Before you request equipment or fit-out prices, bring the main project information together. This checklist helps restaurant, café, hotel and food-business teams prepare a useful starting brief. It is a planning aid; final technical requirements need to be checked for your actual site.
1. Describe the business and menu
Write a short description of the business, its menu and how food is served. A bakery, a restaurant cooking to order and a delivery kitchen can share equipment categories while using them in very different ways.
Note the busiest service period rather than relying only on an average day. Explain what is prepared ahead of time, what is cooked to order and what needs to be held or displayed. The equipment discussion can then follow the operating brief.
- Business type and service style
- Draft menu and preparation steps
- Peak demand and operating hours
2. Map how work moves through the kitchen
Sketch the route from receiving and storage to preparation, cooking and service. Include the return route for used utensils and dishes. Look for tasks that compete for the same work surface or require staff to move repeatedly across the room.
The aim is a workable conversation with the designer, not a finished technical drawing. Record the problems in an existing kitchen, such as storage being far from preparation or washing taking space from service.
- Receiving and storage
- Preparation, cooking and service
- Dish return, washing and clean storage
3. List equipment by task
Group equipment into cooking, refrigeration, cold rooms, food preparation, warewashing, bakery and pastry, stainless steel, and buffet or display. Mark each item as new, retained or still undecided.
For each major appliance, capture what it needs to do and any known size or connection requirements. Do not treat a model name alone as a specification. Current manufacturer information is needed before checking final fit and utility requirements.
- New and retained equipment
- Tasks and capacities to discuss
- Current model information where available
4. Record the site and utility information
Collect the floor plan or measured dimensions and take clear site photographs. Include delivery doors, lifts, service access and areas that may restrict installation.
Record what is known about power, water, drainage and existing HVAC. If information is missing, mark it as a question for the site survey rather than making a guess. Kitchen exhaust, fresh air and duct routes should be considered with the proposed cooking equipment.
- Plans, dimensions and site photos
- Delivery and service access
- Power, water, drainage and HVAC questions
5. Separate the fit-out scope
Explain whether the enquiry covers equipment supply, HVAC, interiors or all three. List flooring, wall cladding, ceilings, partitions, lighting, electrical, plumbing and drainage work you expect to discuss.
Identify work by other teams and any building restrictions already known. A clear division of scope helps avoid comparing a complete package with a quotation that covers only one part of it.
- Equipment, HVAC and interior scope
- Included work and work by others
- Building information and restrictions
6. Agree priorities and handover needs
Share the intended opening period, budget priorities and any decisions that must be made early. If budget information is not final, explain which areas are essential and which can be reviewed as options.
Ask what will be checked at handover, which operating information will be provided and what support needs to be agreed. Keep a list of unanswered questions with the project brief so they can be resolved at the next discussion.
- Opening period and budget priorities
- Testing, operating information and training
- Outstanding decisions and support needs
