Five stages to make visible.
Confirm use and lease constraints
Check the proposed use, then document landlord criteria, roof rights, utility responsibilities and access restrictions before design advances.
Define the menu, equipment and room
Cooking duty, equipment, sinks, handwash basins, storage, waste handling and washrooms drive the layout and building-system scope.
Map drawings and reviews
The municipality, public-health unit, landlord and specialist systems may each need different information. Assign who prepares, signs, submits and responds.
Plan submissions and long-lead work
The schedule should account for authority review, owner decisions, landlord approvals, equipment lead times, utility work and construction.
Build toward inspections and turnover
Track inspection, testing, deficiency and documentation needs during construction so they are not discovered at the end.
For earlier unit decisions, use the pre-lease site checklist .
Check building, public-health and grease requirements early.
Toronto Public Health advises contacting it before construction or renovation begins and submitting plans that identify kitchen equipment, utensil-washing sinks and dishwashers, handwash basins, food and waste storage, and staff change rooms or washrooms.
The City also states that food service establishments must properly install, operate and maintain grease interceptors on piping that connects directly or indirectly to the sanitary sewer. Installation or replacement requires a building permit. Use the current City guidance for the specific fixtures and operation.
Start with permitted use, occupancy and health-unit notification.
Mississauga says a new restaurant must obtain a Zoning Certificate of Occupancy. Restaurant categories, parking, separation from residential zones and drive-through rules can vary by site and use. Non-residential alterations may also require building-system and commercial-kitchen exhaust documentation.
Peel Public Health asks food businesses to report a new operation or significant changes so requirements and floor plans can be reviewed.
Food premises must follow O. Reg. 493/17.
Ontario’s Food Premises Regulation includes requirements for water, handwashing stations, refrigeration, cleanable equipment and surfaces, lighting, ventilation and sanitary facilities. Use the current regulation and the relevant health unit’s guidance.
Official sourceOntario Regulation 493/17: Food Premises ↗Continue with the project process, design-build service or service areas.
Plan the cooking line and protection systems together.
Ontario’s Fire Code states that a commercial cooking operation that produces smoke or grease-laden vapours must have an exhaust system and fire-protection equipment that meet the applicable NFPA 96 requirements, subject to the regulation’s exceptions and approval provisions.
Coordinate the cooking equipment, hood, duct route, make-up air, suppression coverage, roof and building interfaces before construction. The proposal should also identify the responsible engineering entity or design professional, specialist installer and the parties responsible for drawings, submissions, testing and final documents.
What we need to see.
- Proposed address and current use
- Lease stage and landlord criteria
- Restaurant format, menu and service model
- Existing and proposed equipment
- Available drawings, photos and utility information
- Target opening date and decision makers