Restaurant Spaces for Fall

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

AUV (Average Unit Volume)

Annual sales generated by a single restaurant location. Operators use AUV, together with capex per unit, to underwrite a new site before signing a lease, so it is the number most often quoted when a brand defends a prototype at a development meeting.

2

Front-of-house (FOH)

All guest-facing space and operations: entry, dining room, bar, restrooms and service stations. FOH layouts drive seat counts, circulation and the labour model for a new unit.

3

Back-of-house (BOH)

Kitchen, prep, dish, storage, walk-in and staff areas. BOH planning covers equipment clearances, hood and ventilation runs, utility drops and the delivery path from the back door to the line.

4

Prototype design

The standardised building-and-interior package a multi-unit brand replicates across markets, with defined square footage, kitchen line-up, finish schedules and signage. Deviations from prototype usually require a formal design exception.

5

Site selection

The scoring and approval process for a new location: trade area demographics, co-tenancy, visibility, access and turning movements, parking, drive-thru stacking and rent. Development teams typically review a site package before a lease is signed.

6

Tenant improvement (TI) allowance

The contribution a landlord makes toward a tenant's build-out, usually expressed as dollars per square foot and negotiated alongside rent, term and exclusivity in the lease.

7

FF&E

Furniture, fixtures and equipment - the specified tables, seating, millwork, lighting, signage and loose equipment that sit outside the base building and MEP scope. FF&E schedules are a core deliverable in restaurant design packages.

8

Design-build

A delivery model in which one contract covers both design and construction, compressing schedule and shifting coordination risk to a single entity. Common for fast-casual rollouts with tight openings.

9

Owner's representative

The operator-side lead who manages budget, schedule, contractors and vendors on a build-out, and who signs off change orders before they hit the development budget.

10

Rent-to-sales ratio

Occupancy cost (base rent plus taxes, insurance and common-area charges) expressed as a percentage of unit sales. It is the fastest screen a real estate team uses to reject a marginal site.

11

Capex per unit

Total build-out investment for one restaurant, covering construction, kitchen equipment, FF&E, signage, technology and opening costs. It determines payback period against expected AUV.

12

MEP

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems - HVAC, hood exhaust and make-up air, electrical service and distribution, gas and water. MEP capacity often decides whether a second-hand space can take a restaurant at all.

13

Kitchen equipment package

The specified cooking line, refrigeration, warewashing, ventilation and smallwares for a menu. Package standardisation is what lets a brand open in a new market without re-engineering the kitchen each time.

14

Off-premise and pick-up window

Drive-thru lanes, dual-lane and mobile pick-up windows, and dedicated delivery entrances. These are now a fixed part of prototype design because they change site layout, stacking and staffing.

15

Brand standards

The design, equipment and operating rules a location must follow, whether corporate-owned or franchised. Brand standards govern everything from finish schedules to approved equipment vendors.