Restaurant and café fit-out in Dubai: front of house and kitchen under one contract
Widget Tech fits out restaurants and cafés in Dubai under one contract: the front of house you show customers and the kitchen, extraction, drainage and fire systems behind it, with one contact from site visit to opening day. Restaurant fit-out contractors who only do the pretty half leave you managing the hard half yourself.
What does a restaurant fit-out include?
Two halves that have to be built together: the front of house (seating, counter, flooring, ceilings, lighting, washrooms) and the back of house (kitchen layout, extraction and fresh air, drainage and grease trap, gas or electric cooking services, cold rooms, fire suppression). Under one contract the kitchen services are in before the front-of-house finishes go on.
| Front of house | Back of house |
|---|---|
| Counter and bar joinery | Kitchen extraction hood and ducting, fresh-air supply |
| Seating layout, flooring, ceilings, lighting | Drainage falls, floor gullies, grease trap |
| Washrooms and accessibility | Cold room and dry store power and cooling |
| Shopfront, signage-ready fascia | Fire suppression over cooking line, fire detection |
| AC balanced for a full room | Cooking gas or electrical capacity, water heaters |
How long does a café or restaurant fit-out take?
A small café in an existing unit can be weeks; a full restaurant with a new kitchen and extraction is months, and the extraction route often decides the programme. You get a dated programme with the quote, and the opening date drives every decision after that.
How much does a restaurant fit-out cost in Dubai?
The kitchen is where the money goes: extraction, drainage, fire suppression and the equipment services cost more than the seating area, and they are the part you cannot skimp on. The price depends on unit size, whether an extraction route exists, kitchen equipment load, front-of-house material grade, and the timeline. We quote after a site visit, itemised by trade.
What approvals does a restaurant fit-out need in Dubai?
Restaurants carry more approvals than any other fit-out: the building’s fit-out NOC, Civil Defence for fire suppression and detection, and food-premises requirements from the relevant authority for the kitchen layout and finishes. We tell you which apply to your unit at the site visit and we handle the submissions.
Why one contractor for the whole restaurant?
Because the kitchen and the dining room share a ceiling, a floor and a drainage run. When separate contractors build them, the extraction duct arrives after the ceiling is closed and the grease trap after the floor is tiled. One contract, one sequence, one snag list.
Which areas of Dubai do you cover?
JLT, Dubai Marina, Business Bay, Downtown, Jumeirah, Al Quoz, Deira and across Dubai. Dubai only.
Frequently asked questions
Do you supply kitchen equipment?+
We build the services for it and coordinate with your equipment supplier so power, gas, water and drainage land where each unit needs them.
Can you fit out a café in a mall?+
Yes. Mall units have their own fit-out guidelines and inspection stages; we work to them and include them in the programme.
Do you do restaurant renovation, not just new fit-out?+
Yes. Refreshing a trading restaurant in phases, often overnight, is common work for us.
Do you offer maintenance after opening?+
Yes. If you own or manage the whole building, yes, under a building maintenance contract. A single restaurant is covered by the written warranty on the fit-out.
Get a written quote for your restaurant or café fit-out
Send the floor plan or a few photos of the unit and your opening date. We visit, then send a written quote and programme itemised by trade.
Prefer WhatsApp? Message us or call +971 50 108 3786. Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00.
We use your details only to reply and prepare your quote. See our privacy policy.
Get in touch directly
Villa, kitchen, bathroom and building renovation, office, restaurant and retail fit-out, MEP works and annual maintenance. Dubai only.
Widget Tech · Sarah Building, Office 301, Al Garhoud, Dubai, U.A.E. · +971 50 108 3786 · info@thewidgettech.com · Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00