Building a new restaurant is one of the most exciting and challenging ventures in the construction world. It’s a project that is part standard commercial build, part industrial kitchen, and part high-end interior design. Unlike a simple retail space, a restaurant is a complex, high-tech, and heavily regulated environment where every single detail matters. For a general contractor, a successful restaurant project is a masterclass in coordination and project management.
Your success is completely dependent on the quality and the expertise of the team you assemble. The single most important job is to find a subcontractor for each specific and specialized part of the build. The team you need for a restaurant goes far beyond the standard trades. It requires a host of specialists who understand the unique demands of a commercial kitchen and a high-traffic dining room.
To help you build your all-star team, here is a guide to the key types of subcontractors you will need for a restaurant project.
The Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Team
These are the big three trades that form the foundational systems of your restaurant. While they are a part of any construction project, their work in a restaurant is far more complex than in a standard office or retail space.
- The Plumber: A restaurant plumber is a specialist. They will be installing heavy-duty, commercial-grade fixtures and, most importantly, the complex drainage system for the kitchen, which must include a grease trap to prevent clogs in the main sewer line.
- The Electrician: A commercial kitchen is an incredibly power-hungry environment. Your electrician will need to run numerous high-voltage, dedicated circuits for the ovens, the walk-in coolers, the dish machine, and all the other pieces of heavy equipment.
- The HVAC Contractor: The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in a restaurant is a delicate balancing act. It requires a powerful kitchen exhaust hood system to remove the heat and smoke from the cookline, and a separate system to replace that exhausted air and to keep the dining room comfortable and smoke-free.
The Commercial Kitchen Specialists
This is where a restaurant build-out becomes truly unique. The back of house is an industrial workspace that requires a specific set of expert subcontractors.
- The Kitchen Equipment Supplier: This is a crucial partner who will supply and install all the commercial-grade cooking equipment, from the range and the fryers to the walk-in cooler and the ice machine.
- The Fire Suppression Contractor: This is a non-negotiable for safety and for legal compliance. A specialized contractor must install an automated fire suppression system (like an Ansul system) directly into the kitchen exhaust hood.
- The Stainless Steel Fabricator: A commercial kitchen requires a huge amount of custom stainless steel for its work surfaces, its wall coverings, and its shelving to meet health code requirements. A local fabricator can build these custom pieces to perfectly fit your kitchen’s layout.
The Finishing Trades for the Front of House
These are the craftspeople who will bring your restaurant’s aesthetic vision to life and create a welcoming environment for your guests.
- The Flooring Contractor: You will need two different types of specialists here. The kitchen requires a highly durable, non-slip, and easy-to-clean commercial flooring, like quarry tile or a poured epoxy. The dining room flooring needs to be both beautiful and incredibly durable to stand up to heavy foot traffic.
- The Millwork and Cabinetry Subcontractor: This is the artisan who will build the custom centerpiece of your dining room: the bar. They will also build the host stand, any built-in banquette seating, and the service stations.
- The Painter: A great paint job is the final touch that ties the entire design together.
Building a new restaurant is a complex symphony of specialized trades. The success of the project is completely dependent on the general contractor’s ability to find, to schedule, and to coordinate this diverse team of experts.