We work with commercial kitchen designers and equipment suppliers to coordinate the kitchen build so that structural provisions, drainage, electrical, gas, and ventilation are all in place before the equipment arrives. Kitchen equipment lead times are a common source of delays on hospitality projects, and we build these into the programme from the start so the fit and install does not hold up the rest of the fit-out.
Hospitality and Restaurant Fit-out Brisbane
We build restaurants, cafes, and bars across Brisbane, delivering expert hospitality fit-out Brisbane and restaurant fi-tout Brisbane solutions. We manage design, compliance, and construction to help you open smoothly and on schedule.
⏱️ Building Venues That Open on Time
Hospitality fit-outs are the most complex type of commercial construction we do. A restaurant or bar involves structural work, mechanical ventilation, commercial plumbing including grease traps and backflow prevention, high capacity electrical, fire suppression systems, acoustic treatment, and finishes that need to handle the punishment of daily commercial use. All of these elements interact with each other, and getting the sequence wrong causes delays that push back your opening date and burn through your pre-opening budget.
Innovare Builders has delivered hospitality fit-outs across Brisbane including restaurants, cafes, bars, and food service tenancies. We understand the technical requirements of commercial kitchen construction, the compliance pathway for liquor licensed premises, and the council approval process for food businesses. Our approach is to front load the compliance and services work so the fit-out progresses without waiting for inspections or redesigns that should have been resolved before construction started.
🍳 Commercial Kitchen Construction
The kitchen is the engine room of any food venue and it is where most of the technical complexity sits. Commercial kitchen construction involves heavy duty flooring with coved junctions and drainage falls, stainless steel wall cladding or commercial grade tiling, grease trap installation and connection to sewer, mechanical exhaust systems sized to the cooking equipment load, fire suppression systems over cooking equipment, commercial electrical supply for three phase equipment, and gas supply and certification for cooking appliances.
🌬️ Ventilation and Exhaust Systems
Mechanical ventilation is one of the most critical and most expensive elements of a hospitality fit-out. The exhaust system needs to be sized to handle the heat and grease load of the cooking equipment, and the makeup air system needs to replace the exhausted air to maintain positive pressure in the dining area. Get this wrong and you end up with a dining room that smells like the kitchen, or a kitchen that runs hot because there is not enough airflow to remove the heat generated by the cooking equipment.
Exhaust risers, ductwork routing, and discharge points need to be planned early because they affect the structural design, ceiling layout, and sometimes the external appearance of the building. In multi tenancy buildings and shopping centres, exhaust discharge locations are often contentious and require negotiation with the landlord or body corporate. We address these issues during preconstruction so they do not become problems during the build.
📋 Council Approvals for Food Businesses
Opening a food business in Brisbane requires a development application or building approval depending on the nature of the work, a food business licence from Brisbane City Council, compliance with Food Standards Australia New Zealand requirements, and for licensed premises, approval from the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation. Each of these has its own timeline and requirements, and they need to be coordinated so they do not hold up each other.
We can advise on the approval pathway for your specific venue and manage the construction to meet the requirements of each approval stage. Our goal is to have your venue ready for the final council inspection and food safety certification as soon as the fit-out is complete, so there is no gap between construction handover and your opening date.
💰 Hospitality Fit-out Costs in Brisbane
Hospitality fit-outs are among the most expensive per square metre of any commercial sector due to the services intensity and compliance requirements. In Brisbane, restaurant and bar fit-outs typically range from $2,500 to $6,000 per square meter depending on the size of the venue, the complexity of the kitchen, the quality of finishes, and whether the space requires significant base building work. Café fit-outs with simpler kitchen requirements may come in lower. High end dining venues with custom joinery, premium finishes, and complex lighting and acoustic design can exceed the upper end of this range.
We provide a detailed cost breakdown with every proposal so you can see where the money is going and make informed decisions about specification adjustments. Contact Innovare Builders to discuss your hospitality project.
