Hamilton · Restaurant & Café Renovations
Restaurant and Café Renovations in Hamilton
James Street North, King William Street, Locke Street South and Ottawa Street North line up brick blocks from the late 1800s and early 1900s, with flats upstairs and stone basements below. Turning one into a Hamilton restaurant depends on a grease duct route to the roof, room for washrooms and joists that can carry a walk-in cooler.
Restaurants in Hamilton
What’s different in Hamilton
| Permit office | City of Hamilton Building Division, Planning and Economic Development Department (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Food licence | Food premises licence under By-law 07-170, issued after the Public Health Services pass. |
| Health inspection | Public Health Services pre-opening inspection under O. Reg. 493/17. |
| Grease control | Part 7 of Sewer Use By-law 14-090. Sized for peak flow, pump-out records kept. |
| Patios | Temporary Outdoor Patio Program. Apply March 1 to June 1, remove by November 1. |
| Signs | Permit under Sign By-law 10-197. |
| Heritage storefronts | Designated buildings on James Street North need heritage approval for storefront changes. |
Worth knowing first
One floor plan for licensing, Public Health and the Building Division
Hamilton's food premises licence under By-law 07-170 waits on a Public Health Services pass, and the Building Division reviews its own copy of the layout. If one drawing shows extra seats or a moved bar, the sign-offs stop matching. So we keep a single controlled plan and update all 3 together. Public Health Services inspectors expect a separate hand sink in each food preparation area and non-absorbent floors in the kitchen, storage areas, washrooms and behind the bar. They also want no acoustic ceiling tile over food prep, and washrooms that do not open into food areas.
The scope, pricing tiers and 5-step process are the same everywhere we work. See Restaurant & Café Renovations ›
Frequently asked questions
Restaurants in Hamilton: three local questions
Yes. Under Schedule E of Sewer Use By-law 14-090, an officer scores a food premises by type and equipment. A restaurant with 30 or more seats scores higher, and fryers, grills, dish sinks and dishwashers add points. Low risk gets 24 months after written notice to install a device, medium 18 months and high 12 months. A blockage or failed sample can bring a 6-month order.
Apply between March 1 and June 1, and remove the patio by 7 a.m. on November 1. Inside a business improvement area you need the BIA's written endorsement. Outside one, two-thirds of the businesses on the block must sign on. The City asks for $5 million in liability insurance naming it, a 1.5 m clear pedestrian path, cane-detectable barriers and a dimensioned sketch.
Check 3 things before signing. A continuous route to the roof for a welded grease duct, with the landlord's consent through the upper floors. Enough gas, since a fryer, range and make-up air unit need far more than a former shop, so ask Enbridge Gas what the meter supplies. Washroom fixtures for your occupant load. If one fails on Locke Street or James North, a café or bakery menu can still work.
Restaurants In Hamilton? Let’s Talk.
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