Tier 01
FOH Refresh
$10K to $40K
Paint, flooring, booth updates, lighting, fixture swaps. No kitchen work.
Best fit
Rebrand, lease renewal refresh, minor FOH update without closing kitchen.
Example
1,500 SF FOH refresh: ~$22,000
Restaurant · Café · Coffee Shop
Restaurant & Café Build-Outs
From a front-of-house refresh to a full kitchen build. Permits, health inspections, and your opening date handled.
Permits + inspections handled · Written scope before deposit
5.0 Google$1M GL + $1M Umbrella1-Year Workmanship WarrantyAll Trades Under One ContractCustom, Limited-Volume Builder
Three Price Bands
Restaurant & café build-out pricing in DFW
Bands cover labor, materials, permits, inspections, project management, and standard MEP rough-in. Equipment (kitchen line, coolers, espresso machines), POS, and brand signage are separate line items called out in writing.
Tier 02
Café / Coffee Shop
$50K to $120K
Service counter, espresso plumbing, light hood (Type II), drain lines, finish.
Best fit
Coffee shop, juice bar, tea house, light-prep café (no hot kitchen).
Example
1,200 SF coffee shop: ~$78,000
Tier 03
Full Restaurant Build-Out
$120K to $250K
Full Type I hood + MAU, grease interceptor, walk-in, FOH build, finish package.
Best fit
Full-service restaurant, fast-casual with hot kitchen, ghost-kitchen conversion.
Example
2,400 SF restaurant: ~$185,000
What Drives the Final Number
Up and down, the honest answer.
Pushes price up
- Type I hood + makeup-air unit (single biggest line item, $25K to $60K)
- Exterior grease interceptor with excavation ($8K to $18K)
- Walk-in cooler/freezer build-out and coordination with vendor
- Custom millwork (service counter, host stand, booth fabrication)
- Existing space conversion to restaurant use (full MEP rework)
- Health-department or fire-marshal scope discovered during site visit
Keeps price down
- Take a second-gen restaurant space with reusable hood, grease trap, and floor sinks
- Type II hood vs Type I (light prep, no fryers, saves $15K to $30K)
- Standard FOH finish package: LVP + paint + standard pendants
- Reuse FOH booths and tables; refinish vs replace
- Single-shift construction during scheduled closure vs after-hours phased
Project Proof
Real DFW commercial projects
Mansfield, TX
Pediatric Clinic Build-Out
Full interior build-out of a pediatric clinic in Mansfield. Taken back to bare structure with the ceiling opened up, then rebuilt: partition walls framed to the taped floor layout, MEP coordinated and inspected overhead before anything closed up, exam rooms and corridor finished in plank flooring with stained trim and doors, plus casework, lighting and interior signage.
Read full case study
Mansfield, TX
Doctors' Office Reception & Check-In Rebuild
Reception rebuilt in a doctors' office in Mansfield. The glass-enclosed check-in window came out, the openings were reframed with painted mullions, and the counter was rebuilt with a dark wood slat front under a light stone-look top, mitered and returned down the end of the run. A lower counter section sits at the end of the run beside a pass-through to the adjoining room.
Read full case studyBefore You Start
- Opening on Time: Building Backward From Lease CommencementHow to schedule from your commencement date instead of hoping to hit it.
- What Actually Holds Up a Certificate of OccupancyThe inspections that most often push an opening date, and how to clear them early.
- Cafe Interior Remodel Phasing GuidePhasing a refresh so service continues while the work happens.
Common Questions
Frequently asked
How much does a restaurant build-out cost in DFW?
Three typical bands: $10K to $40K for a front-of-house-only refresh (paint, flooring, booth updates, no kitchen work), $50K to $120K for a café or coffee shop with light hood and espresso plumbing, and $120K to $250K for a full restaurant build-out with Type I hood, grease interceptor, and complete FOH. Final number depends on kitchen scope, hood type, and finish package.
What is a restaurant build-out?
A restaurant build-out is the interior construction that turns leased space into an operating restaurant: kitchen infrastructure, dining and front-of-house finishes, restrooms, and the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work behind all of it. It is the most infrastructure-heavy of the commercial build-out types, because the exhaust hood and makeup-air, grease interceptor, gas service, floor drains, and health department requirements all carry scope an office project never touches. Whether that infrastructure is already in the space is the single largest factor in what the project costs.
What about just refreshing the front-of-house?
A FOH-only refresh (paint, flooring, booth re-upholstery, lighting, fixture swaps) runs $10K to $40K depending on square footage and finish level. We sequence around your service hours (typically overnight or one-day-closed weeks) so revenue impact stays minimal. We've done multiple DFW FOH refreshes in 7 to 14 day windows.
Why is a hood vent so expensive?
Type I commercial hoods require code-compliant duct routing to roof, makeup-air units, fire-suppression integration, and city + health-department inspections. A full Type I hood install with MAU and suppression typically runs $25K to $60K of the total project cost. It's the single biggest line item on most restaurant build-outs. We work with hood-specialist subcontractors who know the DFW city inspectors.
What about grease interceptors and floor sinks?
Most DFW municipalities require an exterior grease interceptor (1,000 to 1,500 gal) for any cooking restaurant. Interior grease traps don't pass current code. Cost: $8K to $18K depending on excavation needs and city. Floor sinks (typically 3 to 6 per kitchen) run $400 to 800 installed. These are scope-locked before mobilize so you don't get surprised at health-department inspection.
How long does a restaurant build-out take?
FOH refresh: 1 to 3 weeks. Café / coffee shop: 6 to 10 weeks. Full restaurant with Type I hood: 12 to 20 weeks. Health-department + city sign-off typically adds 1 to 2 weeks at the end. We give you a real schedule with health-department milestones built in.
Can you work around an operating restaurant?
FOH refreshes and minor kitchen updates, yes. We can sequence work overnight or during one-day-closed weeks. Full kitchen renovations require closure for the kitchen scope itself (typically 4 to 8 weeks), but we can pre-stage materials and prep work so the closure window is as tight as possible.
Recent Work
A look at what we build.
Get a written quote for your restaurant or café build-out
Tell us the concept, kitchen scope, and target opening date. We'll visit the site, pre-coordinate the health-department milestones, and return a written scope and price within 5 business days. No deposit until you approve it.
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