Restaurant Fit Out Dubai: What a Turnkey Quote Covers

Key takeaways

A genuine turnkey quote for a restaurant fit out in Dubai itemises joinery, MEP, finishes, lighting, furniture and branding separately, not as one lump sum.
Provisional sums are estimates, not fixed prices. They usually sit against kitchen equipment, external signage and finishes the landlord dictates.
MEP is the section most often excluded or underpriced, especially kitchen extraction, grease trap connections and gas supply.
Dubai Municipality, Civil Defence and landlord or mall approvals carry their own costs and timelines, and these aren't always inside the headline figure.
Two quotes can only be compared fairly if both contractors priced the same scope of works and the same drawings.

A turnkey quote for a restaurant fit out in Dubai should cover everything needed to hand you a space that's ready to trade: design, approvals management, MEP, joinery, finishes, lighting, furniture and branding, each priced on its own line. At Lava Interiors + Fitout we price restaurant projects this way, because a single number hides the items that cause overruns later. This guide takes a quote section by section and shows where risk tends to sit, and what to ask before you sign.

What a Turnkey Restaurant Fit Out in Dubai Should Cover

Turnkey means one contractor takes your unit from shell and core, or its current condition, to a working restaurant under a single contract. In principle, you add stock, staff and a trade licence, then open.

Turnkey Versus Design-Only Versus Build-Only

The three models put responsibility in different places:

Design-only. A designer produces the concept, layouts, drawings and specifications. You then tender the build separately and manage the gap between the two.
Build-only. A contractor builds to someone else's drawings. Anything the drawings miss becomes a variation, and you pay for it.
Design and build, or turnkey. One party designs and builds. A true turnkey scope goes further: furniture, branding, coordination with kitchen equipment suppliers, authority submissions and handover.

In the UAE market, "restaurant design and build" and "turnkey" get used interchangeably. They don't always cover the same ground, so the scope document matters more than the label.

Why 'Turnkey' Still Needs Checking Line by Line

"Turnkey" has no fixed contractual definition. One contractor will include kitchen equipment supply. Another will treat it as client-supplied and price only the connections.

Read the exclusions list before you read the total. If it runs to a page and names kitchen equipment, signage, authority fees and landlord works, the headline figure isn't turnkey in any useful sense.

The Core Line Items a Restaurant Fit-Out Quote Should Show

Use this as a checklist against any quote. Each heading below should appear as its own priced section, with quantities and drawing references. How precise those lines are depends on what you send the contractor, so it's worth knowing what to send a contractor for an accurate price before you go to tender.

Joinery and Custom Millwork

Joinery is usually the most visible part of a restaurant, and it takes the most daily abuse. Expect separate lines for the service counter and back bar, display units and cabinets, banquettes and fixed seating, and wall cladding, screens and doors.

Each line should name the substrate (moisture-resistant MDF or marine ply near wet areas), the face material (walnut veneer, laminate, solid timber) and the hardware. "Supply and install counter as per design" is not a specification. If the quote can't tell you what the counter is made of, you can't hold the contractor to it.

At Laughing Bread, a 164 sqm bakery café in Dubai that we fitted out in 2025, the design keeps bread, pastries and coffee at the centre of the room. In a space built around the product like that, the display joinery carries the brand, so it deserves its own detailed lines in the quote.

Finishes, Flooring and Wall Treatments

Finishes should be priced by area and by material:

Floors: microcement, travertine or porcelain, with anti-slip ratings in kitchen and wet zones
Walls: lime plaster, paint systems, tiling to kitchen walls, feature cladding
Ceilings: gypsum, open ceilings with painted services, or acoustic panels and baffles

Acoustic treatment is the line most often missing. A hard-finished room with microcement floors and plaster walls can get loud at full covers. If acoustics matter to your concept, they need a priced line, not an afterthought.

Lighting and Electrical Fit-Out

Lighting should be split into fixtures and installation. Look for a luminaire schedule by type and quantity (not a single allowance), dimming and scene control for day-to-evening trading, distribution boards, small power and data points, kitchen equipment feeds, and emergency and exit lighting.

Furniture, Fixtures and Branding

Loose furniture, upholstery, menu boards, internal signage and graphics should each be listed. Watch for external signage, which is often quoted as a provisional sum because the landlord or mall must approve it first.

Provisional Sums: Where Quotes Quietly Shift Risk to You

A provisional sum is an allowance for work that hasn't been fully specified yet. When the item is finally bought, the price is adjusted to the actual cost, up or down. A quote with heavy provisional sums looks lower than it is, because the risk on those items stays with you.

Where PS Items Typically Appear

They tend to cluster around kitchen equipment, before the kitchen consultant has finalised the schedule; external signage awaiting landlord approval; finishes the landlord or mall dictates, such as shopfront glazing; decorative light fittings not yet selected; and artwork or planting.

A few PS items are normal at quote stage. A quote where a third of the value sits in allowances isn't a price. It's an estimate.

Turning a Provisional Sum Into a Fixed Price Before Site Starts

Finalise selections for every PS item: equipment model, signage drawing, light fitting code.
Ask the contractor for supplier quotations against those selections.
Convert each PS into a fixed line item in the contract.
For anything that must stay provisional, agree in writing the contractor's markup and attendance charges, and how the final figure will be approved.

MEP: The Section Most Quotes Exclude or Underprice

MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) is where restaurant budgets most often break. Kitchens need far more extraction, drainage, gas and power than retail or office units, and the base building rarely provides all of it.

Kitchen Extraction, Grease Traps and Gas Supply

Three items cause the most common gaps:

Kitchen extraction. Hood, ductwork route to the discharge point, extract fan, fresh-air make-up and any odour or grease filtration the landlord requires. A long duct run to the roof can cost far more than the hood itself.
Grease traps. Sizing, location and connection to the building drainage. Dubai Municipality's process includes approval from its Drainage department where it applies, according to its guide to food permits and approvals.
Gas supply. Piping from the central supply or cylinder area, valves, leak detection and testing, usually by a specialist contractor.

If any of these says "by others" or "by client", find out who the others are and what they will charge.

Chiller Plant, Drainage and Power Upgrades

Next come the base-building interfaces: fan coil units and their connection to the landlord's chilled water or district cooling, plus the extra cooling load a hot kitchen adds; floor drains, falls and connections for dishwash, pot wash and handwash points; and power upgrades when kitchen equipment exceeds the unit's allocated load.

Why MEP Scope Should Be Named, Not Assumed

Every MEP item should be named, quantified and tied to a drawing. There's a second reason beyond cost. Under Dubai Municipality's Food Code, once a layout is approved, changes that affect it need prior approval. That includes adding, removing or moving major fixed equipment, drainage work, and windows and ventilation in production areas. An MEP item forgotten at quote stage and added mid-project can trigger a fresh submission as well as a variation. Minor alterations that don't change the layout or the flow of work, such as shelving in a store room, don't need prior approval under the same code.

Approvals and Authority Fees: What's Included, What's Not

A restaurant fit out company in Dubai should manage the submissions. The authority fees themselves are often passed through at cost or paid directly by the owner. A good quote says which, line by line.

Dubai Municipality and Civil Defence

Dubai Municipality sets out the order of approvals for a food establishment:

No-objection certificate (NOC) from the landlord
Approval from DM's Planning department, and its Drainage department where applicable
Layout Assessment by permit officers at Al Kifaf centre, required before construction and before opening

The same guide says the most common reason for rejection is not meeting the Food Code. The Food Code requires layouts for new or renovated food establishments to be approved by the Food Control Department before construction starts. The layout plan must show food handling, cooking, cleaning, storage and seating areas, sanitary fittings and restrooms, windows and mechanical ventilation, the equipment layout, exits and entrances, and pot washing, dish washing and handwashing facilities, as listed in the Food Code. Check dm.gov.ae for the current edition, as the code is updated from time to time.

A practical test: does the quote's design deliverables list cover every item on that list? If not, the contractor hasn't planned for the submission.

Civil Defence approval runs as a separate track, with its own drawings and inspections for fire and life safety systems. It's worth understanding what Civil Defence approval for fit-out actually involves before you compare quotes, since its timeline sits alongside, not inside, the Dubai Municipality process above.

Landlord and Mall Fit-Out Guidelines

Malls and landlords issue fit-out manuals that add their own costs: design review fees, security deposits, insurance requirements, restricted working hours and, in some buildings, nominated contractors for sprinkler or fire alarm tie-ins. The quote should state whether these are included or excluded.

Comparing Two Restaurant Fit-Out Quotes Side by Side

Two quotes for the same restaurant can differ widely. Usually the reason is scope, not efficiency.

Matching Scope Before Matching Price

Send every bidder the same drawings, specifications and bill of quantities. If each contractor prices their own reading of a brief, you're comparing interpretations, not prices. A full tender pack checklist helps you issue a pack that any contractor can price on the same basis.

A Simple Line-Item Comparison Table

Mark each line in each quote as Included (fixed price), PS (provisional sum) or Excluded:

Design and authority drawings: Quote A: Included; Quote B: Included; What to check: Covers every Food Code layout requirement
Joinery and millwork: Quote A: Included; Quote B: Included; What to check: Substrate, veneer and hardware specified
Finishes and acoustics: Quote A: Included; Quote B: Excluded (acoustics); What to check: Areas measured against drawings
Lighting fixtures: Quote A: PS; Quote B: Included; What to check: Luminaire schedule, not a lump allowance
Kitchen extraction and ductwork: Quote A: Excluded; Quote B: Included; What to check: Full duct route to discharge point
Grease trap and drainage: Quote A: Included; Quote B: PS; What to check: Size and connection point stated
Gas installation: Quote A: Excluded; Quote B: Excluded; What to check: Who supplies, tests and certifies
Chilled water and power upgrades: Quote A: PS; Quote B: Included; What to check: Landlord interface charges named
Kitchen equipment: Quote A: PS; Quote B: Client supply; What to check: Model schedule attached
Furniture and branding: Quote A: Included; Quote B: Included; What to check: Quantities and finishes listed
External signage: Quote A: PS; Quote B: PS; What to check: Subject to landlord approval
Authority and landlord fees: Quote A: Excluded; Quote B: Pass-through at cost; What to check: Who pays, and when

Once every line is filled in, add the cost of the exclusions and the realistic value of the PS items to each total. The cheaper quote often stops being the cheaper one.

What to Ask Before You Sign a Restaurant Fit-Out Contract

A restaurant design and build contract works best when one party is accountable for the whole result. These questions test whether you actually have that.

Questions on Scope and Exclusions

Which items are fixed price, which are provisional, and what's the total value of each?
What exactly is excluded, and who is responsible for each exclusion?
Is all kitchen MEP, including extraction, grease trap and gas, inside your scope?
What markup applies to variations and provisional sums?
How do you manage quality and site safety? Ask to see the process, and read up on why ISO-certified fit-out processes matter.

Questions on Approvals and Timelines

Which submissions do you prepare and manage: landlord, Dubai Municipality, Civil Defence?
Which authority fees are included, and which are paid directly by us?
When is the DM layout submitted relative to site start?
What happens to the programme if an authority asks for changes?
Who signs off at handover, and what documents do we receive?

At African Pot in Ras Al Khaimah, a 165 sqm restaurant fit-out built around natural materials and warm textures, the brief was comfort, a strong visual identity and smooth operational flow. That last part depends on the questions above being answered before site starts, not during it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a restaurant fit out cost per square foot in Dubai?

There's no reliable single figure, because cost depends on the unit's condition, the kitchen's MEP demands, the finishes and the landlord's requirements. A shell unit with no extraction route costs far more to fit out than a second-generation restaurant with services already in place. The useful number is a fully itemised quote against your own drawings.

What's the difference between a turnkey quote and a design-and-build quote?

A design-and-build quote covers design and construction under one contract. A turnkey quote should go further, to furniture, branding, equipment coordination, approvals management and handover, so the restaurant is ready to trade. Contractors use both terms loosely, so check the scope and exclusions rather than the label.

Who pays Civil Defence approval costs in a restaurant fit out?

The contractor usually prepares and manages the submission, but the fees are often passed through to the owner or excluded from the headline price. Your quote should state clearly which applies.

What should be included under kitchen MEP in a restaurant fit out quote?

At minimum: extraction hood, ductwork to the discharge point, fresh-air make-up, grease trap and drainage connections, gas piping and testing, power feeds for equipment, and cooling for the kitchen. Each should be named and quantified against drawings. Any item marked "by others" needs a named party and a price.

How long does a restaurant fit out take once a quote is signed?

It depends on the size of the unit, the extent of MEP work, lead times for joinery and equipment, and how quickly landlord and authority approvals come through. Dubai Municipality requires layout approval before construction starts, so the approvals period sits ahead of the site programme. Ask your contractor for a programme that shows approvals and construction as separate phases.

Can a provisional sum increase after the contract is signed?

Yes. A provisional sum is adjusted to the actual cost of the item once it's bought, so it can rise as well as fall. To limit the risk, convert PS items into fixed prices before site starts, or agree the markup and approval process for any that remain.

If you want a restaurant fit out quote that names every line item instead of hiding them, start your project with Lava. Lava Interiors + Fitout prices your design, MEP, approvals and build on one itemised contract.