How Much Does It Cost to Build a Commercial Kitchen?

One of the most common questions we hear from clients is: how much does it cost to build a commercial kitchen? It's a fair question — and the honest answer is that it depends. It depends on your menu, your space, your equipment selections, and most importantly, the budget you bring to the conversation. That number shapes everything.

Some clients worry we'll design right up to their ceiling and not a dollar less. Others haven't thought beyond equipment costs. Some just don't know yet. We get it. But sharing your budget with us isn't about giving us a limit to hit — it's about giving us the information we need to actually help you. When we know your number, we can identify which equipment selections are realistic, which options are worth exploring, and where trade-offs need to happen before you've invested time falling in love with a solution that doesn't fit.

Every Menu Item Has a Cost Behind It

Here's something that surprises a lot of clients early in the process: every additional menu item you want to offer requires additional equipment — and additional equipment means additional design complexity and cost. A full breakfast menu needs different equipment than a sandwich concept. A bar program adds another layer. A made-from-scratch kitchen looks very different from a retherm operation.

Your Budget Is Not Just Equipment

This is probably the most important thing to understand before you walk into any design/build conversation: your startup budget is not - and never will be - just the cost of equipment. A realistic project budget includes equipment, freight, installation, specialized labor for items that require certified or manufacturer-specific work, and tax - which is consistently one of the most overlooked line items until the invoice arrives. And beyond the project itself, it's worth thinking ahead to utility costs - gas, electric, and water requirements that new equipment brings - and ongoing labor costs to operate it. The equipment you choose affects both. We factor that into our recommendations so your budget works not just for opening day, but for the long run.

When clients come to us with an equipment-only number in mind, we have to have a candid conversation about the full picture. We'd rather have that conversation on day one than after you've already committed to a scope that doesn't account for everything it takes to open your doors.

Sharing your budget isn't a negotiation - it's a starting point. It helps us design to the right number, make the right equipment recommendations, and build a plan that actually reflects the reality of opening and operating your kitchen. So when we ask what number you want us to design to - we're not asking so we can spend it. We're asking so we can make it count.