8,400 SF Restaurant Build-Out. Grand Opening Hit.

A restaurant group expanding into North Texas needed a full 8,400 SF build-out of a former retail space — complete with a commercial kitchen, bar, dining room, and private event space. Their grand opening date was locked. We had 6 weeks.

The Challenge

Restaurant build-outs are among the most complex commercial projects. The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems for a commercial kitchen are significantly more demanding than standard office or retail space — hood systems, grease traps, high-BTU gas lines, three-compartment sinks, and commercial refrigeration all require specialized coordination.

The existing space was a former clothing retailer with none of the infrastructure a restaurant requires. We were starting from a blank slate — full demo, new MEP rough-in, new walls, new ceilings, new flooring, and all finishes.

The client had a franchise agreement with a grand opening date that could not move. Missing it would trigger financial penalties and damage their relationship with the franchisor.

Our Approach

We pre-ordered all long-lead items — hood systems, walk-in refrigeration, and specialty kitchen equipment — before demo began. Most contractors wait until walls are framed to order equipment. That approach adds 2–3 weeks to the schedule. We eliminated that delay entirely.

We ran MEP trades in parallel rather than sequentially. Plumbing rough-in, electrical rough-in, and HVAC ductwork were installed simultaneously by coordinated crews — not one after the other. This required tight scheduling and daily coordination, but compressed the rough-in phase from 3 weeks to 10 days.

We scheduled inspections proactively — calling the inspector before work was complete rather than after, ensuring they were available the day we needed them rather than waiting 3–5 days for an available slot.

The Result

Certificate of occupancy was issued 4 days before the grand opening date. The client had time for a full staff training and soft opening before their public launch. Final cost came in at $380,000 — within 1.5% of our original estimate despite a mid-project change order from the client for upgraded bar finishes.

The restaurant opened to a packed house. The client has since engaged us for two additional locations in the DFW market.