Utility Requirements for Restaurant Spaces

Why utilities decide whether a space works

A restaurant is one of the most utility-intensive uses in commercial real estate. Spaces that look move-in ready fail on capacity: not enough electrical service for the kitchen, a gas line too small for the range lineup, no grease infrastructure, or HVAC that can't handle a dining room at capacity. Utility gaps are among the most expensive and slowest problems to fix — which is why they should be verified before the lease is signed, not discovered in design.

Electrical service

Most full-service restaurants need 400–800 amps of three-phase power; heavy electric-cooking concepts and all-electric kitchens can need more. Verify the existing service size on the panel and with the utility, not from the listing. A service upgrade involves the utility company, can cost $25,000–$150,000+, and can take three to nine months — often the longest lead item in the whole project.

• Confirm amperage, voltage, and phase at the meter and main panel
• Ask the utility for available capacity at the site, in writing
• All-electric concepts: check local electrification incentives and transformer capacity early

Natural gas

Gas capacity is measured in line size and pressure, not just the presence of a meter. A cooking line with a range, fryers, and a charbroiler can require a 2" line or larger. Also confirm local policy: a growing number of jurisdictions restrict new gas connections in new construction, which affects shell spaces and major renovations.

Water and sewer

Kitchens need adequate domestic water sizing, hot water capacity (often a dedicated high-recovery heater), and — critically — sewer access with grease handling. Some municipalities charge substantial sewer capacity or connection fees when a use intensifies from retail to restaurant; these fees can reach tens of thousands of dollars and surprise operators late in permitting.

Grease interceptor

Nearly every jurisdiction requires grease interception for commercial cooking. If the space has an existing interceptor, verify its size against your fixture count and local code, and its maintenance history. If it has none, installation is a major scope item: an in-ground exterior interceptor can require excavation, and interior hydromechanical units have capacity limits. This single item regularly runs $20,000–$75,000+.

Kitchen exhaust and make-up air

Cooking equipment determines hood type (Type I for grease-producing equipment, Type II for heat/steam only), and the hood determines the exhaust duct route to the roof or exterior. In multi-story buildings, historic districts, and spaces without roof rights, the duct route can be the deal-breaker. Make-up air — replacing what the hood exhausts — needs its own unit, gas or electric, and roof or exterior space.

• Confirm a viable vertical duct path and roof rights in the lease
• Check structural capacity for rooftop units
• In mixed-use buildings, review odor and noise provisions early

HVAC

Dining rooms need roughly one ton of cooling per 100–250 SF depending on climate, glazing, and occupancy — far more than typical retail. Verify existing tonnage, the age and condition of units, and who owns maintenance and replacement under the lease. An undersized or end-of-life HVAC package is a five-figure surprise that lands in year one or two.

Fire protection and life safety

Confirm whether the building is sprinklered and whether your buildout triggers sprinkler installation or modification. The hood requires its own suppression system. Occupancy load, exits, and alarm requirements scale with your seat count — and can cap it.

How to verify before signing

• Request as-builts, prior permits, and utility bills from the landlord
• Walk the space with a contractor or MEP engineer before lease signature — a two-hour walk can save six figures
• Get utility capacity confirmations in writing from each provider
• Put every landlord representation about utilities into the lease as a delivery condition

The pattern to avoid

The expensive pattern is consistent: sign based on the listing, design the dream kitchen, then discover in permitting that the power, gas, grease, or venting can't support it. Verifying utilities is unglamorous diligence, but it is the single highest-leverage step in restaurant site selection.

This guide is preliminary educational guidance only. It does not replace project-specific architectural, engineering, legal, code, environmental, or contractor due diligence for your particular space and jurisdiction.