If you are opening, relocating, or remodeling a restaurant in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, you need a restaurant architect in Dallas who understands more than dining rooms. That means knowing how a kitchen line actually runs, what the health department and the city will ask for, and how to open a space on a lease timeline. Archiphy Architecture and Interiors is a Dallas-based commercial architecture firm, and we focus on restaurant, retail, and hospitality work. A Texas-licensed principal leads every project, from the first site walk to opening day.
Restaurant Architect Services in Dallas
Restaurant finish-outs in existing shell space. We provide complete drawings and MEP coordination for restaurants in shopping centers, mixed-use buildings, and standalone shells. That includes the dining room, bar, commercial kitchen, restrooms, and back-of-house, so the drawings are built to clear landlord review and city permitting without rework. Remodels and second-generation restaurant space. Converting a former restaurant into your concept is faster and cheaper than starting from a white box. That only holds if the grease duct, hood, plumbing, and seating count are documented accurately, so we verify what is really there before we design around it. Ground-up and destination restaurants. We also handle site planning, building design, patios, and full construction documents. This work suits larger freestanding restaurants and entertainment-district venues. Franchise and multi-location rollouts. We work with fast-casual, QSR, coffee, juice, and dessert brands opening multiple DFW locations. We adapt your prototype to each site and each city’s code amendments while the brand stays consistent from store to store. Bars, patios, and rooftops. We design full-service bar layouts and outdoor dining with shade and weather protection. We also handle the occupancy, egress, and accessibility details that come with them. As-built documentation with 3D laser scanning. Archiphy scans existing restaurant spaces with a Leica BLK360 laser scanner, then delivers accurate as-built CAD drawings. Your remodel starts from reality, not from a landlord’s outdated plan, and few DFW restaurant architects offer this in-house.
Recent Restaurant Work in Dallas–Fort Worth
Vidorra, Grand Prairie, TX. A 10,000 SF modern Mexican destination restaurant in the Epic Central entertainment district. It includes a full commercial kitchen, two bars, flexible event space, and generous indoor-outdoor patio seating, and we designed it from concept through construction. The Finch, Dallas and Grand Prairie, TX. Two 5,500 SF locations for an upscale-casual concept: a remodel in Dallas and an interior finish-out in Grand Prairie. Each one has a full-service bar and a commercial kitchen, as well as 3D renderings for the owner’s approvals. Knox Bistro, Dallas, TX. A 4,000 SF French-brasserie-style restaurant at the corner of Henderson and Knox. It has private dining, a patio, and open seating, so it works as one of the best-located restaurant sites in Dallas. Salsa Tex-Mex, Anna, TX. A 2,500 SF interior finish-out with a dining room, full bar, commercial kitchen, and outdoor patio. It also sits in one of the fastest-growing commercial corridors north of Dallas. The Lounge Coffee Shop, Frisco, TX. A 1,500 SF coffee-shop finish-out with a custom serving line and a fully equipped commercial kitchen. Franchise prototypes, multiple DFW locations. Repeat finish-outs for Creamistry and Nekter Juice Bar, about 1,500 SF each. We also built Thirsty’s, a 200 SF food-and-beverage kiosk inside Galleria Dallas, which is the kind of mall-criteria project that punishes inexperience. See more in our project portfolio.
Why Restaurant Owners and Operators Choose Archiphy
Vision-led by a licensed architect, every time. You work directly with the founding principal, a licensed Texas architect, not a rotating project team. We design for the operation, not just the photo. Kitchen workflow, pickup zones, table turnover, bar throughput, and storage are decided in the plan, so you do not discover them after opening. Our article on designing a restaurant for high customer flow explains how we think about it. DFW permitting and health-code fluency. We handle grease interceptors, hood and fire-suppression coordination, restroom counts, accessibility (TAS/ADA), and occupancy calculations. We then prepare submittals for Dallas, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Grand Prairie, and nearby cities, designed to anticipate reviewer questions. Landlord and mall criteria handled. We have worked inside Galleria Dallas, NorthPark, Stonebriar, neighborhood shopping centers, and mixed-use developments, so we know how to clear a landlord’s design review alongside the city permit. Right-sized fees, straight answers. As a focused studio, we keep overhead low and communication direct. You get a realistic read on budget and schedule before you commit.
Our Process
- Discovery and site review: first, we review your concept, menu, equipment list, budget, and lease terms. We also walk the space, using laser-scanned as-builts where useful.
- Schematic design: next, we show seating and kitchen layout options you can react to quickly. If you need 3D renderings for partners or landlords, we include them.
- Design development and construction documents: then we produce permit-ready drawings, coordinated with your kitchen equipment supplier, MEP engineer, and landlord criteria.
- Permitting and bidding: we respond to city and health-department comments. We also help you evaluate contractor bids.
- Construction administration: finally, site visits, RFI responses, and punch list through your opening.
Where We Work
As a restaurant architect in Dallas, Archiphy serves the entire Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. That includes Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Grand Prairie, Richardson, Addison, and Farmers Branch. We also take select restaurant and hospitality projects in Florida, Tennessee, and New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an architect to open a restaurant in Texas?
In nearly every case, yes, depending on the municipality. Texas cities require sealed architectural drawings for a commercial building permit, and landlords also require them for lease exhibit approval. The health department then reviews the kitchen layout before you can open. As a restaurant architect in Dallas, Archiphy provides sealed, permit-ready documents for restaurants of any size, from a 200 SF kiosk to a 10,000 SF destination venue.
How long does restaurant design and permitting take in DFW?
It depends on the complexity of the project and the city reviewing it. A second-generation finish-out with an existing hood and grease trap moves quickly, while a ground-up restaurant with a new patio takes far longer. At our first meeting, we give you a realistic schedule for your space and city, so you can plan your lease, hiring, and opening dates with confidence.
Can you work with our franchise’s prototype drawings?
Yes. We regularly adapt national prototypes to Texas codes, local amendments, and the specific site. We usually act as your architect of record, and we have rolled out Creamistry and Nekter Juice Bar across multiple DFW locations.
Do you coordinate with my kitchen equipment supplier?
Yes. We work from your equipment schedule, then coordinate hood, fire suppression, plumbing, and electrical requirements with your supplier and the MEP engineer, so the kitchen is built right.
What does restaurant architecture cost?
Fees depend on scope, square footage, and the condition of the existing space. Contact us with your address and concept, and we will send you a clear proposal, usually within a few days.
Work With a Restaurant Architect in Dallas
Tell us about your concept, your space, and your timeline. Then call (972) 333-0592 or schedule a consultation for a no-obligation conversation about your restaurant.