UV Lights in Restaurants: Are They Effective?

While everyone has been affected by the recent pandemic, the food-service industry is one that has been particularly hard hit. Restaurants across the nation, from quick-service restaurants to local diners, are looking for ways to provide a safer, cleaner environment for staff and diners alike. One solution that is gaining in popularity is UV-C light. If you’ve been hearing about UV-C light, but aren’t sure exactly what it is, or how effective it can be, here’s what you need to know.  

UV-Lights in Restaurants: Are They Effective?

In short, yes. UV-C light is a well-understood and well-studied method of pathogen control that is proven to neutralize pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The technology has been around for centuries, and laboratory studies completed on UV Angel’s patented ultraviolet (UV-C) light technology have shown pathogen elimination rates up to 99.99 percent. 

With any restaurant, the difficulty comes in eliminating the introduction of new pathogens. Unlike a laboratory or a controlled environment, you can’t stop new pathogens from entering your building. Your goal is to accommodate more diners, and that does mean that people will introduce new pathogens continuously into your restaurant. 

Why Source-Level UV Light Technology is An Effective Solution for Restaurants

While no solution can be perfect — you are constantly introducing new pathogens to your restaurant every time a new diner enters or the drive-thru window opens — environmental UV-light treatment systems that control pathogens at the source level can help. Solutions like UV Angel’s Clean Air and Adapt Series work to treat pathogens safely, at their source.

The UV Angel Clean Air Series units, for example, feature a shielded UV-C chamber. The unit actively draws air from your restaurant into the shielded chamber, where it neutralizes pathogens, and then cycles clean air back into your restaurant. This shielded chamber ensures that the Clean Air units are safe for use in occupied spaces, and offers the added benefit of treating the air directly in your restaurant, at the source-level. 

Source-level UV light technology is ideal for restaurants of every kind because it works to neutralize pathogens as close to the source as possible. 

Is UV-Light a Substitute For Regular, Deep Cleaning of my Restaurant?

It’s important to remember that UV lights are just one piece of your restaurant’s environmental treatment procedure. UV lights work in tandem with your regular chemical cleaning and disinfection procedures. Like wearing a mask, wiping down tables with a disinfectant, and regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces like bump bars and credit card readers, UV lights offer another layer of protection and control and go the extra mile in helping reduce the pathogens that exist in your restaurant. 

All of these precautions work together to help reduce the spread of pathogens in your restaurant environment. But, if your goal is to get more people in the door, and create safe opportunities for diners to comfortably and confidently sit down and eat at your restaurant, UV light can help provide that additional layer of control that treats pathogens in your environment at the source-level. 

How Do I Implement UV Light In My Restaurant?

Implementing safe UV light technology in your restaurant is a great and simple way to work towards a cleaner, safer environment for your staff and your diners. But, if you’re new to UV light, it can be difficult to figure out where to start. You might be wondering:

• What kind of UV-light technology do I need?
• Where do I implement it?
• How many surface and air units are sufficient for my restaurant?
• How and where do I install each of those units?
• How do I choose the right technology for me?
• What are the differences?
• Where do I start?
• How do I know it works? 

And, as you may have guessed, the answers to those questions are different for every restaurant, depending on its size, how many customers you see in a day, and so much more. 

If you’re considering implementing UV light in your restaurant, it’s worth talking to a product expert to get tailored, personalized advice. UV Angel works directly with every restaurant owner we partner with to help determine exactly what units are best for you, how many you’ll need, and where to place them. For more information about UV light technology for your restaurant, or to get a personalized quote for your restaurant, get in touch with the UV Angel team today.