With Focal, each diner can adjust his or her heat setting through an intuitive digital control. A central dashboard with real-time visibility allows restaurant employees to manage the entire system. 

“By embedding purpose-built robotics directly into climate infrastructure, we’re delivering a first-of-its-kind platform for personal comfort while setting a new standard for energy efficiency,” said Rohan Pandya, a co-founder of Focal. “Every individual now has control over their own comfort.” 

The company said the system can cut energy consumption by up to 80% and reduce installation costs by up to 75%, plus free up outdoor dining space and save staffers from the labor involved in using other systems. The system uses standard 120V power and is certified to meet UL standards; there are no open flames, gas lines, or 240V electrical lines involved. 

The Focal system is being used in restaurants in the San Francisco area. 

“Focal made our outdoor space work the way we always wanted it to,” said Eli Palmer, managing partner at The Anchovy Bar in San Francisco. “Our patio now feels like a true extension of the main dining room, allowing us to seat more guests and make the most of our space.” 

“Outdoor heating used to be something we tolerated,” said Keith Cox, CEO at Pacific Catch, also in San Francisco. “With Focal, it’s become an operational advantage.” 

Focal was founded by longtime friends Pandya and Raj Tilwa and has raised $4 million in pre-seed funding from a variety of venture capital firms. The partners plan to scale the company nationally, the press release said, and extend Focal’s autonomous personal comfort platform to other environments, including warehouses, transit shelters, and offices.