Free Florida Restaurant Planning Guide
Restaurant Design-Build & Renovation Guide
From Concept to CO
Plan your restaurant with a clearer path from the first property visit to opening day. Get the 36-page guide from GL Lewis Construction Services, with practical checklists for design, budgets, permits, construction and Florida approvals.
Florida Certified General Contractor
More Than 25 Years of Construction Experience
Design-Build & Preconstruction Coordination
License CGC1528896
Inside the guide
A practical roadmap for your restaurant.
For owners, operators, franchisees, investors and property teams planning a new restaurant, a tenant build-out or a renovation.
Free PDF · 36 pages · September 2026 edition
Property & feasibility
Review zoning, prior restaurant use, utilities, lease conditions and existing building capacity before committing.
Design & commercial kitchens
Coordinate the menu, equipment, workflow, exhaust, makeup air, grease management and accessible customer areas.
Budget & scope
Define inclusions, allowances, responsibilities, procurement and schedule assumptions before construction begins.
Florida approvals
Map building, fire, accessibility and food-service requirements to the agencies responsible for your project.
Construction & renovation
Plan trade coordination, inspections, occupied-site safeguards, quality checks and commissioning.
CO & opening readiness
Track final approvals, food-service licensing, training, closeout documents and the handover to operations.
Also included: a project brief worksheet, an opening-readiness checklist, a code register and official reference links.
Florida requirements
Building. Fire. Food safety. One coordinated plan.
The guide explains which requirements to investigate and who to coordinate with, so the building plans and the food-service operation can be reviewed together.
Florida Building Code
A scope and applicability map for all nine volumes: Building, Existing Building, Accessibility, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Residential, and Test Protocols for High-Velocity Hurricane Zones.
Electrical work is coordinated with the adopted National Electrical Code, NFPA 70.
Fire prevention & NFPA
Florida Fire Prevention Code coordination, including NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, plus kitchen exhaust and suppression, extinguishers, sprinklers, alarms and related standards where applicable.
The reference includes NFPA 96, 17A, 10, 13, 25 and 72 and project-dependent requirements.
Florida health & licensing
DBPR plan review and licensing, food-facility design, sanitation, equipment, employee training and opening inspections.
The guide also explains when the Florida Department of Health or FDACS may regulate an operation.
Reference basis reviewed September 25, 2026. Confirm the governing editions, amendments and project requirements with the local building and fire officials and the applicable food regulator. This guide summarizes requirements and links to the official texts; it does not reproduce the complete codes.
Official resources: Florida Building Commission · Florida State Fire Marshal · DBPR restaurant plan review · Food-regulatory jurisdiction
From concept to CO
Start with a plan. Build toward an approved opening.
Define the concept
menu, service model, seating, budget and opening goals.
Evaluate the site
zoning, building conditions, infrastructure and lease obligations.
Coordinate the design
architecture, engineering, kitchen systems and equipment.
Secure approvals
building permits, fire review and food-service plan review as required.
Build and verify
coordinate trades, inspections, startup and system testing.
Complete the opening checklist
occupancy approval, food-service authorization and owner closeout.
Common questions
Restaurant planning FAQs
The 36-page guide covers restaurant concept development, site and lease review, design coordination, commercial kitchens, Florida code and health requirements, budgeting, permits, construction, commissioning and opening readiness. It includes planning worksheets, checklists and links to official sources.
Yes. It addresses existing conditions, changes of occupancy, kitchen and dining renovations, building-system upgrades, construction phasing and turnover. The approved scope determines which upgrades and inspections apply.
A Certificate of Occupancy, or an authorized Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, addresses building occupancy. Food-service licensing, opening inspections and other required business approvals are separate. Confirm all applicable approvals before operating.
DBPR generally regulates public food-service establishments. The Florida Department of Health regulates certain institutional food-service settings, and FDACS regulates other food businesses within its jurisdiction. Confirm the regulator for the specific operation before design and licensing.
GL Lewis Construction Services provides restaurant design-build coordination, build-outs and renovations in Central Florida, with licensed architects, engineers and specialty trades as the project requires. Share your location, concept, approximate size and target opening date to start a project review.
Let’s talk about your restaurant
Have a concept or a space in mind?
Share your location, restaurant concept, approximate square footage and target opening date. GL Lewis can help identify the next design and construction steps.
Serving Central Florida coast to coast: Tampa Bay, Lakeland, Orlando, Daytona Beach, Titusville and Melbourne.
In the form, select Commercial and the service that fits your project. Include “Restaurant” and your project details in Project Information.
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Complete the required fields below. You can add drawings, photos or a shared project link if available.
Submitting a project inquiry does not commit you to a construction contract. Scope, pricing and schedule follow project review.
Your next restaurant starts with a better plan.
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