Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in North Corniche
On North Corniche, Jeddah's upmarket restaurants and cafés balance sea views with open kitchens, so they need precise control between fume extraction and cool, fresh air for diners. Alrabih designs HVAC systems that balance air pressure between kitchen and dining room to keep cooking odours and cold draughts away from your guests.
- Pressure balance
- Make-up air
- Coil protection
Clients We're Proud to Serve
Organisations and companies that trusted Alrabih with their projects.
When your restaurant needs a specialist
- 1
Kitchen smells reaching diners
When the extract hood pulls out more air than is replaced, the kitchen goes negative and draws air from the dining room, bringing smells with it. The answer is calculating the volumes and delivering make-up air close to the hood.
- 2
Dining room stays warm despite the AC
A full dining room in Jeddah's humid summer raises heat and moisture load noticeably. Design must account for peak occupancy, and the right diffuser layout achieves even cooling across tables, not cold near the duct and warm in the corners.
- 3
Repeated breakdowns in kitchen AC units
Grease vapour from the burners settles on evaporator coils and blocks airflow, raising pressure and stressing the compressor. Placing the unit away from grease currents and scheduling coil cleaning reduces this damage significantly.
Who it's for
Opening a new restaurant that needs a full HVAC system
We design the cooling and make-up air system from scratch to match your kitchen and dining layout before you open.
Ask on WhatsAppYour restaurant is running but smells are reaching the tables
We survey the existing system, measure pressure between kitchen and dining, then correct the fault by adding make-up air or adjusting the air balance.
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What the work covers
- Kitchen and dining pressure survey
- Make-up air for hood
- Diffuser layout for dining
- Ductwork to SMACNA standards
- Air balance commissioning
How we work
How we work
- 1
Site and kitchen survey
We visit, measure the spaces, review the existing extract hood and burner positions, and find where negative pressure is occurring before any design work.
- 2
Design and equipment selection
We design the make-up air and cooling systems together, and select units from Carrier, YORK, General, Midea, Gree or Smart Gold to suit the space and the load.
- 3
Duct fabrication and installation
We fabricate ducts in our workshop from G90 galvanised sheet to precise sizes, install the units, and run Mueller copper in runs of up to 30 metres without welded joints, insulated with Armaflex.
- 4
Balancing and handover
We run the system and adjust dampers until the kitchen sits at slight negative and the dining room at slight positive, confirming that doors open easily and no kitchen smell crosses to the guests.
Integrated design or separate units with no balance?
| Alrabih | The usual way | |
|---|---|---|
| Make-up air | Calculated and delivered to the hood | Usually not addressed |
| Dining pressure | Slight positive, no smell transfer | Negative, pulls kitchen air in |
| Coil protection | Unit placed away from grease | Repeated breakdowns |
| Cooling spread | Diffusers sized for full occupancy | Uneven, warm corners |
| Kitchen ductwork | Fabricated in-house from G90 sheet | Off-the-shelf sizes, poor fit |
Everything your AC needs, from one team
From system design and duct fabrication to installation, commissioning and maintenance.
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Some of our work
Ductwork, rooftop units and diffusers, from work we've completed in Jeddah.
Customer reviews
What our customers say
- Muhammadramzan 2641
“MashaaAllah. Services are so good. Behaviour and kindness 100/100. Prices are less then Market. Fully recommended”
- shahzeb armani
“Wow. Prices are so comfortable. Outstanding services. People are so talented and nice”
- Tawfik AlyawerLocal Guide
“U can find all u need for air conditioning”
Your satisfaction matters to us! If you had a great experience with us, we'd love a 5-star rating and a kind review.
Worked with us? Leave a reviewService areas
We come to you anywhere in Jeddah
From Al Shiraa and Al Yaqout in the north to Al Thaghr and Al Quraiyat in the south, with our base in Al Aziziyah.
What sets this district apart
North Corniche restaurants are mostly modern and open-plan, with visible or semi-open kitchens overlooking the dining room or outdoor terrace. Central air conditioning is standard here, but the hood's strong extraction of steam and oils from the kitchen creates a void that pulls cold air from the guests or pushes cooking smells towards them. Balancing air pressure and supplying make-up air to the hood, plus protecting AC coils from oil spray, is what transforms a diner's comfort.
North Corniche is a modern coastal strip of upmarket restaurants and cafés with open architectural designs and sea views.
Most restaurants here run central ducted systems covering both dining and kitchen, with a separate hood extract system for steam and fumes.
The AC setup in North Corniche
- 1
Central ducted system for the dining hall
The main system covers the dining hall and public areas with even distribution, ensuring guest comfort throughout.
- 2
Separate hood extract with dedicated make-up air supply to kitchen
The hood extracts steam and oils with force, and the make-up air prevents negative pressure that would affect diners.
- 3
Heavy-duty grease filters and protected coils
The system layout shields coils from oil spray and uses easily cleanable filters rated for heavy kitchen use.
Before the visit
Before our visit in North Corniche
- 1
Share the restaurant and kitchen layout
We need a rough sketch showing kitchen location, hood position and planned duct routes to understand spatial constraints.
- 2
Identify outdoor unit location and roof access
Sea-front restaurants often have limited roof and façade space. Ensure there is safe placement above direct sun and salt spray exposure where possible.
- 3
Coordinate with management on installation timing
Installation requires power cuts and construction equipment on-site. Agree on timing that suits closure or slow periods.
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FAQ
Questions about Restaurant & cafe HVAC
What is the difference between make-up air and kitchen air conditioning?
Make-up air replaces the volume the hood extracts, its purpose is pressure balance not necessarily cooling. Kitchen air conditioning tackles burner heat and lowers temperature for the staff. Both may be needed, and the site survey determines which your kitchen requires.
Do outdoor seating areas need a different approach in Jeddah?
Yes. In Jeddah's heat and humidity, fans alone are not enough during peak months. The right option depends on whether the space has an open roof or a partial enclosure and how large the area is. We assess the spot and propose suitable units after the survey.
How are AC coils protected from kitchen grease?
The first step is design: we position kitchen units in airflow paths away from the grease rising off the burners. In preventive maintenance contracts we schedule pressure coil cleaning before build-up raises stress on the compressor, because early cleaning is simpler and less costly than a repair.
Can existing ductwork in an operating restaurant be repaired or does it need replacing?
The decision follows a duct inspection: we look for air leaks, grease build-up inside, and sheet corrosion from Jeddah's salty air. If the structure is sound we seal joints with Foster sealants and re-insulate with Kimmco. If not, we fabricate new sections in our workshop and replace the damaged runs.
Does a packed dining room during peak season affect how the AC performs?
Yes, every person in the room adds heat and moisture, and this is significant in Jeddah's summer. Design therefore accounts for full occupancy load, not average attendance, and diffusers are positioned to deliver even cooling across all tables. The exact layout is confirmed after the site survey.
The open kitchen sends cooking smells towards the guests, how do you stop that?
We increase the cool air supply to the dining room and pull from the kitchen in balance, so air pressure in the dining room stays positive and cooking odours are drawn toward the hood, not the diners.
The sea-facing façades and all-day sun exposure, does that increase AC load?
Yes, solar radiation and reflection from the sea significantly raise the cooling load, so we account for that high thermal burden when sizing the system and capacity.
Kitchen oil spray damages AC coils, how do you protect them?
We install professional filters in the airway away from the kitchen, and schedule regular coil cleaning to remove accumulated oils.
Can outdoor units be placed on sea-facing facades without rapid corrosion?
Sea air does cause corrosion, but corrosion-resistant metals and regular maintenance extend life. We assess the installation site on the façade or roof before we fit it.
