Restaurants
From lease to opening, one team owns the schedule.
Restaurant construction fails at the seams — between the designer, the kitchen supplier, the hood installer and the city. Nablus manages design, permits, trades and inspections as one scope, so the opening date has one owner.
- $250–$500
- per sq ft, casual dining construction
- $150–$350
- per sq ft, quick-service
- 8–14 weeks
- typical construction
- 14–18 weeks
- lease to opening, full-service
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
Design and permit drawings
Site measurement, code review for assembly occupancy, kitchen layout coordination with your equipment supplier, and the full permit package with consultant drawings where required.
- 02
Kitchen and ventilation
Type I exhaust hood, make-up air, fire suppression, grease interceptor sizing and routing — the four items that most often move a restaurant budget and schedule.
- 03
Trade management
Demolition, framing, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, refrigeration rough-ins, millwork and finishes under one construction schedule with licensed trades for regulated work.
- 04
Inspections and opening readiness
Building, fire, electrical (ESA), gas (TSSA) and public-health inspections sequenced so equipment can be commissioned and staff can train before opening day.
Approvals & compliance
Requirements handled inside the schedule, not after it.
What a GTA restaurant fit-out has to clear before it opens:
Building permit
Interior alterations and, commonly, a change of use to assembly occupancy — occupant load, exits, and washroom counts are checked against the Ontario Building Code.
Kitchen exhaust (NFPA 96)
Commercial cooking needs a Type I hood, rated duct routing to the roof or an approved wall termination, make-up air, and a fire-suppression system with its own inspection.
Grease interceptor
Municipal sewer-use bylaws require an interceptor sized to the fixture load. In slab-on-grade units, trenching for it is a common surprise cost.
Gas and electrical
TSSA-licensed gas fitting for cooking lines and rooftop units; ESA permits and inspection for the electrical work — service upgrades need landlord and utility coordination.
Public health
The local health unit reviews food-premise layout, finishes, hand sinks and refrigeration, and inspects before you serve the public.
Accessibility (OBC / AODA)
Barrier-free entrance and path of travel, accessible washrooms and counter heights are reviewed at permit — retrofitting later costs more than planning for it.
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 restaurants.
- How long does a restaurant build-out take in the GTA?
- Construction is typically 8 to 14 weeks for a casual-dining space and 6 to 10 for quick-service. Lease to opening is usually 14 to 18 weeks once permits, long-lead equipment and inspections are counted. Heavy-ventilation concepts, such as charcoal or solid-fuel cooking, run longer.
- What does restaurant construction cost per square foot?
- In 2025–2026 GTA conditions: quick-service typically $150 to $350 per sq ft, casual dining $250 to $500, fine dining $350 to $700 — hard construction only, excluding the kitchen equipment package, furniture, signage and fees. A second-generation restaurant space can reduce this meaningfully.
- Is a second-generation restaurant space worth it?
- Usually, yes — an existing hood shaft, grease interceptor and adequate electrical service can save 15 to 25% of construction cost and weeks of schedule. We verify the condition and capacity of each during a site walk before you sign, because a failed interceptor or an undersized service erases the saving.
- Who buys the kitchen equipment?
- You purchase it through your dealer or supplier; we coordinate rough-in locations, utility requirements, clearances and the delivery sequence, and licensed trades complete the connections so equipment passes inspection on schedule.
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.