Things are heating up for Al Fresco

Jeremy Coulter of Al Fresco Heaters went the franchising route when he decided to start up his business. He explains: “Our heaters are medium wave, whereas the vast majority available in Ireland are short wave.

“It is much more energy efficient in that it heats only solid objects rather than air mass it passes through. It effectively heats the customer, and only the customer — no energy is wasted.”

Jeremy encountered the system during a visit to a restaurant in New Zealand.

“There were a large number of customers dining outdoors on what was a particularly chilly night, and I was stunned by the heat output and resolved to bring that level of comfort to the Northern Hemisphere.”

The heaters emit no harmful ultraviolet rays or emissions, making them ideal for heating large outdoor areas like bars, cafes, hotels and restaurants.

“We negotiated the franchise deal very quickly. We have already sold into the British, Belgium, and the Netherlands,” he said.

“We took the manufacturing rights for all of Europe and we manufacture in Cork.”

He cites Cork Enterprise Board’s support as key to their development.