Stop Letting Your Patio Go Cold (and Your Profits Too)
It’s a frustrating cycle. You’ve got a great outdoor space, but as soon as the temperature drops, it becomes a ghost town. Guests might say they want to sit outside, but the second a chilly breeze hits them, they’re asking to move inside—or worse, they just leave. Most people try to fix this with standard heaters that warm up the air. The problem? Air moves. The wind just carries that expensive warmth right away, leaving your guests shivering. That’s where shortwave infrared comes in.
How it actually works
Think of it like the sun. When you step outside on a crisp winter day and feel that sudden warmth on your skin, that’s radiant heat. Infrared heaters do the same thing. Instead of fighting the wind to warm the air, they send heat straight to your guests and their chairs. There’s no “waiting for the patio to warm up.” The second a customer sits down, they feel it. We usually tuck these units onto the ceiling or walls. They don’t take up much room and they don’t block the view, so your patio still feels like a patio.
More comfort, more cocktails
When people are cozy, they linger. It’s simple. If a guest is freezing, they’ll rush through their meal just to get back to their car. But if they’re warm? They’ll order another round of drinks or a dessert they weren’t planning on. Plus, you stop wasting money trying to heat the night sky. You’re putting the energy exactly where it belongs: on the people paying you.
A few things to keep in mind
Now, you can’t just plug these into a standard wall outlet and call it a day. These systems pull a lot of power. If your electrical panel isn’t ready for it, you’re going to be tripping breakers all night. You’ll want a pro to make sure your wiring can handle the load. Then there’s the “hot spot” problem. If you hang a heater too low, the person sitting directly under it will be sweating while the person across the table is still wearing their coat. We handle this by staggering the layout. By spacing them out just right, you get a nice, even blanket of warmth across the whole dining area. It keeps the guests happy and keeps your electric bill from spiking.