Restaurant Electrician | Commercial Kitchen Electrical Across DFW
Kitchen build-outs, equipment circuits, and fast repairs for restaurants, cafes, and bars, from father-and-son master electricians serving the DFW Metroplex since 2009. Texas-licensed electrical contractor, TECL #33192.
When the Kitchen Loses Power, the Whole Night Stops
A tripped breaker in an office is an annoyance. In a restaurant it's a cold fryer at 6:30 on a Friday, a walk-in cooler slowly warming up, and tickets piling up on the rail. Electrical problems in a kitchen cost you covers, and sometimes they cost you inventory.
Restaurant kitchens also put more demand on a building than almost any other small commercial space. Ranges, fryers, dish machines, ice machines, walk-ins, and hood fans all pull heavy load at the same time, and much of that equipment needs 208-volt or three-phase power that a typical retail suite was never wired for.
Epic Electrical handles commercial electrical work across DFW, including restaurants, lease spaces, and existing buildings. For restaurant owners, that means circuits sized to your actual equipment list, a schedule built around your service hours, and a plain answer about what your space needs. No upsells.
Electrical Work We Handle for Restaurants
Whether you're opening a first location, taking over a second-generation restaurant space, or fixing problems in the kitchen you've cooked in for years, here's where we typically help:
Restaurant Build-Outs & Second-Generation Spaces
A new concept in an old restaurant space rarely matches the previous tenant's layout. We map the new equipment list against the existing panel and circuits, reuse what's sound, and wire what's missing. We pull the electrical permit and coordinate with your general contractor so electrical isn't the thing holding up your opening date.
Dedicated Circuits for Kitchen Equipment
Every major piece of equipment comes with a spec sheet listing its voltage, phase, and amperage. We run dedicated circuits to match each one: fryers, convection ovens, combi ovens, dish machines, booster heaters, ice machines, and prep equipment. That keeps one appliance from tripping the breaker that feeds the next.
Three-Phase & 208V Power
A lot of commercial kitchen equipment is built for 208-volt or three-phase service. If your building has it, we distribute it where the line needs it. If it doesn't, we'll tell you what the options are before you buy equipment the space can't run.
Walk-In Coolers & Freezers
Walk-in condensing units, evaporator fans, and door heaters each need the right circuit. We wire walk-ins to the manufacturer's requirements and keep them off circuits shared with equipment that cycles on and off.
Hood, Exhaust Fan & Fire-Suppression Interlocks
Hood fans and lights need power, and when a hood fire-suppression system discharges, electric cooking equipment under the hood is typically required to shut off. We wire the hood circuits and the shutoff interlocks in coordination with your hood and fire-suppression contractors.
Panel Upgrades & Added Capacity
Adding a second fryer or a bigger dish machine can push an older panel past what it was built for. We check whether your service can carry the new load and, if it can't, handle the panel upgrade or added capacity before it turns into a mid-service shutdown.
Dining Room, Bar & Patio Lighting
Lighting sets the mood in the dining room and keeps the kitchen safe to work in. We handle indoor lighting, dimming, bar and accent lighting, and patio, sign, and parking lot lighting. For larger spaces, see our commercial LED lighting retrofits.
Backup Power & Generators
A long outage can mean a full walk-in of spoiled product. We install standby generators from Generac and Kohler, sized to the circuits that protect your inventory and keep the doors open.
Troubleshooting & Repairs
Breakers that trip every dinner rush, GFCI outlets that keep cutting out, a fryer that won't heat. We find the cause and fix what's actually broken. If it's a simple repair, we'll tell you before anyone talks about a bigger project. See our circuit breaker repair work for more.
What Makes Restaurant Electrical Work Different
Most of the difference comes down to load and moisture. A kitchen runs a lot of high-draw equipment at once, in a space full of water, grease, and heat. That changes how circuits are sized, where receptacles go, and how they're protected.
| Item | Typical Office or Retail Suite | Restaurant Kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| Service & voltage | Single-phase power is often enough | Equipment frequently calls for 208V or three-phase power |
| Equipment circuits | Mostly shared general-purpose circuits | Dedicated circuits sized to each appliance's spec sheet |
| GFCI protection | Limited to specific locations | Required on kitchen receptacles, which affects how coolers and ice machines are connected |
| Hood systems | Not applicable | Exhaust fan and lighting circuits plus fire-suppression shutoff interlocks |
| Refrigeration | A break-room fridge | Walk-ins, reach-ins, and ice machines where a lost circuit means lost product |
⚠️ Buy equipment after the electrical check, not before. The most expensive surprise in a restaurant build-out is equipment the building can't power. Send us the equipment list and spec sheets before you order. We'll confirm the panel and service can carry it, or tell you what it will take.
Keeping Coolers and Ice Machines Running
Refrigeration is where restaurant electrical problems get expensive. A GFCI that trips quietly after close can shut off a reach-in overnight, and nobody knows until the morning prep cook opens the door. Code requires GFCI protection on kitchen receptacles, so the answer isn't to skip it. It's to plan the circuit, the device, and its location so a nuisance trip is unlikely and easy to spot.
Before New Refrigeration Goes In, We'll Check:
- A dedicated circuit sized to the unit's nameplate, not shared with cycling equipment
- How GFCI requirements apply at that location, and where the reset will be
- Receptacle placement that keeps cords out of mop water and off the floor
- Whether the circuit should be connected to backup power
- Surge protection on the panel feeding the kitchen
How a Restaurant Project Works With Epic Electrical
1. Walkthrough & Equipment Review
We walk the space with you or your contractor, review the floor plan and equipment schedule, and check the existing panel and service. You get a straight answer on what the space needs and what it doesn't.
2. Written Quote, No Hidden Costs
You get a written quote that spells out the scope. If something like added capacity or a generator is optional, we'll say so and explain the trade-off.
3. Permits & Inspection
We pull and manage the electrical permit and handle the electrical inspection. Other trades, such as plumbing, gas, and fire suppression, carry their own permits, and we'll coordinate with them on the schedule.
4. Work Scheduled Around Service
For restaurants already open, we plan shutoffs for off-hours or slow days so the work doesn't land in the middle of a lunch or dinner rush.
5. Everything Works as It Should
Before we leave, we test the circuits, walk you through what was done, and label the panel so your kitchen manager knows what each breaker feeds.
Why DFW Restaurants Call Epic Electrical
- Father-and-son master electricians, a third-generation electrical family
- Serving North Richland Hills and the DFW Metroplex since 2009
- Texas-licensed electrical contractor, TECL #33192
- Commercial experience across offices, lease spaces, retail, restaurants, and industrial
- Electrical permits pulled and managed by us
- No upsells and no jargon. We give you options, not pressure
We also work with medical and dental offices, warehouses and industrial facilities, commercial EV charging, and LED lighting retrofits. See all of our commercial electrical services.
Restaurant Electrical Service Area
We work with restaurants, cafes, bars, and commercial kitchens throughout the DFW Metroplex, including:
Not sure if we cover your area? View our full service area.
Frequently Asked Questions About Restaurant Electrical Work
What electrical work does a new restaurant need?
Most restaurants need dedicated circuits for each major piece of kitchen equipment, GFCI-protected kitchen receptacles, power for the hood fans and lights with fire-suppression shutoff interlocks, circuits for walk-in coolers and freezers, and dining room and exterior lighting. Many also need 208-volt or three-phase power. The equipment list drives the design, so we start there.
Do restaurants need three-phase power?
Not always, but a lot of commercial kitchen equipment is built for 208-volt or three-phase service, and three-phase handles large motor and heating loads more efficiently. If your building only has single-phase service, we will tell you which equipment that rules out and what adding three-phase would involve.
Why does the GFCI outlet for my cooler keep tripping?
Common causes include moisture in the receptacle or plug, a failing compressor or defrost heater, or several appliances sharing one GFCI-protected circuit. Code requires GFCI protection on kitchen receptacles, so the fix is finding the cause, not removing the protection. We troubleshoot the circuit and the equipment connection to find out why.
Can you wire a second-generation restaurant space?
Yes. Taking over a former restaurant is common, and the existing electrical rarely matches a new concept. We compare your equipment list to what is already there, reuse what is sound, wire what is missing, and pull the electrical permit.
Can electrical work be done without closing my restaurant?
Usually. Most work can be scheduled before open, after close, or on a slow day. When a shutoff is needed, we plan the timing with you in advance so it does not hit a busy service.
Should my restaurant have a backup generator?
For most restaurants it is a business decision rather than a code requirement. A standby generator protects refrigerated inventory during an outage and can let you keep serving. We install Generac and Kohler generators and size them to the circuits that matter most to you.
Is Epic Electrical licensed for commercial work in Texas?
Yes. Epic Electrical is a Texas-licensed electrical contractor, TECL #33192, run by father-and-son master electricians who have served the DFW Metroplex since 2009.
Opening, Expanding, or Fixing Up Your Restaurant?
Start with an honest walkthrough. We'll tell you what your kitchen needs, what it doesn't, and give you a written quote with no hidden costs. Epic Electrical has served DFW since 2009. TECL #33192.
Call (682) 478-6088Or request a quote online: epicelectrical.com/contact-us