The restaurant business is a tough business and customer satisfaction has never been more demanding than it is today. With a range of apps that allow customers to review and comment on their experience, restaurant owners and restaurant chains are putting every area of their business under the microscope to understand what the customer expects from them.

It goes without saying… Air conditioning plays a huge role in generating customer satisfaction, so finding the best air conditioner for your restaurant is a priority.

The importance of air conditioning in your restaurant

Your restaurant offers excellent service, a tasty menu and interiors with personality. But it feels like it’s not enough. What about the restaurant environment?

The right environment at the right temperature plays an important role in winning loyal customers.

When deciding which air conditioner is best for your restaurant, consider the following factors:

• Optimal heating for open-plan dining
• Zoning adaptation, from entry to table
• Comfort for the kitchen floor and staff
• Reduce cooking fumes and kitchen odors
• Accommodating fluctuating temperatures due to occupancy and season

The importance of air conditioning in a restaurant – Oneconcept

Whether it’s being too hot or overwhelming odors, each customer will have their own perception of what is a comfortable eating environment . So, it’s a necessity to find the right restaurant air conditioning equipment that creates and adapts to ever-changing scenarios.

In the case of one Michelin-starred restaurant, VRF technology best suited their needs.

Ideal air conditioning for a Michelin-starred experience

Cocina Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona, Spain is a Michelin-starred restaurant where nothing but excellence is expected.

It’s an open plan restaurant where tables sit around mini workstations in the kitchen, where the chefs prepare the food in front of them. The requirements were to install a system that would create the ideal dining atmosphere without creating a draughty sensation for the guests, while not interfering with the food preparation.

The Oneconcept Set Free Sigma VRF system was selected because of the flexibility it offers during installation and because the indoor units available in the Oneconcept VRF range diffuse conditioned air from the top, down into the dining space without interrupting the comfort of the customers.

What are the best air conditioners for restaurants?

There is no simple answer to this question, as the size, type, theme, business needs, location, etc. of each establishment influences the types of CA used in restaurants.

As mentioned above, the requirements of a large, open, Michelin-starred restaurant will not be the same as those of a small, independent noodle bar. So is the restaurant just food or takeaway? Perhaps it suits both, so there may be a need to eliminate the possibility of cold draughts disturbing diners or staff chilling.

So what air conditioning systems are on offer?

VRF air conditioning systems for restaurants

Starting with the VRF, there are many reasons why this air conditioning system is a great fit for all types of restaurants, especially those that have very different temperatures from one area to another. VRF is great because one system can provide cooling and heating simultaneously.

In the Oneconcept VRF range, you will find units that can meet a variety of requirements with a single system:

• Air conditioning zoning
• The units operate with minimal noise so that comfort is felt and not heard
• For restaurants with high ceilings, VRF* 4-way cassette units can provide precise airflow control from up to 5.5 meters high.
• Innovative features like Crowd-Sense* detects increased mealtime activity, automatically adjusting the temperature
• Reliable and energy-efficient performance

Incorporating ventilation technologies

Another important aspect of creating a comfortable, clean and safer atmosphere in restaurants and kitchens is ventilation. Indoor spaces, especially those with multiple sources of air pollution (stoves, cooking oils, food particles, etc.), eventually become stuffy and heavy.

To minimize uncomfortable environments, ventilation technologies can be used to improve air quality and safety and, as with Oneconcept VRF units, can be integrated into systems. Ventilation is essential in all types of units:

• Restaurant
• Cafes
• Pubs
• Hot food to take away

Not all ventilation requirements want to introduce cold air indoors as this would disrupt the comfort of staff and customers. Products such as Oneconcept Active KPI provide ventilation but are designed to pre-treat the outside air. In doing so, it provides fresh, clean air into the indoor environment and adjusted to the desired temperature, keeping the indoor environment comfortable.

Maintaining and/or improving indoor air quality is becoming increasingly important, and investing in technology that monitors levels of harmful air pollutants not only helps to maintain optimal indoor comfort, but also environmental safety. The Oneconcept CO2 sensor monitors indoor CO2 levels, adjusting the operation of the unit so that indoor spaces do not become unpleasant.

Commercial air conditioning

This split system is designed to meet the needs of small to medium sized establishments, including bars, restaurants and also retail, and offers independently controlled units. The Oneconcept PRIMAIRY series is also a great solution with its own benefits and is available in a wide range of types: 4-way cassette, ductable and floor to ceiling convertible units, offering reliable performance and easy maintenance, meaning integration into your restaurant décor will not be a problem.

For new units or those renovating their air conditioning system, PRIMAIRY is easy to install, i.e. shorter installation times, faster door opening times.

The Oneconcept PRIMAIRE series has now resumed:

• Some units are equipped with DC fan motors for precise and energy-efficient operation
• Flexible installation thanks to the availability of compact units and long pipe lengths
• Has interior units that distribute airflow evenly throughout the space
• Wide ambient temperature range for cooling and heating even in extreme weather conditions
• Expansion interface, allowing owners to integrate third-party equipment such as smoke detectors and fire alarms
• Simplified maintenance with features such as refrigerant leak detection, which protects the compressor from damage and increases safety by automatically stopping operation if the refrigerant charge drops below 30%