How to Keep Your Restaurant Kitchen Cool This Summer

If you are a restaurant owner, you probably know just how miserably hot a commercial kitchen can be in the summer. You might just think that working in a hot kitchen is an inevitable part of working in a restaurant, but it does not have to be. By implementing these tips, you can help keep your kitchen cool.

Not only can these tips help you and your employees stay cool, but maintaining a lower temperature in your kitchen can be beneficial in other ways as well. For example, it can help you keep food at safe temperatures for longer, and it can help you keep odors in check as well. Follow these tips for all the benefits.

Have Separate HVAC Zones Installed

First of all, one thing that you might have noticed is that the temperature in your commercial kitchen might be vastly different from the temperature out on the dining floor. While the kitchen might be overheated with all of your cooking equipment running all day, the dining area might be nice and cool. Plus, while you and your employees are busy working over hot stoves, you might feel overheated.

Meanwhile, though, those who are sitting down and dining might feel comfortable or even cold. Because of these things, you shouldn’t have your entire restaurant set up on one HVAC zone.

Instead, consider working with a commercial HVAC professional to have separate zones installed in your business. You can have one zone set up in your kitchen and one set up in the dining area. Then, you will be able to control the temperatures separately. This can help you keep your customers comfortable while ensuring that your kitchen isn’t too hot.

Keep Your Air Conditioning System in Good Shape

Another important tip for keeping your commercial kitchen and the rest of your restaurant cool this summer is to make sure that your HVAC unit is well-maintained. Without proper servicing, your unit could break down, or it might not work as well as usual, which can leave everyone in your restaurant, from your employees to your customers, uncomfortable.

Work with a commercial HVAC company to help you ensure that your air conditioner is properly serviced and well-maintained. Then, you can help prevent any breakdowns or other issues.

Put In Air Curtains

You can open up the doors to your kitchen to let some cool air in. However, this might be something that you want to avoid because of the possibility of insects flying into your kitchen. One good way to take advantage of the cool outdoor air without worrying about pests is to install air curtains on your kitchen’s exterior doors.

Air curtains are designed to blow out a burst of air to help prevent bugs from coming in. With one of these in place, you can open up your doors to enjoy both ventilation and a nice, cool breeze that can help you and your employees stay comfortable.

Install a Good Ventilation System

If you aren’t doing anything to ventilate your kitchen, then chances are that it’s even more stuffy than it has to be. Plus, failing to ventilate your commercial kitchen can cause other problems as well, such as leaving behind smoke or lingering odors that might leak their way into the dining area.

If you work with a professional, you can have a good ventilation system installed. Then, you can help ensure that you’re getting rid of smoke, odors, and hot air in your kitchen.

You and your employees don’t have to be miserable this summer. If you’re tired of cooking and working in an overly hot commercial kitchen, follow these tips. Then, you and your employees can stay nice and comfortable during the hottest months of the year.

For help with your commercial HVAC needs, contact us at Haskins Heating & Cooling. We can help maintain your system and install new systems for your particular needs.