Mini Splits for NYC Restaurants

The Restaurant HVAC Challenge

Restaurants are the hardest commercial spaces to cool properly. You have a kitchen generating massive heat loads, a dining room full of people, front door constantly opening, and cooking equipment that pushes interior temperatures well above standard commercial loads. Standard HVAC sizing formulas don't work — restaurant HVAC needs to be designed around the actual heat output of the kitchen and the seating density of the dining room.

Mini splits are the system of choice for most NYC restaurants because they solve several problems at once: no ductwork required (critical in older NYC spaces), zone control between kitchen-adjacent and dining areas, and individual temperature management for different seating zones.

Zone Design for Restaurants

A well-designed restaurant mini split system typically includes separate zones for:

• Main dining room — ceiling cassettes (4-way) provide the most even distribution and are the standard for restaurant dining areas. They sit flush in the drop ceiling with only the grille visible.
• Bar area — separate zone from the dining room. Bars run hotter due to close seating, equipment heat, and body density.
• Private dining / back room — independent zone for events and private parties with variable occupancy.
• Kitchen perimeter — supplemental cooling at the kitchen-dining room boundary. This isn't a substitute for proper exhaust — it's supplemental comfort cooling to keep heat from migrating into the dining room.
• Entryway / waiting area — front-of-house comfort that handles the constant door traffic and outdoor air infiltration.

Restaurant Pricing

Restaurant Size	Typical System	Installed Cost
Small café / fast casual (500–1,000 SF)	2–3 zone, wall mount + cassette	$8,000 – $14,000
Mid-size restaurant (1,000–2,000 SF)	3–5 zone, ceiling cassettes	$14,000 – $25,000
Large restaurant / bar (2,000–3,500 SF)	5–8 zone, cassettes + concealed	$22,000 – $40,000
Multi-floor / 3,500+ SF	VRF City Multi system	$35,000 – $75,000+

Restaurant installations cost more per square foot than office installations because of higher cooling loads, more complex zone layouts, and the need to coordinate with kitchen exhaust systems. See our full Mini Split Cost Guide for comparison pricing.

Why Ceiling Cassettes Dominate Restaurant Installations

Four-way ceiling cassettes are by far the most popular indoor unit type for NYC restaurants, and for good reason:

• Even air distribution — four-direction airflow eliminates hot and cold spots across the dining room. Guests at every table get consistent comfort.
• Near-invisible — only the white grille is visible from below. No wall-mounted equipment competing with your interior design.
• Handles high ceilings — many NYC restaurant spaces have 12–14 foot ceilings. Ceiling cassettes push conditioned air down effectively from height.
• Easy to clean — filters are accessible from below. Important in restaurant environments where grease and cooking particles are in the air.

If your space doesn't have a drop ceiling, we can build a soffit to house a slim duct (concealed) unit — completely hidden with only small supply registers visible.

Kitchen Heat Management

An active restaurant kitchen can generate 50,000–150,000+ BTU/hr of heat from cooking equipment, ovens, fryers, and dishwashers. This heat migrates into the dining room and overwhelms standard HVAC sizing.

Our approach for restaurant HVAC:

• Exhaust and makeup air first — the kitchen exhaust hood and makeup air system are the primary heat removal tools. These are code-required and must be properly sized to the cooking equipment.
• Air curtain at the kitchen pass — an air curtain or strategic mini split placement at the kitchen-dining room boundary helps contain kitchen heat.
• Oversized dining room cooling — we size dining room mini splits 15–25% above standard commercial loads to account for kitchen heat migration, high occupancy, and frequent door openings.
• Separate kitchen zone — if the kitchen is enclosed, a dedicated mini split zone with higher capacity handles the additional load independently.

NYC Restaurant HVAC Requirements

• DOB permits — commercial HVAC installations in NYC require DOB permits depending on scope. We handle all permitting.
• Health Department compliance — proper ventilation is a DOH inspection item. Your HVAC and exhaust system must meet code for temperature control and air quality.
• Noise ordinances — outdoor condensers must meet NYC noise code limits, particularly important for rooftop and sidewalk-level installations near residential buildings.
• Landmark districts — SoHo, Tribeca, and other landmarked areas have restrictions on exterior equipment placement. We coordinate with the Landmarks Preservation Commission when required.