Restaurant Construction in Boulder, Colorado

Commercial cooking is one of the few uses that Boulder's energy code lets stay on gas. Under the 2024 City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code, new commercial projects must be all-electric or use other non-fossil fuel sources, with exceptions for commercial cooking, hospitals, labs, large S-1 occupancies with constant vehicle traffic, and emergency generators. For a restaurant owner, that exception is the first real design decision, and it deserves a deliberate answer before any kitchen drawings are produced.

We build restaurants, cafes, bars, and food halls, both as ground-up buildings and as tenant spaces inside existing centers or ground floors of mixed-use buildings. Breweries and taprooms that add production space overlap with food and beverage processing work, and we can build both parts. A restaurant has more systems per square foot than almost any other commercial space: hoods, makeup air, grease interception, walk-in coolers, floor drains, gas or electric cooking lines, and a dining room that has to look finished the day the doors open.

Operators are on a tight clock. Rent often starts before the first guest arrives, equipment is ordered from a supplier on a long lead, and the health department wants to see the kitchen before it issues approval. We organize the job around that clock and keep owners informed of every item that could move the opening.

Hoods, Grease and Kitchen Infrastructure

Kitchen infrastructure is where restaurants succeed or fail. The exhaust hood is sized for the cooking line, and the makeup air unit that replaces the exhausted air needs a place to sit, a path for ductwork, and enough capacity to condition cold winter air entering the building. Grease interceptors, whether inside or outside, need drainage access and approval from the utility. Walk-in coolers require floor and wall details, refrigeration lines and condensate drains.

When a restaurant moves into an existing space, these items determine whether the location works at all. A shell with no roof access for a hood, or a slab with no room for an interceptor, may cost more to adapt than the tenant expects. We walk candidate spaces with operators before leases are signed, and we price what the kitchen will actually need so lease terms can reflect it.

Energy Code Exceptions and Health Review

The energy code exception for commercial cooking has strings. Natural gas used under the exceptions must be offset by on-site renewables, except for commercial cooking, emergency generators and lab and industrial process loads. Projects that use mixed-fuel exceptions must be 15 percent better than ASHRAE 90.1-2022, compared with 10 percent for all-electric projects. A restaurant that cooks with gas still has to meet that standard in the rest of the building, so the design team should settle the fuel question before the mechanical design is fixed.

Health department review is a separate track. The kitchen plan, finishes, sinks, equipment spacing and refrigeration are reviewed before construction, and a pre-opening inspection follows. We build the review into the schedule and prepare the plan set with the architect so there are few comments. Fire authorities review the hood suppression system and the dining room occupant load, and we coordinate those inspections too.

Working Back From Opening Day

Restaurant schedules are won or lost on equipment. Hoods, walk-ins, ovens, fryers and dish machines can take weeks or months to arrive, and the building cannot be finished without them. We release equipment orders as soon as the kitchen layout is stable, and we track delivery dates against the construction sequence. The order of rough-in matters as well: underslab plumbing for floor drains and sinks, then walls, then hood installation, then equipment set.

Seasonal timing matters too. Patios, rooftop decks and outdoor dining areas require good weather for concrete and paving work, and winter can slow exterior work on a spring opening. A food hall or taproom near Boulder Junction, where RTD's Depot Square station has six bus bays and a 386 space parking structure, depends on foot traffic and transit users, so its exterior work should be planned early. We build float into the sitework and keep interior tasks moving under temporary heat.

What We Manage Most Closely

We schedule and supervise the carpentry, framing, drywall, millwork installation and much of the finish work that gives a restaurant its character. Bars, host stands, banquettes and custom wall treatments get installed by crews who care about fit. When a designer draws a custom feature, we can build a mock-up and show it before the final version.

Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and kitchen equipment installers are specialty subcontractors, and we coordinate them closely. Restaurant owners who open multiple locations often come back for a tenant improvement project in a new space, and the lessons from one build go into the next. In the same way, retail and restaurant pads planned within a shopping center share many of the same constraints.

What a Restaurant Build Costs and Why

The kitchen and its systems generally take a large share of a restaurant budget. Hoods, makeup air, refrigeration, grease interception and electrical service all depend on the menu. A pizza concept with a wood oven differs greatly from a coffee shop or a full-service restaurant with a bar. We start with the menu and equipment list and price the infrastructure that supports it.

Finishes are the second driver, and they vary by concept. The dining room can be simple or elaborate, and owners choose where to spend. We provide options at several price levels, explain what each saves, and flag items that wear quickly in a busy dining room. For operators weighing locations, our relationships with hospitality groups and independent owners alike give us real data to compare sites.

Share the Menu and the Space

Send us the concept, the equipment list and the address or lease draft. We will outline kitchen infrastructure, budget and a schedule that works back from your opening date.

Questions Owners Ask

Can a new Boulder restaurant use gas for cooking?

Under the 2024 City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code, commercial cooking is among the named exceptions to the all-electric requirement, alongside hospitals, labs, large S-1 occupancies with constant vehicle traffic and emergency generators. The rest of the building still has to meet the code, and projects using mixed-fuel exceptions must be 15 percent better than ASHRAE 90.1-2022. We help you decide whether gas or electric equipment suits your concept.

How long before opening should I order kitchen equipment?

As soon as the layout is stable. Hoods, walk-in coolers and specialty equipment can take weeks or months, and installation order follows the building sequence. We track every item against the construction schedule and tell you early if a delivery date threatens the opening.

What should I check before signing a lease for a restaurant space?

Roof access and structure for the hood, makeup air location, grease interceptor options, available electrical and gas capacity, slab condition, and parking. We can walk a space with you and price what the kitchen would need so the lease terms and tenant allowance reflect it.

Does the health department approve the plans before construction?

Yes. Kitchen plans, finishes and equipment are typically reviewed before work begins, and a pre-opening inspection follows. We build both reviews into the schedule and coordinate the plan set with the architect to reduce comments.

Can you build a patio or outdoor dining area?

Yes. Patio work involves concrete or paving, drainage, fencing, heating and lighting, and sometimes structures with their own permits. We schedule exterior work for the seasons that suit it and plan drainage so the patio sheds water away from the building.

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