Winter doesn’t have to shut down your patio. The first cold snap in an open-air restaurant can kill tables, bog down service, and leave staff twiddling their thumbs. The temperature is part of it, sure, but the real problem is the revenue you lose and the hit to morale. An electric Salamander heater, built for commercial outdoor heating, flips that script by putting immediate, focused warmth where you need it.
What matters under the hood
The Salamander runs on short-wave infrared, so it sends heat straight to people and surfaces instead of trying to warm the air. You feel it within seconds, even when the wind is cutting. Inside, you get a tough quartz tube that handles repeated on/off cycles, and a carbon fiber element that comes up fast and holds steady. It’s designed for 240V commercial circuits, so it delivers consistent output without tripping standard outlets. Safety is baked in with tip-over protection and a sealed housing rated for outdoor use, keeping the heat directed where you want it.
Why this works for outdoor dining
Comfort is capacity. With a Salamander heater installed, guests sit longer, order more, and keep coming back. Because infrared warmth hits the tables directly, you don’t have to overheat the whole space, which keeps energy use in line. Turnover improves, too—people aren’t waiting for the air to warm up; they’re warm the second they sit down. That translates into better evening cover counts, faster table turns, and winter revenue that doesn’t disappear when the mercury drops.
The practical details
Plan on a dedicated 240V outlet and keep a clear clearance zone around the heater to meet local codes. Infrared is directional, so positioning matters—aim the beam to cover seating areas, not walkways. The unit can handle heavy rain, but when it’s not in use, throw a cover on it. That keeps the quartz tube clean and stretches the time between service calls.