Planning A New Restaurant? Kitchen Exhaust & Ventilation Design Explained

Start With The Cooking, Not The Equipment

Kitchen ventilation design begins with understanding what you cook and how your kitchen operates. Tandoors, wok stations, charcoal grills and deep fryers create different heat, smoke and grease requirements.

Sharing your appliance list, fuel type and peak cooking hours helps create a ventilation system that performs efficiently from the beginning.

Hood Selection: Where Capture Begins

The hood is the first defence against smoke and grease. A properly designed hood improves capture efficiency and makes future cleaning easier.

• Correct hood overhang prevents smoke escaping from cooking areas
• Wall-mounted and island hood designs selected according to kitchen layout
• Stainless steel fabrication with removable grease filters for easy cleaning
• Easy maintenance access should be planned from day one

Duct Sizing And Routing: The Part You Cannot Fix Later

Ducting is the backbone of the exhaust system. Poor sizing or routing decisions can permanently affect airflow and increase future maintenance costs.

• Duct size should match the cooking load requirements
• Short and smooth duct routes improve performance
• Early exhaust outlet planning avoids building restrictions
• Access panels allow proper future cleaning
• Design practices should remain aligned with NFPA 96 guidelines

Fresh Air: The Half Of Ventilation Most Kitchens Skip

Every exhaust system needs replacement air. A balanced fresh-air system prevents negative pressure, improves airflow and helps your kitchen ventilation work properly.

Compliance: Build It In, Don't Bolt It On

Planning documentation and maintenance access from the beginning reduces compliance problems later. OXY designs systems aligned with NFPA 96 practices and documentation requirements.