Key takeaways
- The National Electrical Code requires GFCI protection for receptacles in commercial kitchens.
- Cooking, refrigeration and dish equipment usually needs dedicated circuits sized from each unit's nameplate.
- Hood fire suppression systems are typically tied to shut off power to the cooking equipment under the hood when they discharge.
- The most common surprise is a panel or service too small for the equipment list.
Restaurant electrical requirements start with the equipment list. Fryers, ovens, warmers, walk-ins, ice machines, dish machines and point of sale systems all draw power at once during a rush, in a room full of water and heat. The code is strict about kitchens for good reason, and the inspection reflects it.
GFCI protection in the kitchen
The National Electrical Code requires ground fault protection for receptacles in commercial kitchens, along with other wet and damp areas. In practice that means GFCI breakers or receptacles on the kitchen circuits, chosen so that a nuisance trip does not take down equipment that should stay running.
Dedicated circuits sized to the equipment
Most commercial kitchen equipment needs its own circuit, sized from the manufacturer's nameplate and installation instructions. Many larger units run at 208 volts and some need three-phase power. Getting the cut sheets for every piece of equipment before the electrical plan is drawn saves moving circuits later.
The hood and the fire suppression system
Kitchen hoods over cooking equipment carry a fire suppression system, and the fire code typically requires that a discharge shut off power to the electric cooking equipment under the hood. That shutoff is wired by the electrician and tested with the suppression contractor. The hood fans also need their own circuits and controls.
Walk-ins, ice and the things that cannot go dark
Walk-in coolers and freezers, ice machines and refrigeration are the equipment a restaurant loses money on when power fails. They should be on their own circuits, and many owners ask about a generator or a transfer connection for them.
Backup power for refrigeration is the same trade as backup power at home, on a larger scale. Our generator installation service explains how transfer switches and generators connect.
Where new restaurants get stuck
- A former retail suite with a panel sized for lights and a register, not a kitchen.
- Equipment changed after rough-in, so circuits no longer match.
- No three-phase service in a building where the equipment needs it.
- Emergency and exit lighting left until the end of the job.
If you are opening or remodeling a restaurant, start with our tenant build-out service and the rest of our commercial electrical services. Emergency lighting has its own testing rules, covered in emergency lighting and exit sign testing.