Restaurant Fit-Out Contractors in London
LCC delivers restaurant, café, bar and hospitality fit-outs across London for operators, brands, landlords and developers. Our projects include Kintan Japanese BBQ at Oxford Circus and High Holborn, Yakiniku Like!! at Westfield Stratford City, Ginza Onodera in St James's and Haidilao Hot Pot on Gran Vía, Madrid.
These projects need careful coordination because the finished space has to work for the business, not just look right. A restaurant may need kitchen infrastructure, extraction, ventilation, drainage, extra electrical capacity, fire safety and specialist finishes.
We coordinate the construction and specialist services needed to hand over a space that is ready to trade.
Restaurant & Hospitality Fit-Out
A restaurant fit-out has to balance the dining room guests see with the technical systems behind it. Works can include partitions, ceilings, flooring, lighting, decorative finishes, commercial kitchens, extraction, ventilation, drainage, electrical installations, fire safety systems and bespoke joinery.
The kitchen, front of house and building services should be planned together from day one. Moving a cooking line, for example, changes the duct route, the ceiling and sometimes the planning position.
Commercial Kitchens
The kitchen sets the layout for the rest of the restaurant. We plan it with the operator and the kitchen equipment supplier, then build in the services it needs: gas, power, water, drainage with grease management, and extraction.
Finishes are chosen to be durable and easy to clean, so the kitchen is ready for the Environmental Health inspection before opening. For established brands, we work from the brand guidelines and coordinate the specialist suppliers to match them.
MEP, Extraction & Ventilation
Building services matter most in restaurants. Ventilation, extraction, power, hot water, drainage, refrigeration and kitchen equipment must all fit the architectural layout.
External ductwork and plant can need planning permission and landlord consent. Councils usually also look at odour control (filters, carbon or electrostatic units) and plant noise before approving them, often with an odour or noise assessment. Settling this before the interior design is fixed avoids costly redesigns later.
Frontage & Bespoke Joinery
The frontage is the first thing diners see. We coordinate shopfront alterations, entrance doors, glazing, signage interfaces and bespoke joinery as part of the wider fit-out.
Internal joinery can include counters, bars, servery units, banquettes, booth seating, storage and feature elements. Shopfront and signage changes often need planning permission or advertisement consent, especially in conservation areas.
Licence to Alter & Landlord Approvals
Restaurants in shopping centres and managed estates usually need landlord approval before work starts. Landlords such as shopping centre operators typically ask for drawings, M&E designs, a fire strategy, extraction details, method statements, RAMS and insurance, and set rules on working hours and deliveries.
We prepare or coordinate the Licence to Alter package and work to the landlord's fit-out guide. This is often the step that decides the opening date, so we start it early.
Selected projects
Restaurant fit-out in practice
A few examples of this work from our recent projects.
Yakiniku Like!!
Westfield Stratford City, London
Haidilao Hot Pot
Piccadilly Circus, London
Kintan Japanese BBQ
Oxford Circus, LondonFrequently asked questions
How much does a restaurant fit-out cost in London?
The main cost drivers are the unit's condition (shell, or an existing restaurant), the size of the kitchen, the extraction route, electrical capacity, drainage, finishes, joinery and equipment. Landlord and planning requirements can also add work. We review the unit and your design before preparing a budget, so the quotation reflects what the site actually needs.
How long does a restaurant fit-out take?
The build itself is often the shorter part. The full programme includes design, planning, landlord approval, Building Regulations and ordering specialist equipment, which can have long lead times.
Do I need planning permission to open a restaurant?
It depends on the current use. Since 2020, shops, cafés, restaurants and offices sit in the same Use Class E, so moving between them often needs no change-of-use permission. Pubs, bars and hot food takeaways are outside Class E and usually need planning permission. External works, such as extraction flues or a new shopfront, may need permission whatever the use, and the existing permission or lease can add restrictions.
Does restaurant extraction need planning permission?
External ducts, flues and roof plant usually need planning permission, and often landlord consent too. Councils typically ask for details of odour control and plant noise, so the system should be designed with these in mind from the start.
How is odour and noise from a restaurant controlled?
Odour is controlled with filtration such as grease filters, carbon filters or electrostatic units, sized to the type of cooking. Noise from fans and condensers is controlled with careful plant selection, attenuators and acoustic enclosures. A specialist assessment is often required for the planning application.
Can LCC deliver a commercial kitchen?
Yes. We coordinate the building works and services for commercial kitchens, including ventilation, extraction, drainage, grease management, gas and electrical supplies. Kitchen equipment design is coordinated with specialist kitchen suppliers.
What do shopping centre landlords require before a fit-out?
Usually a full design pack for approval, including drawings, M&E details, fire strategy, RAMS and insurance, followed by a Licence to Alter. Many centres also have fit-out guides covering working hours, deliveries and inspections. We have worked to these rules at Westfield Stratford City.
What should I check before signing a restaurant lease?
Check the permitted use, whether an extraction route is possible, electrical capacity, drainage, access, landlord restrictions, structure and fire requirements. A short pre-lease review of the unit can identify problems before you commit.