How much does a restaurant fitout cost in Sydney?
A restaurant fitout in Sydney costs between about $2,500 and $5,500 per square metre in 2026, excluding GST, kitchen equipment and base-building work. Restaurants sit in the same band as cafes but at a larger scale: a full commercial kitchen with exhaust, cool rooms, a bar with hydraulics, and a dining room that has to look the part on opening night.
Restaurant fitout rates by level of finish
| Level of finish | $ per m² | Program on site |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2,500–3,200 | 6–9 weeks |
| Mid | 3,200–4,000 | 9–13 weeks |
| Premium | 4,000–5,500 | 12–18 weeks |
Per m² of floor area, design and construct, excluding GST, equipment and base-building work. Under 80 m² add about 15%.
Basic
Existing kitchen exhaust and hydraulics kept, dining room refreshed — paint, floor, lighting, seating, bar face — kitchen equipment replaced like for like.
Mid
Re-planned kitchen behind an existing exhaust, new bar and joinery, banquette seating, feature lighting, acoustic panels, new floor and ceiling in the dining room.
Premium
New commercial kitchen with exhaust and mechanical, cool rooms, full design of the dining room and bar, bespoke joinery, feature ceiling and lighting, private dining.
Worked examples
| Floor area | Basic | Mid | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 m² | $300,000 – $384,000 | $384,000 – $480,000 | $480,000 – $660,000 |
| 200 m² | $500,000 – $640,000 | $640,000 – $800,000 | $800,000 – $1,100,000 |
| 350 m² | $875,000 – $1,120,000 | $1,120,000 – $1,400,000 | $1,400,000 – $1,925,000 |
All-in design-and-construct ranges from the September 2026 rates. Run your own floor area through the calculator.
What drives the number
- The kitchen: exhaust, mechanical make-up air, fire suppression in the canopy, cool rooms and the hydraulics behind every sink and dishwasher.
- The bar is a second kitchen for pricing purposes — glass washers, ice, drainage, refrigeration and joinery.
- Acoustics: a hard-surfaced dining room that is too loud gets a bad review in the first week, and treating it after opening costs more.
- Liquor licensing runs on its own clock through Liquor & Gaming NSW and is not part of the building approval.
Approvals
A restaurant replacing a restaurant is often complying development. A change of use into a restaurant, extended hours, live music or outdoor dining usually means a development application. Sydney Water trade waste, council food-premises registration and the liquor licence are separate approvals that run alongside the build.
What these spaces look like
Get a fixed price for your restaurant fitout
Send the floor area, the address and a few photos. Republic Design Build walks the site and comes back with one fixed price for design, construction and approvals.
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