Restaurant renovation Dubai: costs, approvals, timeline
A restaurant renovation in Dubai is the upgrade of a venue that is already trading. Expect AED 1,500 to 4,500 per m2 and 6 to 14 weeks, and expect to keep trading through most of it.
Why work with Monde
- Commercial renovation and fit out across the UAE for offices, retail, F&B and hospitality
- In-house workforce of 50+ specialists under our own licence
- Dedicated project managers who own the programme and the snag list
- Google rating of 5.0 from 3 reviews
- UAE-wide coverage with F&B project experience in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi
Restaurant renovation vs restaurant fit out in Dubai
A renovation upgrades a live venue. A fit out builds an outlet from a shell and core unit. That single difference drives almost every cost and programme decision that follows.
In a fit out you choose the layout. In a renovation the layout already exists, and so does everything behind it. The grease line slope, the floor drains, the ceiling void, the DEWA supply capacity, the acoustic separation from the unit above and the Civil Defence approval for the existing hood system all come from the previous design. You work with them or you pay to change them.
There is also the building around you. Malls and towers usually want an approved contractor list, night delivery windows and a work permit for every shift. Building age matters too. A 2016 unit in Dubai Marina behaves very differently from a 2004 unit in Deira.
If you are starting from a new unit instead, our restaurant fit out Dubai costs and approvals guide covers that route. This page is for trading venues.
What a restaurant renovation costs in Dubai in 2026
Front of house refresh runs AED 1,500 to 2,800 per m2. A full kitchen refit runs AED 2,500 to 4,500 per m2. Combined scopes usually land between AED 2,000 and 3,500 per m2.
| Scope | Rate band | Typical coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Front of house refresh | AED 1,500 to 2,800 per m2 | Flooring, ceilings, lighting, joinery, paint, seating fixes, washroom upgrades |
| Full kitchen refit | AED 2,500 to 4,500 per m2 | Cooking line, cold rooms, exhaust hood, grease trap, drainage, electrical and plumbing upgrades |
| Front of house plus kitchen | AED 2,000 to 3,500 per m2 | The combined scope most trading venues need |
Worked example: a 180 m2 restaurant in Dubai Marina renovating front of house, kitchen and MEP lands between AED 480,000 and 620,000 over 9 weeks.
- Front of house: AED 250,000
- Kitchen and back of house: AED 175,000
- MEP, exhaust and grease: AED 95,000
- Permits, drawings and consultant fees: AED 35,000
That is AED 555,000, or roughly AED 3,080 per m2. Excluded from the bands: loose furniture, cooking equipment purchase, POS and IT, external signage and landlord charges. Ask for those as a separate schedule.
Location moves the number. A 2004 unit in Deira with shallow ceiling voids and legacy drainage can add 10 to 15 percent to the same scope. A comparable project in Sharjah or Abu Dhabi prices differently again because authority fees, inspection schedules and labour rates vary by emirate.
Circulation and lighting handed back after the first phase of a restaurant renovation.
How to renovate without closing the restaurant
You renovate a trading restaurant by splitting the floor into zones, working nights on the closed zone and handing back a finished zone before opening the next one. Full closure is only needed for the kitchen cutover.
- Survey and phasing plan. Map the kitchen, the risers, the DEWA supply and the trading pattern. Agree how many covers you can lose on a Friday night.
- Permits and isolation. Submit renovation drawings, update the DET activity if the menu changes, and book DEWA and Civil Defence isolations early.
- Strip out at night. Demolition, ceiling removal and dust work happen behind hoarding between 11pm and 6am.
- Temporary front of house. Move service to a secondary area with a temporary counter, lighting and a shortened menu.
- Kitchen cutover. The new line, exhaust and drainage connect during your two or three quietest trading days.
- Snag and full cover. Joint snag walk, defects list, staged return to the full menu.
The site was clean when they left. We needed them fast on a running job. They finished the renovation on time. Good work from start to end. Davranbek Tashbayev, 5 out of 5, Google review
Approvals you must re-open for a restaurant renovation
Most renovations need five approvals re-opened, even when the layout barely moves.
- DET trade licence activity. If the renovation changes what you cook or serve, the activity has to be updated.
- Dubai Municipality permits, or DDA and Trakhees in free zone and developer controlled areas. Drawings, contractor registration and site permits.
- Civil Defence re-approval. Any change to the hood, suppression, gas line, exits or seating capacity triggers a fresh submission.
- DEWA load changes. New cooking equipment, extra cold rooms or a heavier AC load means an application for additional load and a new inspection.
- Grease exhaust and kitchen ventilation. Hood, duct route, grease trap, make-up air and discharge point must meet current requirements, not the ones in place when the unit was built.
Missing one of these is what turns a 9 week renovation into a 14 week renovation.
Timeline and the hidden cost lines
A phased renovation runs 6 to 14 weeks. Six weeks is a finishes refresh with no kitchen work. Fourteen weeks is a full kitchen refit with MEP and a Civil Defence resubmission.
The week by week programme
- Weeks 1 to 2: survey, measured drawings, phasing plan, permit submission
- Weeks 3 to 4: isolations, hoarding, strip out, temporary front of house
- Weeks 5 to 7: first zone ceilings, MEP rough in, lighting and flooring
- Weeks 6 to 9: kitchen refit, exhaust, drainage, equipment setting
- Weeks 9 to 11: finishes, joinery, tiling, final connections
- Weeks 11 to 12: inspections, Civil Defence and DEWA sign off, snag walk
- Weeks 13 to 14: staged reopen and defects close out
MEP and layout drawings set the permit submission and the phasing plan.
MEP, kitchen exhaust and acoustics
These three lines move most. MEP is 20 to 30 percent of a combined renovation. New kitchen ducting with a grease trap adds AED 60,000 to 150,000, and more if the duct is chased through a slab. Acoustics matter in mixed use buildings, because a new extract fan on a shared roof can put you in front of the building owner within a week. Price all three before you sign, not after strip out.
How to choose a commercial renovation contractor in Dubai
Compare contractors on five things: who employs the trades, who owns the programme, who handles permits, how defects close, and whether they will work nights.
Monde is a commercial renovation and fit out contractor in Dubai and works UAE-wide with an in-house team of 50+ specialists under its own licence. The tilers, electricians and ductwork crew are ours, not a rotating chain of subcontractors, and every job has a named project manager on site.
I have seen the work and site coordination of Monde Arabian Building Contracting LLC, and I can say their team is professional and well organized. hayat Berhe, 5 out of 5, Google review
Send floor plans and the trading hours you cannot lose, and we will price the phasing with the build. You can book a restaurant renovation site survey on WhatsApp or phone at +971 54 494 1092. For other project types, see more commercial fit out and renovation guides.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to renovate a restaurant in Dubai?
Front of house refresh runs AED 1,500 to 2,800 per m2 and a full kitchen refit runs AED 2,500 to 4,500 per m2. A combined renovation of a 180 m2 venue in Dubai Marina typically lands between AED 480,000 and 620,000 over about 9 weeks. Loose furniture, cooking equipment and signage are usually excluded.
Can I renovate my restaurant without closing it in Dubai?
Yes, if the scope can be phased. Split the floor into zones, run demolition and dust work at night behind hoarding, and move service to a temporary front of house. Most venues lose full trading only during the kitchen cutover, which is normally two or three days.
Do I need new approvals to renovate an existing restaurant in Dubai?
Usually yes. Expect a DET activity check, Dubai Municipality, DDA or Trakhees permits, Civil Defence re-approval for any hood, gas, exit or capacity change, and a DEWA load application if equipment changes. Even a finishes only refresh needs a permit if you touch ceilings, lighting circuits or partitions.
How long does a restaurant renovation take in Dubai?
Plan for 6 to 14 weeks. A finishes refresh is around 6 to 8 weeks, while a full kitchen refit with MEP and Civil Defence resubmission runs 12 to 14 weeks. Permit lead times of 3 to 6 weeks sit inside that programme, not before it.
What is the difference between a restaurant fit out and a restaurant renovation in Dubai?
A fit out delivers a new outlet from a shell and core unit with no existing services. A renovation upgrades a venue that is already trading, so it works around existing MEP, existing approvals and live kitchen equipment. Renovation often costs more per m2 because the existing conditions set the rules.
