Cafés & coffee shops
Built around the bar, priced around the services.
A café lives or dies at the counter — workflow, queue, millwork and equipment placement decide daily throughput. Behind the counter, water quality, drainage and electrical capacity decide the budget. We plan both together.
- $120–$275
- per sq ft, typical construction
- 6–10 weeks
- typical construction
- 800–1,800
- sq ft, common unit size
- 10–14 weeks
- lease to opening, typical
Hard construction cost, 2025–2026 GTA benchmarks, ±30% until a site review. Permit timing and approvals remain subject to municipal review.
What we deliver
One scope, from drawings to opening.
- 01
Counter and workflow design
Order, pay, pickup and dwell zones planned with your equipment list — espresso machine, grinders, brewers, refrigeration — so baristas are not crossing paths at peak.
- 02
Millwork and finishes
Counter, back bar, shelving and seating millwork detailed for shop-drawing approval, with durable finishes where cups, milk and traffic actually land.
- 03
Services behind the wall
Dedicated circuits for the espresso machine, filtered water lines, floor drains and hand sinks, and drainage for equipment — roughed in exactly where the equipment manual asks.
- 04
Permits and inspections
Permit drawings and municipal submission, health-unit food-premise review, ESA electrical inspection, and landlord approvals handled as one process.
Approvals & compliance
Requirements handled inside the schedule, not after it.
Cafés carry lighter requirements than full kitchens — but not zero:
Building permit
Interior alterations and millwork usually need a permit; a change of use may apply if the unit was not previously food service. Occupant load determines washroom requirements.
Ventilation
Espresso and warming equipment typically avoid a Type I hood, but on-site baking or cooking triggers one — this single decision can move the budget by $40,000 or more, so we settle it in design.
Health unit
Food-premise review of hand sinks, mop sink, surface finishes and refrigeration, with an inspection before opening.
Water and drainage
Espresso equipment needs filtered supply and drainage; municipalities may require an interceptor where food preparation increases grease load.
Electrical (ESA)
A three-group espresso machine alone can draw a 40–60A circuit; total equipment load is checked against the unit's service early, because an upgrade needs landlord and utility lead time.
Patio and signage
Sidewalk patios and projecting signs run on separate municipal approvals with their own timelines — started early so they land with opening, not after.
Professional design and engineering services are provided through qualified consultants where required. Specialized connections and regulated work are completed by qualified trades and suppliers as required.
Questions
Straight answers on cafés & coffee shops.
- What does a café fit-out cost in the GTA?
- Typically $120 to $275 per sq ft of hard construction in 2025–2026 conditions. A 1,200 sq ft second-generation space commonly lands between $115,000 and $265,000 before equipment, furniture and signage. Cold-shell units and on-site baking push toward and past the top of the range.
- How fast can a café open?
- Construction is typically 6 to 10 weeks. With permit review, millwork fabrication and equipment lead times, plan 10 to 14 weeks from lease to opening in most GTA municipalities.
- Do I need a kitchen hood for a café?
- Not for espresso, panini warming or reheating in most cases. Baking, frying or cooking on site generally requires a Type I hood with make-up air, which adds cost and schedule. We confirm the requirement against your menu during design, before it can surprise the budget.
- Can you work with my espresso equipment supplier?
- Yes — we build from the equipment templates and utility specifications, rough in water, drains and power to them, and sequence delivery and installation with the millwork so the counter comes together once, not twice.
Planning numbers in more depth: the full cost guide or a quick range from the budget estimator.
Discuss your project
Tell us about the project.
Five short steps. We reply with a real next step — usually a call, then a site walk.