Restaurant space comes in three conditions — fully equipped, partially built out, and raw shell. Knowing which one you're walking into before you tour changes everything about your build budget, your timeline, and the lease deal you should be negotiating.
The condition of the space when you take possession determines your build cost, your timeline to open, and what you should be negotiating in TI allowance. We categorize every space before you tour.
Previously operated as a restaurant — hood exhaust in place, grease trap installed, gas lines run, commercial kitchen plumbing done. You're fitting out and opening, not building from scratch.
Previously used for light food service — café, counter service, or prep kitchen. Some infrastructure in place but not a full commercial kitchen. Requires targeted upgrades rather than a ground-up build.
Raw commercial shell — concrete floor, bare walls, no kitchen infrastructure. Maximum flexibility to design your concept from the ground up, but requires the full build budget and the largest TI negotiation.
Ground-floor units on commercial corridors with direct street access, signage frontage, and natural foot traffic. The most visible restaurant format — verified for kitchen infrastructure, patio potential, and zoning for your specific concept including liquor licence.
Inline units within neighbourhood plazas and strip malls — parking-forward format with strong co-tenancy from anchor tenants like grocery, pharmacy, or fitness. Often existing food service buildouts available. TI negotiation tied to anchor lease strength.
Commercial units at the base of new mixed-use residential towers. High-density captive audience above, street activation below. Often shell condition with strong TI from developers eager to activate ground floor. Zoning typically favours food and beverage.
Before you engage an architect or kitchen designer, the building itself has to support what you're trying to build. These are the four infrastructure items I verify on every restaurant space — because discovering any one of them after signing can cost you $30,000 to $150,000 in unexpected build costs.
Every space on your shortlist has been checked against all four. If there's an issue, you'll know before you tour — not after you've paid a deposit.
Municipal zoning confirmed to permit restaurant or food service use — including any specific restrictions on cooking, alcohol service, or hours of operation.
Roof access and shaft availability assessed before you tour. This single item stops more restaurant deals than any other — found after signing in most cases.
Grease trap, plumbing, and gas supply status documented — existing, installable, or absent — so you know your true build cost before you negotiate the lease.
Landlord TI contribution assessed against current market rates and the space's build condition — so you know how much of your fit-out cost to expect the landlord to cover.
Parking ratio confirmed for your dining capacity, and patio rights investigated — including whether a liquor licence primary can be obtained for the outdoor space.
Space layout assessed for Fraser Health or VCH compliance — kitchen flow, handwashing positions, prep separation — before you spend on architectural drawings.
Whether you need an existing kitchen buildout to open in 60 days or a raw shell to design your flagship concept from scratch — I'll find the right spaces, in the right condition, in the right location. Free, no obligation, verified shortlist in 24–48 hours.
Kamran will run a full restaurant space search and deliver your verified shortlist within 24–48 hours.
