Opening a restaurant means navigating food service zoning, commercial kitchen requirements, ventilation permits, grease trap compliance, and health authority approval — before you serve a single plate. We verify all of it first.
A restaurant touches every layer of the approval process — municipal zoning, health authority licensing, fire code, mechanical permits for hood exhaust, plumbing permits for grease traps, and building permits for kitchen build-out. Missing any one of these at the space selection stage can push your opening back by months.
I've placed restaurant clients across the Lower Mainland and understand how these layers interact. Every restaurant space I present has been checked against the full picture — not just whether food service is permitted on paper.
Dine-in restaurants with full commercial kitchen, front-of-house seating, and often a liquor licence. Requires the broadest set of verifications — zoning, health, fire, ventilation, plumbing, and parking ratio for seated dining.
Fast casual, counter service, bubble tea, and takeout-focused concepts. Smaller footprint, simpler seating requirements, but kitchen ventilation and grease trap requirements still apply depending on cooking method.
Delivery-only and shared kitchen concepts require specific zoning that permits commercial food production without public dining. Often industrial or mixed-use zones — verified for food prep use, health authority approval, and loading access.
Municipal zoning confirmed to permit your specific concept — restaurant, café, ghost kitchen, or food manufacturing — before you look at a single floor plan.
Roof penetration access confirmed, makeup air feasibility assessed, and landlord willingness to permit kitchen exhaust installation reviewed before you invest in design.
Grease trap installation confirmed viable, 3-compartment sink plumbing assessed, and handwashing station placement reviewed for health authority compliance.
Natural gas supply capacity for commercial cooking equipment confirmed, and electrical panel adequacy checked for commercial kitchen loads.
Space assessed for Fraser Health or VCH kitchen layout requirements — prep separation, cold storage, handwashing, and flow from receiving to service.
Parking ratio confirmed for your dining capacity, and outdoor patio viability assessed — including liquor primary licence requirements for licensed patios.
Restaurant openings are routinely delayed 3–9 months — not because of the build-out, but because critical infrastructure issues were discovered after the lease was signed. These are the most common reasons:
Restaurants are one of the most capital-intensive businesses to open — leasehold improvements, kitchen equipment, and fit-out commonly exceed $200,000–$500,000. A single infrastructure problem discovered after you sign can cost your entire build budget before you serve a single customer.
I've placed restaurant clients ranging from fast casual takeout to full-service licensed dining rooms across the Lower Mainland. I know what to check, what questions to ask the landlord, and how to negotiate the TI allowance and lease terms that protect your investment from day one.
Tell me your restaurant requirements across the Lower Mainland. I will personally audit available inventory and deliver a ranked shortlist of spaces that actually fit your seating capacity, kitchen layout, liquor licensing zoning, and budget parameters.
A Note on This Content
Information in this article — including market data, pricing, financing figures, tax information, zoning details, and legal or regulatory content — is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax, or professional advice. Figures, rates, and regulations change frequently and may not reflect the most current information at the time you're reading this. Always consult a licensed professional before making a real estate, financing, or business decision. Reading this article does not create a client or advisory relationship.