Prepare your restaurant project

Put the project in writing

Start with the restaurant space you have identified and the food you intend to serve. A tenant improvement, often called TI, means adapting an existing commercial space for your business.

Use this stage to organize decisions and documents already underway. The construction path here assumes a specific site, known landlord conditions and drawings that can support meaningful bids.

• Record the site address, floor area and intended restaurant use.
• List cooking methods, major equipment and service style.
• Identify the current drawing set and who maintains it.

Separate construction from the full opening budget

A construction bid may leave out equipment purchases, professional fees, utility charges and business setup costs. Write down who is pricing each part.

Keep unresolved amounts visible rather than treating a contractor’s construction total as your entire opening budget. Ask your advisers to identify costs that depend on the lease or approvals.

• Separate construction, equipment and professional-service amounts.
• List owner purchases and their delivery dates.
• Give each unknown amount a person and next action.

Work backward from dependencies

An opening date depends on more than the last day of construction. Equipment delivery, utility service, landlord access and agency sign-offs can affect the sequence.

Ask the project team which milestones are confirmed and which remain assumptions. For a franchise, record which decisions need the brand’s review and who obtains it.

• Confirm access and work-hour conditions with the landlord.
• Ask suppliers about current equipment lead times.
• Separate target opening dates from confirmed approvals.

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