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Restaurant air conditioning is essential for any food and beverage business that wants to provide a comfortable environment for customers and staff alike.
Unfortunately, restaurants get too hot for a number of reasons. Commercial kitchens generate significant heat from cooking equipment, extraction systems and the sheer volume of activity during service. Add to that the body heat from a full dining room, the warmth produced by lighting and the effect of direct sunlight through windows, and temperatures can quickly become uncomfortable without an effective cooling solution in place.
Getting your air conditioning right has clear benefits. Customers stay longer, spend more and are more likely to return. Staff work more comfortably and productively. Stock and equipment are protected from excess heat and humidity. And with a modern inverter-driven system, all of this is achievable without excessive energy costs.
Lee Jackson Air Conditioning installs and maintains systems for restaurants and cafes across Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and elsewhere in the UK, providing the restaurant sector with reliable, high quality air con solutions.

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No matter the type of air conditioning unit you are after, we will work with you to ensure you have a space which is comfortable, enjoyable and meets business requirements. Lee Jackson Air Conditioning installs and supplies a range of different unit types including ceiling-mounted air con, ducted, floor-mounted and wall-mounted air conditioning. These units offer different benefits and come with high-quality solutions that will last years to come.
Need air conditioning installed in your restaurant, cafe or pub? Contact our team today and get the help and support you need.
Installing air conditioning in a restaurant can be beneficial for both the business and customers. Not only will these systems ensure a safe and comfortable working environment for staff, but they will also increase footfall and make for a positive customer experience. No one wants to be too hot or too cold when eating, so Lee Jackson air conditioning solutions are there to create the ideal room temperature for everyone. The quality of air is also a big part of food hygiene and can help to keep the environment and resources fresh, clean and healthy.
Keeping on top of air conditioning maintenance and servicing is key to maintaining that comfortable restaurant experience. That’s why we provide air conditioning maintenance, repairs and servicing. When buying and installing our units, you can be comfortable in the fact we have experts in place to tackle any issue that may arise. Our experienced engineers are filled with knowledge and will know exactly what needs to be done to get your systems working at their best.
Having these solutions in place will help to extend the overall lifespan of each unit, keep your running costs down and maintain a safe atmosphere.
For more information about our maintenance process, visit our service page or book an air conditioning checkup today!
Hungry to learn more about the air conditioning units we install in restaurants? You’ll find answers to some of our most popular customer queries below.
For anything else, or to get a free quote, please call us on 0800 949 9070.
The best type of air conditioning for a restaurant depends on the size and layout of the space, the volume of covers you serve and the level of heat generated by your kitchen. Most restaurants benefit from a system that can handle both the dining area and the kitchen independently, as the two zones have very different requirements.
For the dining area, a cassette or ducted system is often the preferred choice as it distributes air evenly across the room without being visually intrusive. Wall-mounted split systems are also suitable for smaller dining rooms or where ceiling installation is not practical. For larger or open plan restaurants, a multi-split or VRF (variable refrigerant flow) system allows different zones to be controlled independently, which gives you much greater flexibility over comfort levels throughout the space.
Kitchen environments require specialist ventilation and extraction in addition to cooling, as standard air conditioning alone is not sufficient to manage the heat and humidity generated by commercial cooking equipment. Lee Jackson Air Conditioning can advise on the right combination of systems for both areas of your restaurant, ensuring a comfortable environment for diners and a safer working environment for kitchen staff.
In most cases, yes. The kitchen and dining area of a restaurant have very different environmental requirements and are best served by separate systems. A commercial kitchen generates substantial heat, moisture and cooking odours that a standard air conditioning system is not designed to handle on its own. Kitchen environments typically require a combination of extraction, ventilation and cooling to maintain safe working temperatures and comply with health and safety regulations.
The dining area, by contrast, needs a system that delivers quiet, even and consistent temperature control without draughts or noise that could affect the comfort and experience of your customers. Running both areas from a single system can result in one zone being over or under-conditioned depending on the demands of the other.
Lee Jackson Air Conditioning assesses each area of your restaurant separately and recommends solutions that are matched to the specific demands of each space. We can coordinate both installations to ensure the systems work effectively alongside each other.
Yes, and it is more common than many restaurant and cafe owners realise. Temperature is one of the key factors that influences how comfortable diners feel and how long they choose to stay. A space that is too warm can feel stuffy and oppressive, particularly during busier service periods when body heat from a full dining room adds to an already warm environment. Customers in an uncomfortable setting are less likely to linger over dessert or drinks, which has a direct impact on spend per head.
A properly designed and installed air conditioning system maintains a consistent, comfortable temperature throughout the dining area regardless of the season or how busy the restaurant is. Lee Jackson Air Conditioning installs and maintains systems for restaurants and cafes across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Get in touch to find out how we can help you create the right environment for your customers.
Sizing a restaurant air conditioning system correctly is essential. An undersized system will struggle to cope during busy service periods or in warm weather, while an oversized system will cycle inefficiently and create uncomfortable temperature fluctuations for diners.
As a starting point, you need approximately 100 watts of cooling capacity per square metre of floor space, but this figure increases significantly in a restaurant environment due to the heat generated by diners, lighting, kitchen proximity and any south-facing glazing. A busy restaurant with a full dining room can generate a considerable amount of body heat alone, which must be factored into the calculation.
A professional heat load calculation takes all of these variables into account to determine the correct system capacity for your premises. Lee Jackson Air Conditioning carries out full surveys before specifying any system, ensuring your restaurant is equipped to maintain a comfortable environment even during your busiest periods.
Temperature has a direct impact on how comfortable diners feel and how long they choose to stay. A restaurant that is too warm can feel stuffy and unwelcoming, while one that is too cold risks making customers feel uncomfortable and eager to leave. A well-designed air conditioning system maintains a consistent, pleasant temperature throughout the dining area, which encourages customers to relax, enjoy their meal and return in future.
Beyond temperature, modern air conditioning systems also improve air quality by filtering out dust, allergens and airborne particles. In a restaurant environment where cooking smells and the presence of many people in an enclosed space can affect air freshness, good air circulation makes a noticeable difference to how the room feels.
A properly installed system also operates quietly, which means it does not compete with conversation or background music. Cassette and ducted systems in particular are designed to be unobtrusive, allowing you to maintain the right atmosphere in your dining room without any visual or acoustic distraction.
Open plan restaurants present particular challenges for air conditioning because the large, undivided space needs to be cooled or heated evenly without creating draughts or cold spots in certain areas. A cassette system is often well suited to this type of environment as it distributes air in four directions from a central ceiling-mounted unit, providing even coverage across a wide floor area.
For larger open plan spaces, a ducted system offers even greater consistency by delivering conditioned air through a concealed network of ductwork in the ceiling void. This approach is completely hidden from view and can be designed to provide precise airflow to every part of the dining room, making it a popular choice for restaurants where interior design and aesthetics are a priority.
A multi-split or VRF system is another strong option for open plan restaurants that have distinct areas such as a bar, a main dining room and a private dining section, as it allows each zone to be controlled independently while running from a single outdoor unit.
Lee Jackson Air Conditioning surveys every space individually before making a recommendation. We work with restaurants across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire and have the experience to specify and install a system that performs reliably and suits the character of your venue.
Modern air conditioning systems are designed to operate quietly, which is an important consideration in a restaurant where noise levels directly affect the dining experience.
Most current wall-mounted and cassette units run at between 20 and 35 decibels on a low setting, which is barely noticeable in a busy dining room. Ducted systems are even quieter as the main unit is concealed within the ceiling void, with only the air outlets visible in the room.
However, if your restaurant or cafe already has air conditioning installed and it is very noisy, it likely has a fault or is simply overdue replacement. Our air conditioning engineers would be more than happy to diagnose the issue for you when you get in touch. We can offer you air conditioning maintenance, repairs or replacement if required.
Yes. Condensation is a common problem in catering environments where cooking, hot drinks and the presence of large numbers of people generate significant moisture in the air.
A properly specified air conditioning system helps manage humidity levels alongside temperature, reducing the build-up of condensation on windows, walls and surfaces. This is particularly beneficial in cafes where steaming equipment such as coffee machines and hot water urns contributes to a consistently humid atmosphere.
Keeping humidity under control also helps protect the fabric of the building and reduces the risk of damp-related issues over time.
For most small cafes, a wall-mounted split system provides the most practical and cost-effective solution. It is compact, easy to install and efficient in operation, making it well suited to smaller commercial spaces where budget and simplicity are priorities.
If the cafe has a separate kitchen area, a second unit or a small multi-split system may be needed to address both zones independently. Lee Jackson Air Conditioning installs systems for cafes and small catering businesses across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire and can recommend the right setup for your space following a free site survey.