Stop Losing Money Every Time the Temperature Drops
Let’s be honest: as soon as it gets chilly, your outdoor seating becomes a ghost town. It’s frustrating. You’ve got the space, but nobody wants to sit in it. Most people try to fix this with those standard convection heaters. But here’s the problem—they just heat the air. And in the outdoors? The wind just carries that warmth away before it ever reaches your customers. You’re basically paying to heat the sidewalk. That’s why we use shortwave infrared (IR). Instead of fighting the wind, IR works like the sun. It sends warmth directly to your guests’ skin and clothes. They feel it instantly. The secret to a full patio When you put these units on the walls, you aren’t just “heating an area”—you’re creating warm zones. It means you can actually use every single square meter of your patio, even in the dead of winter. Your seating capacity stays up, and your revenue doesn’t tank just because it’s November. Getting the setup right Now, you can’t just slap these anywhere. You have to think about the “heat density.” If your terrace is particularly drafty, you’ll need a bit more power to keep the chill at bay. We usually suggest mounting them on the walls. It keeps the floor clear and gets the heat where it belongs. But a quick heads-up: these units pull a decent amount of power. Check your electrical panel first. If you’re doing a massive terrace, we can set up zone controllers or timers so you don’t accidentally trip a breaker right in the middle of a Friday night rush. The bottom line: Happy guests stay longer It’s pretty simple. When people are warm, they relax. They stay for that second glass of wine or a dessert they weren’t planning on ordering. When they’re shivering, they rush through their meal just to get back inside. That “cold-shoulder” effect kills your average check size. Just one thing to watch out for: spacing. IR has a specific reach. If you hang them too high or leave too much gap between them, you’ll end up with “cold spots.” Nothing ruins a vibe faster than a guest leaning two inches to the left just to feel the heat. Get the spacing right, and the money follows.