KFC Maidstone
HVAC System and Commercial Refrigeration
KFC Maidstone opened its doors in December 2018 and Synecore was the mechanical contractor for the KFC franchisee. Synecore designed and installed the restaurant HVAC system and commercial refrigeration, comprising three bespoke coldrooms.
KFC as one of the most established fast food restaurants in the world. It is a particular favourite with us Brits, who spend £2.2 billion on KFC and similar delightful chicken feasts each year.
There are 890 KFC establishments in the UK and Ireland, which employ 24,000 staff. This long-established brand continues to grow in Britain, even in the face of uncertainty caused by Brexit.
Now the global brand has established a new restaurant in the traditional market town of Maidstone in Kent and Synecore played a fundamental role in the design, fit and commissioning of the restaurant HVAC system and commercial refrigeration.
KFC Maidstone Meets Mechanical Contractor, Synecore
This was Synecore’s third mechanical contract with this particular KFC Franchisee that first contacted Synecore in 2018.
Synecore is an established M&E contractor for the hospitality industry and delivers electrical, HVAC and refrigeration contracts for the likes of Pizza Hut, Leon Restaurants, Pizza Express, Comptoir Libanais, Frankie and Benny’s, Pret A Manger, Paul Bakery and various other airside restaurants throughout the UK.
Used to working on a national scale, the KFC Maidstone contract proved somewhat a local project for our team, who are based at Synecore’s head office in the nearby town of Sittingbourne.
The HVAC and Commercial Refrigeration Design and Project Management
KFC Maidstone is one of a handful of cafes and fast food outlets located in The Mall shopping centre in the town. Like many fast food outlets, the KFC restaurant in Maidstone has been designed to include a large commercial kitchen, with adequate storage and a small front-of-house seating area.
Originally the KFC property had been used as a travel agent. Therefore, the power and ventilation requirements were minimal compared to that of a commercial kitchen. To facilitate the change in use, Synecore worked closely with the electrical contractor to ensure the electrical calculations were sufficient to accommodate the new restaurant HVAC system and the coldroom units.
Working in a live shopping centre environment would prove a challenge throughout the KFC Maidstone development. However, Project Manager, Ben Watts proved instrumental in ensuring noise restriction during peak times were adhered to. He also implemented access routes for equipment to the property without infringing on The Mall’s customers.
The Ventilation
The KFC Maidstone restaurant is located on level 2 of 4 levels within The Mall. Therefore, when designing the restaurant HVAC system, Synecore had to consider access to the main extraction outlet and positioning of the new air conditioning digital inverter system at the roof top of The Mall building.
Particular consideration was taken when planning the route of the insulated ventilation ductwork and the air conditioning pipework, which needed to extend to The Mall’s roof top, located two levels up.
In the kitchen area, the ventilation equipment needed to support the kitchen layout and cooking equipment. Therefore, Synecore designed a large extraction canopy for the fryers and grilling stations.
The Air Conditioning System
Synecore installed a Toshiba Light Commercial Split Air Conditioning System to heat and cool the kitchen and front-of-house areas. The digital inverter was located outside on the roof top on The Mall, and a variety of internal wall mounted and ceiling cassette air conditioning units, which were positioned throughout the kitchen and front-of-house areas.
The Toshiba Light Commercial Digital Inverter is ideal for small restaurants that require high power for long pipe runs and are highly energy efficient.
Commercial Fridge and Freezer Design and Installation
Maintaining the correct temperature and storage for food is key in all fast food restaurants. For KFC Maidstone, Synecore installed one commercial freezer and two commercial fridges – one for meat and one for vegetables.
Synecore built the bespoke coldroom units and doors onsite to fit the designated areas within the KFC kitchen. All three coldrooms were fitted J&E Hall equipment – condenser and evaporators. The internal and external walls of the coldroom were fitted with PIR panelling and a PVC finish for optimum hygiene.
