CKHQCommercial Kitchen HQ
Guides

Commercial Kitchen Guides

Plain-English answers to the code, cost and equipment questions every operator asks — the knowledge equipment sellers don’t publish. Educational, not legal or tax advice; confirm with your local authority.

Requirements & code

What Equipment Is Required in a Commercial Kitchen?
The equipment a health department requires in a commercial kitchen — 3-compartment sink, hand sinks, NSF refrigeration, hood, mop sink and more — from the FDA Food Code.
Commercial Kitchen Health Inspection Checklist
How to pass a restaurant health inspection: the temperatures, handwashing, sanitizing, storage and documentation inspectors check — and the most common violations.
Commercial Kitchen Permits & Licenses
The permits and licenses to open a commercial kitchen: food establishment permit, plan review, business license, food-manager certification, fire and zoning — and the order to get them.
Commercial Kitchen Electrical Requirements
Commercial kitchen electrical basics: dedicated circuits, voltage and phase (120/208/240V, single vs three-phase), GFCI, nameplate amps, hood interlocks — and why you need a licensed electrician.
Is There a Minimum Size for a Commercial Kitchen?
Is there a minimum commercial kitchen size? There's no single national number — space is driven by your equipment, code clearances and workflow. How to figure out how small you can go.
Hot Water Requirements for a Commercial Kitchen
Hot water requirements for a commercial kitchen: hand sinks capable of 100°F, manual hot-water sanitizing at 171°F, and sizing a water heater that passes plan review.
What Does NSF Certified Mean for Kitchen Equipment?
What NSF certified means for commercial kitchen equipment, why health departments require it, how to spot the mark, and whether ETL Sanitation counts.

Planning & cost

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Restaurant?
What it costs to open a restaurant and what drives the number — build-out, equipment, permits, deposits and working capital — plus how operators finance it.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Food Truck?
What it costs to start a food truck — the truck, the build-out, equipment, permits and a commissary — and where the number really comes from.
Section 179, Financing & Leasing Restaurant Equipment
How Section 179, bonus depreciation, equipment loans and leasing work for restaurant equipment — and how to decide lease vs buy. Not tax advice; confirm current-year limits.
Buying Used Restaurant Equipment: What to Check
How to buy used commercial kitchen equipment without getting burned: what to inspect, whether the warranty transfers, code/NSF traps, and where used actually makes sense.

Equipment know-how

Commercial Refrigeration Refrigerants: R-290, HFCs & the EPA Phase-Down
A plain-English guide to commercial refrigeration refrigerants: R-290 (propane), the HFC phase-down under the EPA AIM Act, A2L refrigerants, GWP, and when Freon was banned.
Gas vs Electric Commercial Kitchen Equipment
Gas vs electric for commercial kitchen equipment — energy cost, heat control, installation and utilities, ventilation, and local gas restrictions — and how to decide.
Requirements by state
Who licenses you and the rules where you operate.
Calculators & tools
Size a kitchen exhaust hood, and more planning tools.