Updated June 8, 2022
Many restaurants during Covid-19 focused on outdoor dining. This was a delicious relief for those of us who were tired of cooking for ourselves. In some states, like California, the outside temperatures are moderate enough not to require HVAC systems. But in many other states, outdoor fan cooling systems are an essential part of making sure customers are comfortable as they’re enjoying their meals. Even though indoor dining has returned, we're still seeing a rise in the number of restaurants focusing their business on outdoor dining.
Today, HVAC and ventilation systems also play a critical role in helping people stay safe and healthy. They help to circulate the air, elevate airspeeds, and reduce humidity in outdoor spaces. Since people typically stay at restaurants for an extended period of time, having airflow circulate in a controlled way is extremely important. Restaurants with a covered outdoor patio, pergola, or outdoor seating areas have more obstruction to natural air movement. So they require extra help to flush out the air.
In areas where air conditioning is not possible, such as outdoor dining or open-air restaurants, an outdoor ceiling fan is a great option. It also provides your establishment with an elevated ambiance.
MacroAir is not chicken when it comes to showcasing its outdoor ceiling fans’ capabilities. The Crack Shack is a modern, open-air restaurant in Encinitas, California, where you can enjoy top-quality fried chicken for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This hip Southern California-based restaurant, and one-of-a-kind culinary experience, utilize nothing but the best ingredients and, of course, big commercial ceiling fans.
Check out the variety of large commercial ceiling fans that may benefit your restaurant or bar.
MacroAir’s big commercial outdoor ceiling fans not only cool and enhance the visual experience of The Crack Shack, but they also help provide extra ventilation for their outdoor area. Through MacroAir fans’ reverse function, the industrial ceiling fans help control and prevent discomfort in hot environments. The Crack Shack’s kitchen's stoves and ovens generated a great deal of smoke and heat. When the Crack Shack’s kitchen wasn’t ventilated properly, it would create a very uncomfortable environment. It was a miserable experience for employees and customers.
MacroAir fans provide evenly balanced airflow allowing fresh air to reach the entire restaurant. It also allows the contaminants previously trapped in the restaurant to be circulated out the doors and ceiling. Fresh air dilutes the concentrated contaminants, eliminating airborne health hazards and odors. Utilizing a big outdoor ceiling fan in open-air establishments is an excellent business investment. It will not only benefit you but also your employees and customers.
MacroAir outdoor ceiling fans come with aerodynamic ceiling fan blade designs that move air across vast distances. For restaurant owners and managers, ceiling fans can make a huge difference in thermal comfort. This is because they reduce temperatures and humidity levels with fan speed and cool air.
Proper ventilation gives not only your customers but also your employees a safer work and dining experience. Ceiling fans improve ventilation to rid airborne particles and health hazards and eliminate stale air and odors, so your customers can focus on what they need to – the taste of your delicious food. Air circulation is the best way to help people stay safe.
“The feature I like the most is the reverse functionality. When running in reverse, the fan actually pulls air up and away and helps ventilate the room.” – Abraham Jimenez, General Manager, The Crack Shack
If you are looking for an affordable way to provide your customers with a safer indoor or outdoor dining experience, consider adding a large commercial ceiling fan to your restaurant.
You may be wondering how large commercial ceiling fans can be used outdoors. Can they withstand the rain and humidity? The bugs and the bird? The wind? The answer is yes they can. HVLS fans are built strong, and they are built to last.
“They move tons of air even at 50-60% speed, and the patrons get smiles on their faces when I turn them on. They have had a few run-ins with birds, and the birds have lost every time!” -Doug O’Neil, Conch Republic Seafood Co.
MacroAir fan blades are made of anodized aluminum. They are corrosion and rust-resistant and guaranteed not to warp in the hot summer heat. Additionally, many large ceiling fans are outdoor rated, meaning they are made with outdoor conditions in mind. Large ceiling fans are often certified with an Ingress Protection rating (IP rating). The majority of HVLS ceiling fans are IP55 or IP65 rated. This means they are safe for outdoor use. If they are not IP certified, they are still often rated for outdoor use.
The first number of IP rating represents intrusion protection. At a 5 (in IP55) the fan is “protected against dust limited ingress, no harmful deposits.” At a 6 (in IP65) the fan is “totally protected against dust.” The last number represents moisture protection. With the last number 5 (in IP65), the fan is “protected against low-pressure jets of water from all directs, limited ingress permitted.”
Unlike indoor fans, outdoor fans must be adaptable to damp and wet areas. They are built with finishes meant to withstand humidity, moisture, and rain while preventing corrosion and rust. MacroAir Fans offers some beautiful options for outdoor-rated fans, including the AVDX, AVD370, and the AVD3.
n the new world we are living in, post-Covid, people are more aware of health and safety in their everyday lives. Because of that, restaurant owners must be aware of customer perception when it comes to safety and ventilation. MacroAir fans are one simple addition that will not only add the perception of safety and improved ventilation, it WILL deliver on creating a safer and more ventilated space. Not to mention, the cooling effect of the fans will leave your employees and customers feeling much more comfortable.
Remember, comfortable, happy customers will return to their favorite restaurants and establishments with a safely ventilated indoor atmosphere and a killer outdoor patio! When done right, customers simply can not resist. Make sure you are on the list of favorites with a MacroAir HVLS fan.
Click the link below to see how MacroAir’s big fans can create a more comfortable experience for your customers and staff.