Restaurant Renovation Cost | Full Guide for 2024

Restaurant renovation cost is one of the first issues that comes to mind when planning to finally start with the overdue remodeling of your place of business. Remodeling a restaurant is not just a regular job — any restaurant owner and restaurant contractor knows this. Here, it’s not just about replacing the flooring and installing new furniture. Renovating a restaurant goes beyond.

Heavily relying on specific ambiance and themes to create a unique and pleasant dining experience, restaurants need more than just simple upkeep. Establishing a theme, and staying consistent with it, all the while keeping up the appearance, quality, and function may keep restaurant fit out costs per square foot high. However, meticulously planning, having a clear vision of the final result, and splurging on the right things may help you keep your restaurant build out cost under control.

Although restaurant remodeling costs present one of the major challenges when embarking on the project of renovating a restaurant, there are ways to keep it low. Read more to learn about restaurant renovation costs for 2024, what to expect, and how to get the results you want while keeping restaurant design cost low.

Key Factors That Affect Restaurant Renovation Cost

To fully understand how much it cost to renovate a restaurant and what are 2024 restaurant renovation costs, we’ll break down some of the most common expenses. Keep in mind that each of these costs will differ based on the amount of work, material, and your specific needs and preferences. For example, structural changes will cost more than simple strip-outs, just as will special requests when establishing a specific ambiance and theme. You need to have them in mind for any regular, high, and low cost restaurant renovation ideas.

Dive down, explore the key factors that affect the average cost to renovate a restaurant, and learn how to save while getting maximum results.

Restaurant Equipment Cost

Any restaurant needs special equipment like espresso machines, burners, and exhausting systems. Fitting your restaurant with quality equipment that will serve you well for many years to come and won’t cost an arm and leg to maintain, will affect your budget significantly. According to The Restaurant Owner’s survey, the average cost of a 1,000-square-foot restaurant, including a bar and a kitchen with equipment, is about $75,000. However, the cost can vary a lot depending on what kind of equipment you choose.

If you want to save while investing, think about buying already-used equipment from another restaurateur. However, make sure you also invest in a technician who will make sure all is good with the equipment before you actually buy it and install it. Another option is to get new equipment on lease but also pay more along the road.

Whatever way you choose to get equipment for your restaurant, keep in mind that there is another way to save money by using it. For example, Energy Star appliances will save energy up to 70 percent compared to standard equipment. Although you will need to pay more at the start, you will be able to save on bills in the years that will come.

Restaurant Construction and Labor Cost

Choosing the cheapest restaurant contractors may seem like a highly desirable and tempting option but will actually cost you more when all is said and done. Professional and skillful contractors pay for themselves over time, just like quality equipment, and more. Going with cheap labor you risk dangerous structural construction, low-quality materials, and questionable solutions. If your restaurant renovation includes HVAC work, electric, and plumbing work, choosing the cheapest option can be a real danger for your business and can cause you to pay much more along the road than you would if you’d hired professionals.

When choosing a restaurant construction company, we recommend you go with a local business. This will bring down restaurant remodel costs significantly.

When planning the work with your contractor, don’t think only about the bar and kitchen. Bathrooms and floors may also need some attention. Also, think about the restaurant’s accessibility. All businesses are now required to bring accessibility to current standards and make space accessible for people with disabilities. This could mean investing more in building ramps instead of steps and widening doorways. Make sure to discuss this with your contractor and, depending on the amount of work that needs to be done, negotiate the restaurant remodel costs.

We make sure to cover all of these and more. You can check out what kind of work our expert builders and contractors can do for you when it comes to Commercial Interior Construction Services.

Furnishings and Materials Cost

When establishing the right ambiance, theme, and style for your restaurant, furnishings are an important item to think about. Furnishings like tables, chairs, doors, flooring, windows, and lighting fixtures will command the look of your restaurant’s interior. They will establish the ambiance and aesthetics you desire for your restaurant. But they also come with a price that will differ depending on the material you choose. For example, metal or plastic chairs and tables will cost less than chairs and tables made of wood. Epoxy flooring will give an amazing look to your restaurant while cutting down the cost. But the look and feel will differ vastly. The size of your restaurant will also play a certain role here. Big restaurants with more seating will need to spend more on furnishings as they need more chairs and tables.

Regardless of what material you choose, you can still control your restaurant renovation costs by checking out different hardware showrooms and getting the most affordable options like last-season or overstocked discounts. Also, some contractors have their own showrooms and can give you a discount on materials if you buy from them. Another option is to ask your contractor if they have special relationships with some suppliers where they usually shop and get a discount through them.

Utility Work Cost

HVAC, gas, electrical wiring, exhaust, and plumbing are not included in every restaurant renovation but very often are when a total overhaul or space expansion is being done. When utility work is needed, think about safety and quality and hire professionals to do this for you. This may drive the restaurant remodeling costs up but will pay out over time.

Poorly done utility work will have a big impact on overall functionality like air quality, climate control, electricity, water, and more, which can negatively affect employee and customer experience and drive them away.

We make sure your restaurant renovation experience is impeccable, without any kind of disruptions. See for yourself, and learn more about us.

Exhaust System

Any food service, and especially restaurants, have exhaust systems and hoods as central elements of their business. A restaurant kitchen needs to be designed and planned around an exhaust system. Deon Design Custom Builders make sure to use cutting-edge technology to design and plan the placement of exhaust systems in any and all of the kitchens we work on, both commercial and residential, in accordance with space planning and other specifications.

Safe dealing with smoke, gas, grease, and steam and neutralizing them is unthinkable in a commercial kitchen without a proper, powerful exhaust system. When looking into these systems, it should be taken into consideration their power, but also the noise level they produce, and, of course, cost. The cost of the exhaust system will get into the overall restaurant remodeling costs but it’s important to know that this is one of the most important investments for any restaurant that will be worth every cent.

When working with our commercial kitchen renovation specialists, you can expect to get a recommendation for an exhaust system that is powerful enough to remove any fumes and vapors and replace them with fresh air. We’ll make sure to recommend a system that is powerful enough to help you do great work, that is safe for every worker and guest in your commercial kitchen establishment, and that will keep your restaurant build out cost low.

Permits Cost

The cost of permits is probably not the highest item on your restaurant renovation checklist but still is something to be considered when making a restaurant renovation project plan. While permit cost is not common knowledge to you unless you had a previous restaurant renovation experience, it’s different for your contractor. Your contractor will know how much permits will affect your restaurant renovation cost but they are also aware that getting permits may take more time than you expect. So make sure to get familiar with permit requirements on time.

Although permits won’t break the bank on your restaurant renovation, they will still affect your restaurant renovation cost by about $5,000. However, this cost may vary, so make sure to discuss this with your contractor on time.

When planning your renovation and thinking about how much does it cost to renovate a restaurant, don’t forget about organizational and administrative costs, technology, service equipment, lease, as well exterior decor. All of these restaurant remodel costs can add a considerable amount of money for you to pay if you don’t plan them well.

Our specialists take care of the quality and your budget. Learn more about Commercial Remodeling Contractors in New Jersey that can help you stay on budget and within your limits while improving your restaurant space.

Frequently Asked Questions About Restaurant Build Out Costs

1. How much does it cost to renovate a small restaurant?

If your restaurant is small, you can still expect to pay average restaurant fit out costs per square foot that can vary but are still somewhere between $200 and $300. The average cost to renovate a restaurant, regardless if it’s small or big, will depend on the area that it is located at, the materials needed for the renovation, the style of the materials, and their own cost, the size of the restaurant, as well as on the extent of the renovations that need to be done. New equipment can also significantly affect restaurant design cost — exhaust system, furnishings, as well as compliance that guarantees the safety of everyone included.

2. How much does it cost to renovate a restaurant kitchen?

Remodeling a restaurant kitchen is the most important part of commercial restaurant remodeling and, often, the most expensive part. After all, this is the space where all the important equipment is situated and needed for impeccable and safe work. The total cost will depend on the extent of the kitchen remodeling and whether you need to perform the total overhaul or just some parts of the kitchen, whether you need to replace everything or only some furnishings, appliances, and work surfaces. Roughly estimating, renovating a restaurant kitchen can cost you anywhere between $12,000 to $180,000 and even more. The size of the kitchen, the quality of the exhaust system, furnishings, appliances, work surfaces, cabinets, shelving, and more will affect the overall price. If you need to add replacing tiles, plumbing, and electricity, the price will go up. Don’t forget to add the cost of the needed local permits as well.

3. What’s the average cost of restaurant renovation?

The average cost of restaurant renovation will vary depending on the location, size, style of the restaurant, and extent of the renovations undertaken. So, what’s the average cost of restaurant renovation? It can be narrowed down to approximate expenses of anywhere between $200 and $250 per square foot. There is a way to save on these costs by making a detailed plan, talking with restaurant renovation contractors, knowing where to splurge and where to invest, as well as asking for a detailed restaurant renovation estimate with clear timelines and deadlines. However, it is not always possible to save, especially when your equipment is old or you need a do-over when it comes to electricity, plumbing, and isolation.

4. What’s the most expensive part in restaurant renovation?

Besides specialist, high-end appliances, and much-needed high-quality restaurant equipment necessary for food preparation, big restaurants will need to spend a lot of money when comes time to replace the furnishings. For big restaurants with a large number of seating and many tables, the most expensive part in renovation will be furnishing replacement. The price can still go up depending on the type of furnishing the restaurant chooses. Choosing metal or plastic tables and chairs for a restaurant will cost less than choosing all-wood furnishings. If you choose wood, there are still many variations — different types of wood will cost differently bringing restaurant renovation cost up or down.

5. How much does it cost to renovate a restaurant with Deon Builders?

Deon Design Custom Builders make sure to offer the most affordable restaurant renovation cost in the New Jersey area.

We are not just an average restaurant renovations company. Our teams are hands-on in making the restaurant projects, big or small, a reality. Our team always builds and designs every phase of our restaurant remodeling project for the complete satisfaction of your customers, employees, and yourself.

Along with everything else, restaurant renovation cost also goes into the complete superb experience we strive and succeed to provide, each time we take on a new restaurant renovation project.

If you’re looking to renovate your restaurant, our specialists will sit down with you and give you a restaurant remodeling costs breakdown after they learn all about your preferences, plans, and needs. The type and size of the restaurant, as well as its location, and your preferences and needs will affect the restaurant remodel costs.

We know that committing to a restaurant renovation can be a stressful decision, especially when it comes to the cost. So we make sure to get you familiar with all variables involved with the process of renovation, give advice as needed, and give you enough time to make decisions. This is how we minimize the risk of spending more than you planned. We also help bring down the kitchen renovation cost by advising you to choose affordable and quality materials that will start paying out immediately.

Always ready for potential hiccups along the way, Deon Design Custom Builders make sure to stay within your budget whatever comes our way. On-time planning and great budgeting that we provide will set you on the right course.

Restaurant Renovation Cost Checklist

If you want your restaurant renovation to go according to plan, to stay on track with timelines, and, most importantly, with costs, it is smart to have a restaurant renovation cost checklist. Doing research, coming up with a plan, gathering necessary licenses and permits, specificating construction and design, and defining the position of plumbing fixtures, ventilation, and exhaust systems, bin storage, and waste management, will help keep you on track and in control of the costs head. This restaurant renovation cost checklist will help you with planning the basic restaurant design costs.

Restaurant renovations demand meticulous planning and financial foresight.

Research and Evaluation:

• Survey the current condition of the restaurant space.
• Conduct market research for design trends and customer preferences.

Planning:

• Engage an architect or designer for a conceptual layout.
• Develop a detailed project plan, including timelines and milestones.

Licenses and Permits:

• Allocate funds for necessary licenses and permits.
• Factor in costs for legal consultations and applications.

Construction and Design Specifications:

• Obtain detailed quotes from contractors.
• Budget for design elements, including furniture, lighting, and decor.

Plumbing Fixtures:

• Evaluate plumbing needs for kitchen and restroom upgrades.
• Budget for plumbing fixtures, including sinks and specialized equipment.

Ventilation:

• Consider HVAC upgrades for improved air quality.
• Allocate funds for kitchen hood systems and ventilation solutions.

Waste Management:

• Research waste disposal regulations and services.
• Budget for waste management systems and recycling initiatives.

Storage:

• Assess storage requirements for kitchen and supplies.
• Include costs for shelving, refrigeration, and pantry organization.

Remember to add a contingency fund for unforeseen expenses. Thorough planning and research are crucial to ensuring a smooth renovation process and achieving a revitalized restaurant space that meets both aesthetic and functional goals.

Hire Us and Bring Restaurant Renovation Cost Down for Maximum Results

Are you planning on renovating your restaurant in 2024? Are you aware of the restaurant renovation cost 2024? We have the knowledge, information, skills, and expertise to provide a great restaurant renovation experience.

So, let’s get in touch!

Spending money is inevitable during restaurant renovation, but we can provide an excellent return on investment that will turn out to be even more valuable than the cost of renovation. Deon Design Custom Builders can help you to bring the renovation cost down AND provide maximum return on investment by cutting the costs where possible and letting you splurge where needed. Our designers and contractors will give you the best advice regarding the work, materials, quality, and functionalities.

Take a look at the services we provide: Office Remodeling Services, Medical Office Construction Services, and don’t hesitate to recommend us.

If you’re ready to take the leap and finally renovate your restaurant, contact us.