Restaurant Remodeling That Plans the Kitchen Exhaust First
A restaurant remodel answers to more inspectors than almost any other commercial job, and the kitchen is where schedules slip. We plan the hood, the fire suppression, the grease interceptor and the health department review first, then build the dining room you actually wanted to talk about.
Veteran BuiltCypress, Texas
Restaurants are two jobs under one roof. The dining room is finishes, lighting, seating layout, the bar and the restrooms, and it is where guests judge the place. The kitchen is equipment, ventilation, plumbing and fire protection, and it is where the inspectors spend their time. Cooking equipment that throws off grease-laden vapor sits under a commercial hood with a fire suppression system, the hood needs makeup air so the room does not pull a vacuum, and the duct runs to the roof with clearances the fire code sets. Those are specialty trades, and we coordinate the hood installer, the suppression company and the mechanical contractor so their work and inspections line up.
Grease goes underground. Sinks and equipment that discharge grease drain to a grease trap or a larger grease interceptor, sized for the kitchen and placed where the pumping truck can reach it. In an existing building that often means cutting the slab, and in Houston clay the trench has to be backfilled and compacted properly or the floor above it settles. Floor sinks, hand sinks close to every prep station, a mop sink and a three-compartment sink for washing are pieces the health department looks for on the plans.
The paperwork runs in a set order. Food service plans usually go through a health department plan review on top of the building permit, and the fire marshal reviews the hood suppression plus the dining room’s occupant load and exits. Kitchen finishes have to be smooth and cleanable. After final inspections, the health department inspects before you can serve. If you are remodeling a working restaurant, we phase the dining room around service and save kitchen work for a planned closure.
Every commercial job has more people at the table than a house does: an owner or landlord, a tenant, inspectors and sometimes a health department. We keep one schedule, one point of contact, and work hours that suit the business, not ours.
If you are opening in a space that has never been a restaurant, the grease, hood and ventilation work may amount to a full build-out, and you should know that before signing the lease.
When restaurant remodeling makes sense
The honest version, including the cases where you should spend the money somewhere else.
- You are taking over a second-generation restaurant space and need the kitchen, hood and dining room reworked for your menu.
- Your dining room needs a new layout, bar or restrooms, and you want the work phased around service.
- Your menu is changing in a way that adds fryers or grills, which means the hood and suppression have to change with it.
And when it does not
- If the hood is in good shape and only needs cleaning or a suppression recharge, call a hood cleaning company or the suppression vendor directly.
- If the health department has written you up for one specific item, fix that item quickly with the right trade and save the remodel for a planned time.
How we run it
- I
Menu and equipment list
Your menu drives the equipment list, and the equipment list drives the hood, gas, electrical, plumbing and grease plan.
- II
Plans and reviews
Building permit drawings, the health department plan review and the hood and suppression submittals are prepared and submitted together.
- III
Kitchen rough-in
Slab work for grease and floor drains, gas and electrical, the hood, duct and makeup air are installed and inspected before finishes go on.
- IV
Finish, inspect, open
Cleanable finishes, equipment hookup, the suppression test, final inspections and the health inspection come last, in that order.
What we ask before we price it
- What is the occupancy: office, retail, food service, medical or residential?
- Are there drawings, or do we need a designer or engineer involved?
- Which inspections apply, and who has the permit history?
- How should we coordinate with your other vendors?
- Are there tenants or customers who must not lose access?
Do I need a new hood for my restaurant remodel?
Only if your cooking line is changing or the existing hood does not fit the equipment or the code. If the line stays the same and the hood is sound, it may only need cleaning, a suppression inspection and a balance check on the makeup air.
What is the difference between a grease trap and a grease interceptor?
A grease trap is a smaller unit, often under or near a sink. An interceptor is a larger tank, usually in the ground outside or under the slab, sized for a busier kitchen. Local rules and your kitchen’s volume decide which one you need.
Does a restaurant remodel need health department approval?
Usually, yes. Food service plans typically go through the health department before work starts, and the health department inspects before you open or reopen. Your city’s or county’s health office sets the exact process.
Can you remodel the dining room while we stay open?
Often, by closing sections in turn and working between services or overnight. Kitchen work that touches the hood, the gas or the grease lines usually needs a planned closure.
Who installs the hood and fire suppression?
Specialty contractors who do that work every day. We coordinate their schedule, the roof penetration and the inspections, so the hood is in, tested and signed off before kitchen finishes go in around it.
What kitchen finishes pass a health inspection?
Smooth, durable, nonabsorbent surfaces that clean easily: sealed or tiled floors with a coved base, washable wall panels in prep and dish areas, and ceiling tiles made for food service. We choose finishes with that inspection in mind from the start.
Who you are hiring
Google reviewers have given us 5.0 across 19 reviews, and the word that keeps coming up is honest. We would rather talk you out of a job than sell you one you do not need.
Military families and first responders take 10% off, and financing is available through Acorn Finance with a no-obligation prequalification. Ask about either when you call.
Leland Cannon spent 21 years in the Army and retired as a First Sergeant. Geoff Schardien served in Air Force Security Forces and has more than twenty years in residential construction. One of them walks every job before it starts, and you keep one phone number from the first visit to the last day.