In hospitality, refrigeration doesn’t get an easy day. Doors open every few seconds during service, kitchens run hot, bars are packed in tight with nowhere for heat to go — and when something fails on a Friday, the whole menu is on the line. LJ Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning installs, repairs and services refrigeration for cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs and hotels across Adelaide and surrounds.
Local, licensed technicians based in Angle Vale. We know your trading hours matter, and we’ll work with you on timing.
Kitchen or bar fridge down? Call 1300 553 744.
Why hospitality refrigeration works harder
Hospitality equipment fails for a few predictable reasons:
- Door traffic — a kitchen fridge or cool room opened hundreds of times a shift is constantly fighting warm air
- Heat load — under-bench fridges sit next to grills, fryers and ovens; bar fridges are boxed in under counters
- Grease and lint — condenser coils in kitchens clog quickly, and a clogged condenser makes the system work much harder
- Service peaks — equipment that copes on a quiet Tuesday can struggle on a 40-degree Saturday with a full house
- Warm deliveries loaded straight into a cool room
Knowing this, we size new equipment for how your venue actually runs — and when we’re fixing something, we look at why it failed, not just what broke.
What we do for hospitality venues
Installation
New venue, kitchen refit, or adding capacity? We work out what you need — cool room, freezer room, under-bench and upright units, bar refrigeration — and supply, install and commission it. For cool rooms and freezer rooms, we design and build the complete room as well as the refrigeration. We look at plant location, airflow and access so your equipment isn’t cooking itself in a hot corner.
Repairs
Fault-finding and proper repairs on kitchen and bar refrigeration. We carry common parts and aim to fix most faults on the first visit. You’ll know the cost before we start. See commercial fridge repair.
Servicing and maintenance
Regular servicing is the single best thing a busy kitchen can do to avoid breakdowns. Cleaning condensers, checking refrigerant, fans, seals, drains and controllers — and catching worn parts before they fail mid-service. See refrigeration maintenance contracts.
Typical hospitality refrigeration we work on
- Kitchen cool rooms and freezer rooms
- Under-bench fridges and freezers
- Upright single and double-door fridges and freezers
- Refrigerated prep tables and pizza/salad prep units
- Bar fridges and bottle coolers
- Glass-door display fridges for drinks and cabinet food
- Back-of-house cool rooms for kegs and beverages
- Cellar cooling
- Ice machines
- Blast chillers
Plenty of venues also need their air conditioning looked after — we do that too. See commercial air conditioning & refrigeration.
Keeping disruption to trading down
We can’t promise a breakdown will never happen during service, but we can help reduce the chances and the impact:
- Book servicing in your quiet times. Tell us when your slow periods are — mornings before service, early in the week — and we’ll do our best to book around them within our hours (Mon–Fri, 7am–6pm).
- Service before the busy season. Getting equipment checked before summer, Christmas and the major events calendar is far better than finding out mid-rush.
- Keep a simple temperature log. Drifting temperatures are an early warning. If a unit is creeping up, call us before it fails.
- Keep condensers clear. Don’t stack boxes in front of them, and have them cleaned regularly.
- Have a plan B. Know which stock you’d move where if a unit goes down.
If something does fail, see urgent commercial refrigeration repair — we’ll give you a realistic timeframe when you call.
See all our commercial refrigeration services in Adelaide.
Frequently asked questions
Can you service our kitchen equipment outside of service times?
We’ll work with you to book servicing during your quieter periods within our hours, Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm. Tell us your trading pattern and we’ll do our best to fit around it.
How often should a restaurant or café have its refrigeration serviced?
It depends on how hard your equipment works. Busy kitchens with grease and heat often benefit from more frequent servicing than a quiet storeroom. We’ll recommend a schedule based on your equipment and how it’s used.
Our bar fridges keep struggling in summer — why?
Bar fridges are often installed under counters with very little airflow, so heat builds up around the condenser. Dirty condensers, worn seals and constant door opening make it worse. We can check the units and the installation, and recommend fixes for ventilation or equipment.
Do you build cool rooms for new restaurants and cafés?
Yes. We design, supply and build complete cool rooms and freezer rooms (the panel room and the refrigeration) for new venues and refits, sized for your menu, storage and door traffic. New installs come with a free, no-obligation quote.
Can you look after our air conditioning as well?
Yes. We install, repair and service commercial air conditioning as well as refrigeration, so one team can look after both.
Talk to us about your venue
Whether it’s a single bar fridge or a full kitchen fit-out, we’ll give you straight advice and a clear price.
Call 1300 553 744 (Mon–Fri 7am–6pm) · Email info@ljrefrig.com.au · Contact us or request a quote