All You Need to Know about Restaurant Construction Regulations

The rules of restaurant construction are a lot to digest. Explore key concerns in construction compliance and how to choose a General Contractor.

Key Takeaways:

• Restaurant regulations can be national, state, or regional
• Meeting zoning requirements is essential to building a restaurant
• Fire safety is a construction priority
• Access and amenities for disabled patrons must be built in starting from the design stage
• Working with a knowledgeable and reliable General Contractor helps you adhere to compliance regulations

Owning and operating a successful restaurant can be one of the most rewarding achievements in business. Making regulatory compliance your top priority is crucial to realizing this vision. In the restaurant sector, that means obeying national, state, and regional regulations that can make or break your dream.

Independent owners must do everything the authorities expect before opening their doors to the public. Read our introduction to some key regulations and regulatory bodies so you can ensure your location is compliant.

OSHA and the NFPA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Labor. It sets and enforces standards to protect employees and any customers or visitors on a worksite. OSHA’s restaurant rules apply before opening your doors, whether you’re still in the conceptualization stage or already operating. Here are some practices that can help avoid penalties:

• Construct floors to ensure there are no gaps or dangerous protrusions that may cause an accident
• Add proper graded drainage around bars and sink areas to prevent water pooling and to safely dispose of cooking overflow or spills
• Provide adequately cooled and air-conditioned rest spaces for employees to avoid heat-related exhaustion and dehydration
• Create storage for any flammable liquids away from cooking spaces
• Distribute regularly tested fire extinguishers around the site as part of a continuously logged fire prevention plan

You can use this map to find your local OSHA office and ask about restaurant construction regulations in your area. Independent owners should also subscribe to OSHA’s biweekly newsletter for the latest enforcement and compliance news.

Fire prevention, safety, and evacuation are critical concerns in restaurant construction. The National Fire Prevention Agency (NFPA) now requires new constructions to incorporate sprinklers into their design, as well as Class K fire extinguishers and wet-chemical extinguisher systems.

Restaurants with an occupant load of more than 50 people must have a main entrance constructed to allow for half that number in the event of fire. All other exit paths must be designed to be clear of obstructions like tables and chairs. You can contact the NFPA for comprehensive information on their restaurant construction regulations and take advantage of free access to their codes and standards.

Positioning and structuring your restaurant space

Restaurants can’t be constructed just anywhere. The structure must be in a zone permitted for this specific purpose – and permission to construct in a zone is only the beginning of regulatory compliance. Further “bulk” standards must be met by incorporating them into your planning and design stage. These include, but are not limited to:

• Constructing compliant restaurant loading/unloading and delivery spaces
• Not exceeding the permitted number of parking spaces
• Designing sufficiently large and clearly designated ingress and egress points related to your site’s seating capacity, which itself may be limited by local regulations
• Constructing the restaurant in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations in terms of building accessibility, the design of fixed seating and tables, and more (here’s a handy checklist).

Zoning is one of the most localized aspects of restaurant construction regulations. You can contact your local zoning office or planning commission to assess the suitability of a potential construction site and what will be expected from you as you build.

Restaurant restroom construction regulations for employees and patrons

It’s required by federal law to construct the minimum number of employee bathrooms separated for each sex. This minimum figure depends on the size of your staff, as dictated in this OSHA chart. The size of your site will also dictate if you can supply separate employee and patron restrooms or if they must be combined. It’s also possible that your site may not be large enough that it isn’t legally required to have a restroom at all.

Both staff and patrons may have disability requirements that must be considered during restroom construction. Therefore, restaurateurs must make restrooms compliant with ADA regulations by adding ramp or level access, wider doors and stalls, grab bars, and other accessibility accommodations. Pathways to restrooms should be designed to allow easy passage for all and to ensure nobody passes close to food preparation or storage areas when accessing and leaving these facilities.

This overview demonstrates how compliance is more than meeting building regulations. It’s about shared safety, inclusivity, and hospitality – three pillars of any caring restaurant’s business model. One surefire way to meet regulations and accommodate the public is selecting a General Contractor that knows restaurant construction inside and out.

Choosing the right General Contractor

Building your restaurant takes a partner at the forefront of custom construction and one who will share your passion in realizing your vision. The best companies do it all: design, development, and construction, so the restaurant meets your desired specifications and all the necessary regulatory standards.

Working with a licensed and experienced operator also means you’ll be able to provide regulatory agencies with all the data they need every step of the way, from the initial plans until you’re presented with your Certificate of Occupancy.

Make sure you choose a General Contractor with extensive knowledge of restaurant building. Their expertise will help keep construction on schedule and help you avoid costly delays, fines, or after-the-fact alterations. 

Contact RPC General Contractors with any questions

RPC General Contractors is a family. Although we pride ourselves in providing a comprehensive all-in-one solution that helps independent owners bring buildings to life, what really makes RPC different is our proud history of supporting our people in a way that helps them grow and evolve. That internal culture has allowed us to pass confidently through every stage of construction, from restaurants and retail sites to condos and country clubs for over 35 years.

Our talented team has accumulated decades of experience across multiple disciplines. Just contact us to receive a free estimate on your restaurant project!