A-OK Cafe, Vaughan Distribution Centre
Advanced Ventilation Solutions for Corporate & Institutional Foodservice
Vaughan, Ontario (Canada)
The Vaughan Distribution Centre includes an on-site staff café, A-OK Cafe, serving Aritzia employees. This project required a compact, high-performance foodservice ventilation and make-up air solution that delivers excellent indoor air quality, efficient grease and smoke capture, and reliable conditioned make-up air for a busy staff dining environment.
The café is located inside a high-volume distribution facility where staff dining needs must be met without compromising warehouse HVAC performance or energy efficiency. Space constraints, proximity to office and packing areas, and alternating but intense cooking loads created a need for a targeted ventilation strategy that minimizes ductwork, reduces energy use, and simplifies maintenance.
Meeting the Ventilation Demands of a Corporate & Institutional Kitchen
A-OK Cafe presented three core challenges:
- Effective capture of cooking effluent from a compact kitchen footprint while avoiding over-ventilation of the larger distribution space.
- Energy-efficient operation to limit heating and cooling penalties associated with traditional constant-volume exhaust and make-up air systems.
- Operational reliability and maintainability in a staff-focused environment where downtime and frequent maintenance are disruptive.
A Customized System for Corporate Kitchen Operations
To meet these challenges, Halton provided an integrated solution combining targeted capture technology with demand-based control and conditioned make-up air:
- Capture Jet Hoods, designed to provide effective capture at a lower exhaust airflows.
- Capture Jet WaterWash units where high grease loads required heavier grease removal and easy cleaning.
- Demand Controlled Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV) to modulate exhaust and supply based on actual cooking activity, reducing fan energy and conditioned air loss.
- Direct Gas Make Up Air Units on the mechanical side to supply tempered, combustion-safe replacement air that maintains indoor comfort and reduces heating load.
What This Solution Delivered
- Efficient capture & cleaner air: Capture Jet technology contains smoke and grease at the source, preventing migration into adjacent warehouse and office areas.
- Lower operating costs: Demand Controlled Kitchen Ventilation reduces exhaust and supply volumes during low‑activity periods, cutting fan energy and conditioned‑air loss.
- Simplified maintenance: WaterWash hoods automate grease removal, reducing manual cleaning and extending equipment life.
- Comfortable, balanced environment: Direct Gas Make Up Air Units deliver tempered replacement air without disrupting the distribution centre’s HVAC balance.
- Compact, reliable system: Modular components fit the café’s footprint and support consistent, low‑disruption operation for Aritzia staff.
The Halton solution for A-OK Cafe at the Vaughan Distribution Centre delivered a focused, energy-conscious approach to foodservice ventilation and make-up air. By combining Capture Jet Hoods, Capture Jet WaterWash with Demand Controlled Kitchen Ventilation, and Direct Gas Make Up Air Units, the project achieved reliable capture performance, lower operating costs, and improved indoor comfort for Aritzia staff.
Project Team
Thank you to the entire project team for your collaboration and expertise in delivering the A-OK Café’s ventilation solution at Vaughan Distribution Centre. Please see the project partners below, with links to learn more about their organizations.
Consultant:
Foundry Commercial Kitchens Inc.
Foodservice Representative
Dynamic HVAC
Mechanical Rep
HTS Engineering
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