Commercial Kitchen Building & Design Solutions for Restaurants & Commercial Kitchens
Are you starting a new restaurant or redesigning an existing commercial kitchen? This process can feel overwhelming. At Foodservice Equipment Depot (FED), we help simplify the process by connecting foodservice operators with the essential services needed to design, build, and launch a fully functional commercial foodservice kitchens.
Our Kitchen Building & Design category is designed to support restaurant owners, café operators, food trucks, bakeries, and other food and beverage type businesses through every stage of development. Whether you are opening your first location or upgrading an existing kitchen, we can help guide you through the critical infrastructure required for a successful foodservice operation.
Designing a commercial kitchen involves much more than selecting equipment. Proper planning ensures your kitchen operates efficiently, meets health and safety regulations, and supports your staff during busy service hours. Our Kitchen Building & Design resources help connect you with solutions for:
Commercial Ventilation Systems – Proper hood systems and exhaust ventilation are critical for maintaining air quality, managing heat, and meeting building code requirements.
Fire Suppression Systems – Commercial kitchens require certified fire suppression systems to protect staff, customers, and property while complying with local fire regulations.
Walk-In Coolers & Walk-In Freezers – Reliable cold storage solutions designed for restaurants, grocery stores, and food production facilities.
Commercial Kitchen Layout & Workflow Planning – Optimizing space for productivity, food safety, and staff efficiency.
Restaurant Website Development – Professional online presence to showcase your menu, attract customers, and grow your brand.
Startup Planning & Equipment Selection – Guidance on choosing the right equipment for your menu, space, and budget.
Every successful foodservice business begins with a well-planned kitchen. Whether you're building from the ground up or remodeling an existing space, proper infrastructure ensures your operation runs smoothly from day one.
FED works with trusted industry partners to help restaurant owners access the services needed to bring their vision to life—from ventilation installation and walk-in refrigeration to digital solutions that help promote your business online.
Foodservice Equipment Depot has extensive experience supporting restaurants and commercial kitchens across Canada. Our goal is to provide operators with the tools, equipment, and guidance they need to launch and grow successful foodservice businesses.
By combining commercial equipment expertise with trusted service partners, we help streamline the process of building a kitchen that is safe, efficient, and built to last.
Planning a new restaurant or commercial kitchen?
Explore our Kitchen Building & Design solutions and discover the essential services that help turn your foodservice concept into a fully operational business.
Shop at our Commercial Restaurant Equipment Supply Store in Calgary
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Build Your Kitchen Plan | Free Restaurant Layout Tool | FEDBuild: Plan Your Kitchen Before You Build ItBuild is a free interactive tool from Foodservice Equipment Depot (FED) that lets you lay out your restaurant, café,...
Design: Plan How Your Space Looks and Works Design is an interactive area from Foodservice Equipment Depot (FED) for designing the front of your restaurant, café, bar or foodservice space — the room your customers actual...
1. Menu. Everything follows from what you're cooking and in what volume. A kitchen doing forty covers needs different equipment from one doing three hundred with the same menu. Settle the menu before anything else — changes here cascade through every later decision.
2. Equipment. What you cook determines what you need, and equipment determines almost everything downstream: hood size and type, gas and electrical load, floor space and layout, and often whether the premises work at all. Produce an equipment schedule — every appliance, its dimensions, its gas or electrical requirement and its ventilation need.
3. Hood and fire suppression. Designed around the equipment schedule. This is where the sequence bites: change the equipment and the hood design changes with it.
4. Services. Gas capacity, electrical service and phase, water supply and pressure, drainage and grease interception. Confirm what the building has against what the equipment schedule requires. Service upgrades take weeks and cost real money — finding out early is the difference between a budget item and a crisis.
5. Layout. Workflow through the space, equipment heights across runs, sink placement and handwash accessibility, aisle widths, and the path from receiving through storage, prep, cooking and service.
6. Fabrication. Custom stainless — tables, dish tables, shelving, exhaust-adjacent work — made to the finished layout once everything else is fixed.
Running alongside all of it: plan review. Most Canadian municipalities require health authority plan review and approval for new and renovated food establishments. Submit early, because their comments can change the design.
Type I hoods are required over equipment producing grease-laden vapour or smoke — fryers, griddles, charbroilers, ranges, most ovens and broilers. They include grease filters, fire suppression, and specific duct construction, access and cleaning requirements.
Type II hoods handle heat and condensate without grease — steam equipment, some ovens, dishwashers. Lighter requirements.
What determines the design: the equipment beneath it, its position along the run, its heat and grease output, the hood's overhang and capture area, and required airflow. This is engineering, not a catalogue selection.
Make-up air is not optional and is frequently underestimated. Air exhausted has to be replaced. Without adequate make-up air the kitchen goes negative-pressure, which affects appliance combustion, makes doors hard to open, pulls conditioned air from the dining room and degrades hood performance. Make-up air units are part of the ventilation design, not an afterthought.
Ducting and access. Grease ducts have construction, routing, clearance and access requirements, and they must be cleanable along their length. The route from hood to roof affects both cost and what's physically possible in a given building — this is worth establishing before signing a lease on a space.
Ventless equipment is the alternative. Where a hood is impractical — a mall unit, a heritage building, an upper floor, a food truck — ventless fryers, combi ovens and high-speed ovens with integrated catalytic filtration allow cooking without external exhaust. They cost more and need scheduled filter replacement, and ventless operation requires explicit certification rather than simply being a small appliance.
Requirements follow NFPA 96 as adopted provincially, along with municipal requirements, with the local authority having jurisdiction making the final determination.
Commercial cooking equipment under a Type I hood requires a fire suppression system. Nozzles are positioned for specific appliances, the system is engineered around the equipment layout, and it's both a code requirement and an insurance condition.
This is the one that catches renovations. Adding an appliance, moving one along the line, or swapping a griddle for a charbroiler changes what the suppression system needs to cover. The existing system will no longer be correctly configured, and a suppression contractor must reassess. Operators discover this at inspection, after the equipment is installed.
What's involved: a wet chemical system appropriate to commercial cooking, nozzles positioned for each appliance and for the hood plenum and duct, automatic gas and electrical shutoff on activation, a manual pull station, and periodic inspection and servicing on a defined schedule.
Before you change anything on the line, talk to your suppression contractor. A conversation is cheaper than a failed inspection with equipment already in place.
Standard sizes rarely fit real kitchens. Catalogue tables come in fixed increments; rooms don't. A gap at the end of a run is workspace lost for the life of the kitchen, and in a small space that's significant.
What custom fabrication solves: tables and stations built to exact dimensions, dish tables configured to your machine and your run, corner and angled pieces that use awkward space, cut-outs and penetrations for equipment and plumbing, shelving fitted to the room, and non-standard heights matched across a run.
When to specify it. Once the layout is fixed and services are located, but early enough to accommodate lead times — fabrication takes longer than stock. On a build schedule, that means deciding fabrication before you'd instinctively think to.
What to confirm: stainless grade and gauge (Type 304 at 16 gauge or heavier for anything doing real work), NSF certification for food contact surfaces, and how the piece will be delivered and installed, since fabricated items are often long and awkward rather than heavy.
The economics are better than people assume. Custom isn't always dramatically more expensive than standard, particularly where it lets you use space that would otherwise be wasted. It's worth pricing rather than assuming.
Confirm these against your equipment schedule before committing to a space or ordering equipment.
Gas capacity. Total the BTU ratings of every appliance and have a licensed gas fitter confirm the line, regulator and supply pressure can carry it. Adding high-BTU equipment to an existing line is where capacity gets exceeded, and the symptom is every appliance underperforming at once.
Electrical service. Available voltage, single or three phase, and spare amperage. Commercial electric cooking and refrigeration frequently need 208V or 240V, often three-phase. A service upgrade means new panel, new feed and utility coordination — weeks, not days.
Water and drainage. Hot water temperature and volume at the fixtures, incoming pressure, drainage capacity, indirect drain requirements, and whether a grease interceptor is required. Water hardness matters too — in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg it affects dishwashers, ice machines, combi ovens and coffee equipment, and filtration should be budgeted with them.
Ventilation route. Where the duct can physically run from hood to roof, and whether make-up air can be accommodated.
Structure. Floor loading for heavy equipment, particularly above grade. Ceiling height for hoods, tall refrigeration and equipment access. Door and corridor widths for delivery.
Altitude. Above roughly 600 m, gas appliances may need specific configuration. Calgary sits at about 1,045 m, as do much of the Alberta foothills and BC interior.
Design the flow, not the floor plan. Product moves from receiving to storage to prep to cooking to service, and waste moves the other way. A layout that makes that flow short and uncrossed works; one that doesn't creates congestion no amount of good equipment fixes.
Match heights across runs. Tables, sinks, dish tables and equipment stands in sequence should be the same height so product slides rather than lifts. Mismatched heights are a daily irritation for the life of the kitchen.
Put cold storage where it's used. Walking to a reach-in during service costs time on every ticket. Undercounter refrigeration, chef bases and prep tables exist to solve this.
Plan sink placement early, because plumbing gets installed early. Handwash sinks must be accessible from each work area, prep sinks separate from warewashing, and a mop sink separate from both. Health authorities are specific about this, and it's a common plan review rejection.
Leave service access. Equipment needs its condenser cleaned, its filters changed and its components reached. A unit built in with no way to service it becomes a problem within a year.
Aisle widths. Enough for two people to pass, for oven and cooler doors to open fully, and for a cart or rack where those are used.
Heating It Up — ovens, ranges, fryers, griddles, broilers, pizza ovens, countertop cooking, warmers, specialty and concession equipment.
Keeping It Chill — reach-in coolers and freezers, prep tables, undercounter refrigeration, chef bases, bar refrigeration, ice machines and walk-ins.
Prepping for Perfection — mixers, food processors, meat and dough equipment, blenders, packaging, dishwashers, sinks and work tables.
Clearance and consignment — used equipment, tested and sold with warranty coverage, for builds working to a budget.
Plan review. Most Canadian municipalities require health authority review and approval for new and renovated food establishments. Submissions typically cover layout, equipment schedule, sink provision, ventilation, finishes and workflow. Submit early — comments can change the design, and building to an unapproved plan is expensive to correct.
Permits. Building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas permits may all apply depending on scope. Requirements vary by municipality.
Licensed trades. Gas connection requires a licensed gas fitter working to CSA B149.1. Electrical requires a licensed electrician working to the Canadian Electrical Code. Plumbing requires a licensed plumber. Hood and suppression installation requires qualified contractors.
Certification. Equipment should carry CSA or cUL marks and NSF certification. US-only listings can create problems at inspection and with insurers.
Insurance. Your insurer will have requirements around suppression systems, hood cleaning schedules and equipment certification. Confirm these alongside code requirements — they sometimes go further.
Build the timeline backwards from inspection, not forwards from today. Equipment lead times, fabrication, trades scheduling and inspection availability all compound.
Tell us what stage you're at and we'll help from there — whether that's an equipment schedule for a space you've just leased, a hood and suppression package around a line you've specified, custom fabrication to a finished layout, or a single piece of equipment to finish a build.
Call 403.923.2270 or email info@fedcanada.ca.
We ship equipment from our Calgary warehouse to business addresses across Canada — Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Hood, suppression and fabrication work is quoted per project.
Foodservice Equipment Depot (FED)
6613 – 44 Street SE, Bay #5
Calgary, Alberta T2C 2C9
403.923.2270
What order should I make decisions in when building a commercial kitchen?
Menu first, then equipment, then hood and fire suppression, then services, then layout, then custom fabrication. Each step depends on the one before it. The most common and expensive error is designing the hood before the equipment is settled, because a Type I hood is sized, positioned and suppression-engineered around the specific appliances beneath it — changing the equipment afterwards means redesigning the hood and often re-permitting.
Does the hood or the equipment come first?
The equipment. A Type I hood is designed around the equipment schedule, including each appliance's position, heat and grease output, required capture area and suppression nozzle placement. Deciding the hood first and the equipment afterwards means the hood will not capture correctly and the suppression nozzles will be wrongly positioned.
What is the difference between a Type I and Type II hood?
Type I hoods are required over equipment producing grease-laden vapour or smoke, including fryers, griddles, charbroilers, ranges and most ovens and broilers, and include grease filters, fire suppression and specific duct construction and cleaning requirements. Type II hoods handle heat and condensate without grease, suiting steam equipment and dishwashers, with lighter requirements. Requirements follow NFPA 96 as adopted provincially, with the local authority having jurisdiction making the final determination.
What is make-up air and why does it matter?
Make-up air replaces the air a hood exhausts. Without adequate make-up air a kitchen goes negative-pressure, which affects appliance combustion, makes doors difficult to open, pulls conditioned air from adjacent spaces and reduces hood capture performance. Make-up air is part of the ventilation design rather than an optional addition, and it is frequently underestimated in budgets.
Do I need to change my fire suppression system if I change equipment?
Usually yes. Fire suppression nozzles are positioned for specific appliances and the system is engineered around the equipment layout. Adding an appliance, moving one along the line or substituting a different type means the existing system is no longer correctly configured. A suppression contractor must reassess, and this is both a code requirement and an insurance condition.
When should I order custom stainless fabrication?
Once the layout is fixed and services are located, but early enough for lead times, which run longer than stock equipment. Custom fabrication solves the problem of standard sizes not fitting real rooms, since catalogue tables come in fixed increments and gaps at the end of a run are workspace lost for the life of the kitchen. It is worth pricing rather than assuming it is dramatically more expensive.
What does my building need to support a commercial kitchen?
Gas line capacity for the total connected BTU load, adequate electrical service including correct voltage and phase with spare amperage, hot water at sufficient temperature and volume, drainage with any required grease interceptor, a viable duct route from hood to roof with make-up air provision, floor loading for heavy equipment and adequate ceiling height and door widths. These should be confirmed against the equipment schedule before committing to a space.
Do I need plan review for a commercial kitchen in Canada?
Most Canadian municipalities require health authority plan review and approval for new and renovated food establishments. Submissions typically cover layout, equipment schedule, sink provision, ventilation, finishes and workflow. Submitting early matters because review comments can change the design, and building to an unapproved plan is expensive to correct.
How should a commercial kitchen be laid out?
Around workflow rather than floor plan aesthetics, with product moving from receiving through storage, prep, cooking and service while waste moves the opposite way without crossing. Equipment heights should match across runs so product slides between stations, cold storage should sit where it is used rather than requiring walks during service, sink placement should be planned early since plumbing is installed early, and service access should be maintained around all equipment.
Can I run a commercial kitchen without a hood?
In limited circumstances, using ventless equipment with integrated catalytic filtration and specific certification. Ventless fryers, combi ovens and high-speed ovens allow cooking without external exhaust and are frequently the only route to cooking capability in mall units, heritage buildings, upper floors and mobile kitchens. They cost more and require scheduled filter replacement, and ventless operation requires explicit certification rather than simply being a small appliance.
How long does a commercial kitchen build take?
It varies with scope, but timelines should be built backwards from inspection rather than forwards from today, since equipment lead times, custom fabrication, trades scheduling, permitting and inspection availability all compound. Specialty and larger equipment is often factory-order, and hood, suppression and fabrication work adds further lead time.
Can FED help with a kitchen build?
Yes. Call 403.923.2270 or email info@fedcanada.ca with the stage you are at, whether that is an equipment schedule for a newly leased space, a hood and suppression package around a specified line, custom fabrication to a finished layout, or individual equipment to complete a build.
