MAITRE

What does the space need to hold?

Five questions. They decide which spaces we show you, and they tell the engineer what to look for when they walk one. Estimates are fine — nothing here is a commitment.

What are you opening?

Pick the closest. The format sets the cost model before the menu does.

Full-service, table serviceA full cook line. Hood, gas, grease and service — the whole schedule is in play.Fast-casual or counter serviceShorter line, same code. The hood is still the biggest number on the page.Bakery, café or coffeeOvens and refrigeration. Often no Type I hood, which changes the maths entirely.Bar-forward with a kitchenSmall line, heavy electrical. Ice, glycol and coolers draw more than the range does.Delivery or ghost kitchenNo dining room to build, so every dollar lands in the back. Visibility stops mattering.

What is on the cook line?

Check everything you plan to cook on. This is what sizes the hood, the gas line and the grease trap — the three items that cost the most and get found last.

FryersSets the grease interceptor size and adds gas load. The trap is where budgets break.Wok lineThe single biggest gas draw on most menus, and the one gas lines are rarely sized for.Char grill or broilerType I hood, no exceptions, plus make-up air to replace what it pulls out.Pizza oven, deck or conveyorWeight and gas. Occasionally the slab, if the oven lands where the slab is thin.I don't know what hood this needsMost people don't. Tell us the menu at the site visit and the engineer sizes it.

How many seats?

Seat count drives the restroom fixture count and the size of the grease interceptor. It is the number the code cares about most and the one operators think about least.

A round estimate is enough. Patio seats count.

What can you put into the buildout?

Construction only — not equipment, not working capital, not the first six months of payroll.

Under $250,000A light fit-out of a space that already has the kitchen. Second-generation only.$250,000–$450,000Where most second-generation conversions land once the gaps are priced honestly.$450,000–$750,000Room for a new hood path or a service upgrade without re-cutting the plan.Over $750,000A first-generation space, or a large floor plate finished properly.Still working it outCommon, and not a problem. We price the space; you price the concept against it.

When do you want to be open?

Answer with the date you have said out loud to someone, not the one you would like.

Open in under 6 monthsTight. Permitting alone runs 60–90 days, and equipment is 8–16 weeks lead.6 to 12 monthsRealistic for a second-generation space once the gaps are known up front.12 to 18 monthsComfortable, and the right window if any structural work is on the table.No date yet — still lookingThe best time to do this. Nothing is committed and every number still moves.

96 seats

2 on the cook line

See spaces