Not A Fan

Things I’ve learnt over the past month: nobody wants to drink their matcha latte in anything less than an ideal ambient climate in Melbourne. As a cafe owner, that’s important information to be privy to, and I wish I’d known it before thinking I could get away with a busted air con system. It’s just lucky that Michelle had those fans from the studio; otherwise we’d have been completely destroyed by the heatwave – both as a business and as people using ovens.

The fact is that, compared to air conditioning, even semi-industrial fans don’t do that much. They create a vague mirage that you’re somewhere more temperate – breezy and balmy, as opposed to disgustingly humid – whereas a good air con will actually transport you there. This is obvious to me now, but it’s something no one thinks to tell you about heating and cooling systems. Melbourne summers and winters are intense, and if you want to cut through them, you’re going to need the right equipment for the job. That goes double if you’re in hospitality, it seems.

Now that the heat wave seems to have passed, I’m weighing up if I should prioritise heating repairs. Across Melbourne, cafe owners are waiting for winter to rear its chilly head so they can cash in on creating a warm, inviting environment for passers-by to cosy up in. I’m keen to avoid missing that boat, and if our heating pulls the same trick as the air conditioning, we’re definitely not going to make it on board.

Then again, the air conditioning is clearly in dire need of fixing, while last I checked the heating was holding up. Maybe that means the air con should be the priority, even if the better part of the hot season is behind us. Besides, there could be another heat wave, and if that happens I’ll feel like a fool for putting the heating first.