New South Wales · Hospitality & Food
Fit-out a café, restaurant or bar in NSW
What it costs, what has to be approved, and who does it in New South Wales — all in one place. Numbers are 2026 benchmarks for NSW; approvals are NSW-specific.
Typical cost
$4,000 – $5,625 /m²
mid-spec hospitality, NSW-adjusted
Approvals
5 streams
planning/CDC, food premises, grease & waste, liquor, signage
Companies
37
NSW firms that list hospitality as a sector
1. What it costs in NSW
Hospitality is the most expensive commercial sector per m² — commercial kitchen, exhaust canopy, grease trap, wet-area waterproofing and high-occupancy ventilation all land in the same tenancy. NSW sits at 1.25× the national base.
| Finish level | 60 m² | 120 m² | 200 m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic finish $3,125 – $4,000 per m² | $187,500 – $240,000 | $375,000 – $480,000 | $625,000 – $800,000 |
| Mid / standard $4,000 – $5,625 per m² | $240,000 – $337,500 | $480,000 – $675,000 | $800,000 – $1,125,000 |
| Premium flagship $5,625 – $7,500 per m² | $337,500 – $450,000 | $675,000 – $900,000 | $1,125,000 – $1,500,000 |
Excludes kitchen equipment, loose furniture and GST. Source: site calculator v3.2 hospitality bands × NSW multiplier.
2. What NSW makes you approve
Five separate streams, and they run in parallel — not one after another. The two that blow opening dates are food premises registration and grease/waste trade-waste consent.
- Planning or building approval — CDC via a private certifier, or DA through council if the use changes or there is a change of use / outdoor seating.
- Food premises — notification to the local council (Food Act), fit-out must meet Food Standards Code 3.2.3.
- Grease trap & trade waste — Sydney Water (or local water authority) consent before you connect.
- Liquor licence — Liquor & Gaming NSW, if alcohol is served. Plan 8–12 weeks.
- Signage consent — council approval, and separate landlord approval in a shopping centre.
- Fire safety — commercial cooking triggers fire suppression and upgraded exits.
3. NSW hospitality fit-out companies (37 listed)
Sponsor first, then ABN-verified, then phone-only listings. Phone-only companies have a record here but no published website.
DBD
Design & build · Hospitality · Sydney
DY Constructions
Design & build · Hospitality · Sydney CBD
Fitout Ideas
Design & build · Hospitality · Currans Hill, Sydney
Fitouts Australia
Design & build · Hospitality · Baulkham Hills, Sydney
Impeccabuild
Design & build · Hospitality · North Sydney
Intermain
Design & build · Hospitality · Alexandria, Sydney
Liteco Projects
Design & build · Hospitality · Sydney
Protech Hospitality Fitouts
Design & build · Hospitality · Leichhardt, Sydney
SB Projects
Design & build · Hospitality · Willoughby, Sydney
Total Fitouts North Sydney
Design & build · Hospitality · North Sydney
AW Interior Design
Interior designer · Hospitality · Rose Bay
Akin Atelier
Interior designer · Hospitality · Paddington, Sydney
Blainey North
Interior designer · Hospitality · Surry Hills, Sydney
Buildaspace Office Fitouts
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Bardwell Park
CoMa Design Studio
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney
Deadline Commercial Projects
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Seven Hills
Dixon & Swanson Australia
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Seven Hills
Fitouts Only
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Ashfield
Frontier Fitouts
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Sydney (Camden/Cobbitty)
Infinite Design Studio
Interior designer · Hospitality · Woollahra
Ironclad Fitouts
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Smeaton Grange
Kreativ Design
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney
Like Minds Studio
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney
Loopcreative
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney (Woolloomooloo)
Luchetti Krelle
Interior designer · Hospitality · Surry Hills, Sydney
McCartney Design
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney
Nuna Studio
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney
Parker Edison
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney
Sydney Shopfitters
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Sydney (Sutherland Shire)
Sydneywide Shop Fitting
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Arcadia
TD Shopfitting
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Chipping Norton
THE Fitout Firm
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Alfords Point
The Great Indoors
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney
Trinity Shopfitting
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Wetherill Park / Sydney
Unita
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Sydney
Vogue Shopfitting & Joinery
Fit-out contractor · Hospitality · Belmont
i2C Architects
Interior designer · Hospitality · Sydney (NSW studio)
4. Next step
Get a defensible number before you talk to a builder.