncomfortable. These heaters can be super helpful during the cool evenings in the spring and fall when the temperature drops, yet people still might want to sit outside.

Contact a contractor, like Mercury Tec, for more help
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