Café fit-out costs can vary dramatically depending on the condition of the space, the furniture and fittings you choose (a chair can cost £50 or £500!) and the shell you start with. A unit with working extraction, drainage and a good floor is one cost, while a bare shell that needs all three can be very different.
The Welsh Harp Cafe by New Makers Bureau
The biggest costs are often the ones customers never see, particularly if you are the first tenant in a shell and core space - ventilation, mechanical systems etc. Indeed, extraction and air conditioning costs can often catch clients out. Most cafés in new buildings, or above a certain size, will need air conditioning, and a café serving hot food also needs a properly specified extract system with a route to discharge it. If the unit has no ductwork, adding it could cost more than the kitchen equipment it serves! An external flue may also need landlord consent or planning permission, so it is important to check this before you sign a lease. Also making sure to factor it into the design programme.
Cafe worktop made from recycled London plane trees
After extraction and air conditioning, look at drainage and connections into the foul water network. Check the electrical capacity for your equipment, and think about accessible WC provision and building control sign-off. Again, often first time clients can overlook these steps and not factor them into the timeline.
Budgeting properly for services means you won't be caught short on finishes and fittings. Creating the right atmosphere is the most important part of the project, but it has to be backed up by the technical compliance.
Getting a sense check on likely costs before you commit to a unit is vital, because the condition of the shell can move the number more than the design costs may.
Commercial Fit-Out, Week by Week
Change of Use Planning Permission
