A restaurant MEP design must get four systems right before fit-out starts: kitchen exhaust with matching makeup air, electrical capacity for the full kitchen equipment schedule, grease-rated plumbing with a properly sized grease trap, and kitchen hood fire suppression coordinated with the sprinkler system. Miss any one and the store faces smoky dining rooms, tripping breakers, clogged drains, or a failed fire inspection.
Key Takeaways
- Kitchen exhaust and makeup air must be designed together — exhaust without replacement air starves the hood and pulls smoke into dining.
- Size electrical from the final kitchen equipment schedule, not the lease’s standard provision. Most fit-out provisions are undersized for full kitchens.
- Grease traps are sized by fixture load and local health regulations — undersizing is the most common cause of drainage failures.
- Kitchen hood suppression (wet chemical) is separate from, and coordinated with, the building sprinkler system.
- For fit-outs, audit landlord provisions before design: power capacity, exhaust riser allowance, plumbing tie-ins, sprinkler provisions.
Mechanical: Kitchen Ventilation Is the Whole Game
The kitchen hood exhaust rate is set by the cooking equipment beneath it — solid-fuel and heavy-duty fryer lines demand far more airflow than warming stations. Every cubic meter exhausted must be replaced by makeup air; without it, the hood underperforms, doors whistle, and smoke drifts into the dining room.
Checklist items: hood type and exhaust rate per equipment line-up, makeup air unit sizing and discharge locations, dining area cooling load including kitchen heat gain, exhaust duct routing to a code-compliant discharge point, and toilet/prep area exhaust.
Electrical: Design From the Equipment Schedule
Restaurant electrical loads are dominated by the kitchen: fryers, griddles, ovens, refrigeration, and holding equipment. The design must start from the confirmed kitchen equipment schedule with nameplate ratings — not from a per-square-meter allowance.
Checklist items: demand load calculation from the equipment schedule, panel board schedule and single-line diagram, dedicated circuits for major equipment, convenience outlets for POS and front-of-house, emergency lighting, and auxiliary systems (CCTV, data, audio, POS cabling).
Plumbing: Grease Is the Enemy
Kitchen drainage carries grease, and grease-laden waste must pass through a properly sized grease trap or interceptor before reaching the sewer — both to satisfy health regulations and to keep the store’s drains flowing. Hot water demand from dishwashing and handwashing stations needs its own calculation.
Checklist items: grease trap sizing and location with maintenance access, kitchen floor drains and cleanouts, hot water system sizing, water supply with backflow prevention, and storm drainage for standalone stores.
Fire Protection: Two Systems, One Coordination
Commercial kitchens require a wet-chemical suppression system in the hood — separate from the building’s sprinklers but coordinated with them and interlocked with the fuel/power supply to the cooking line. Fire inspectors examine this coordination closely.
Checklist items: hood suppression system coverage per the equipment line-up, fuel/power shutoff interlock, sprinkler coverage throughout including concealed spaces, portable extinguisher types and locations (Class K near the cooking line), and exit/egress lighting.
Fit-Out Projects: Audit the Landlord Provisions First
For mall and retail locations, design starts by verifying what the landlord actually provides: electrical capacity at the tenant tap, kitchen exhaust riser allowance, plumbing and grease line tie-in points, and base-building sprinkler provisions. Gaps between provision and requirement must surface before lease commitments harden — capacity upgrades negotiated late cost multiples more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much exhaust does a restaurant kitchen hood need?
Exhaust rates depend on the hood type and the cooking equipment duty beneath it — light-duty warming equipment needs far less airflow than charbroilers or fryer banks. The rate is calculated per hood from the confirmed equipment line-up, then matched with makeup air.
What size grease trap does my restaurant need?
Grease trap sizing follows the connected fixture load and local health regulations. An engineer calculates it from your kitchen’s sinks, dishwashers, and floor drains — undersized traps are the most common cause of restaurant drainage failures.
Is kitchen hood fire suppression required in the Philippines?
Commercial cooking operations producing grease-laden vapors require hood suppression under the Fire Code (RA 9514) and referenced NFPA standards. It must be coordinated with the building sprinkler system and interlocked with the cooking line’s fuel or power supply.
Can I use the mall’s standard electrical provision for my restaurant?
Usually not without verification. Standard tenant provisions are sized for retail, not full commercial kitchens. Always run a demand load calculation from your equipment schedule and compare it against the landlord’s provision before signing.