Restaurant investors in the UAE routinely bundle interior design and fit-out into a single budget line. That is a mistake. Interior design is the professional service phase: drawings, specifications, and material selections. Fit-out is the physical construction that follows. Getting the distinction right from the outset is the difference between a budget that holds and one that unravels after the first contractor meeting.
This guide focuses on design fees specifically — what a restaurant interior design company charges in Dubai, how those fees are structured, what they cover, and what moves them up or down. Fit-out and construction costs appear only as context.
Interior Design Cost vs. Fit-Out Cost: A Critical Distinction
Interior design fees in Dubai typically represent 5–12% of a restaurant’s total fit-out budget, making them the smallest but most consequential line item — because every other cost flows from what the designer produces.
Interior design is the professional service phase: concept development, space planning, 2D drawings, 3D visualisations, FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) schedules, material specifications, and the technical drawings required for municipality approvals. This phase produces the documents contractors need to price and execute the work.
Fit-out is the execution phase: civil works, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), flooring, ceiling, joinery, and kitchen installation. Total fit-out costs in Dubai range from AED 450–750/sq ft for a café or QSR, AED 800–1,500/sq ft for casual dining, and AED 1,500–3,000+/sq ft for fine dining. On a 300 sqm casual dining restaurant that translates to AED 2.5–5 million for construction alone. The design fee — the subject of this article — is a separate, earlier charge agreed before any contractor is appointed.
How Interior Designers Price Restaurant Projects in Dubai
Designers in Dubai use three main fee structures: a rate per square metre of the space, a flat project fee, or a percentage of the estimated total project cost — each with different risk profiles for the client.
Three billing models are common. Under a per-square-metre rate — the most transparent model — designers charge a fixed amount per sqm of the space. Indicative ranges for F&B projects in Dubai: AED 700–2,200 per sqm (AED 65–200/sq ft) for concept design only; AED 2,200–4,300 per sqm (AED 200–400/sq ft) for full detailed design including approval drawings and FF&E. These are design-service fees only, not construction costs.
Under a percentage model, the designer charges 10–20% of the total estimated project cost. On a AED 1 million fit-out, expect AED 100,000–200,000 in design fees. This is common for design-and-build firms where the design fee is embedded in the overall contract value.
A flat project fee — a lump sum agreed at outset — typically runs AED 80,000–300,000 for a standalone design engagement on a 150–400 sqm restaurant, depending on deliverables and scope. Before committing to a full fee, a structured restaurant concept consultation clarifies scope and prevents costly brief changes later.
Restaurant Interior Design Cost by Format and Scope
Design fees scale with the complexity of the brief, the number of deliverable rounds, and the technical demands of the kitchen and compliance documentation — not simply the size of the space.
Café or beverage-led concept (60–200 sqm)
The most straightforward brief. Design-only fees: AED 50,000–130,000 for a full package (concept, 3D, layout, FF&E schedule, municipality submission drawings). Interior décor and furniture — a separate cost — typically adds AED 40,000–150,000.
QSR or fast casual (100–300 sqm)
Efficient customer flow, branding integration, and compliant kitchen layouts. Design fees: AED 80,000–200,000. Adapting an existing brand standard costs less than developing a custom concept from scratch.
Casual dining (200–500 sqm)
Full kitchen layout, multiple seating zones, lighting design, and bespoke joinery are standard scope. Design fees: AED 150,000–450,000, with mid-range Dubai projects typically landing at AED 200,000–300,000 for a 300 sqm space.
Fine dining or signature concept (150–400 sqm)
The most design-intensive format: bespoke material specifications, custom FF&E, lighting mood studies, acoustic planning, and kitchen consultant coordination. Design fees range from AED 300,000–700,000+. On landmark luxury concepts, design and consultancy typically represent 8–12% of a fit-out budget exceeding AED 3 million.
What a Restaurant Interior Design Fee Covers
A professional design engagement should produce a defined package of deliverables. Confirm these items are explicitly included before signing.
- Concept development: Mood boards, material palette, and visual direction — communicated to investors, landlords, and licensing bodies.
- Space planning and layout: Floor plan covering seating arrangement, kitchen zones, service flow, and exit routes compliant with Civil Defence requirements.
- 2D technical drawings: Floor plans, elevations, and sections required for municipality submission and contractor pricing — the legal documents for approval.
- 3D visualisations: Photorealistic renders of key areas. The number of views and revision rounds should be agreed in writing.
- FF&E schedule and material specifications: A complete list of specified furniture, fixtures, equipment, and finishes — specified to a level that allows contractors to price accurately.
- Municipality approval drawings: The stamped set submitted to Dubai Municipality, Sharjah Municipality, or Trakhees (for free zones) for building and food facility permits.
Services typically scoped separately include kitchen design (a specialist discipline), acoustic engineering, procurement management, and site supervision.
What Moves the Price: Key Cost Drivers
Understanding these variables lets you scope your brief intelligently and avoid paying for complexity you do not need.
- Concept originality: A fully custom concept costs significantly more than adapting an existing brand standard. Franchise and chain operators pay less per location because the design IP already exists.
- Space complexity: High ceilings, irregular floor plates, multi-level layouts, or heritage buildings require more design hours. A straightforward rectangular shell is the cheapest to design.
- Number of zones and kitchen scope: A restaurant with a bar, private dining rooms, outdoor terrace, and open kitchen requires multiple design treatments. A full production kitchen for fine dining often needs a specialist kitchen designer billed separately at AED 20,000–60,000+.
- Number of design iterations: Most fee proposals include two or three concept rounds. Changing the brief after concept approval — or requiring extensive revision cycles — will incur change-order fees.
- Approval authority: Restaurants in DIFC, Dubai Design District, or other free zones are regulated by Trakhees or the DIFC Authority, whose submission requirements differ from Dubai Municipality. Designers experienced with these authorities charge accordingly.
Dubai vs. Sharjah: Does Location Affect Design Fees?
Design fees are set by the designer’s cost base and market positioning, not primarily by where the project sits. A Dubai firm typically charges the same rate for a Business Bay job as for an Al Nahda Sharjah one.
The practical difference lies in approvals: Sharjah Municipality submission formats and fee structures differ from Dubai Municipality. A designer without Sharjah experience will spend more time on the submission — time that appears in the fee. Always confirm your designer has recent approvals experience with the specific authority governing your site.
On fit-out costs, Sharjah projects typically run 10–20% below equivalent Dubai budgets due to lower commercial rents and more competitive contractor rates. Under a percentage-based fee model (10–20% of project cost), this translates to lower absolute AED design fees in Sharjah even at the same percentage. Working with a turnkey restaurant fit-out firm that covers all seven emirates gives you approval expertise in both jurisdictions without paying a learning-curve premium.
Design-Only vs. Design-and-Build: Which is Right for You?
In a design-only engagement you hire a designer for documents, then tender separately to contractors. In a turnkey or design-and-build model, concept, approvals, construction, and handover sit under one contract — the lower-risk path for first-time UAE operators. For experienced operators with an existing contractor relationship, design-only with a separate tender is viable. A restaurant concept design service sits between the two: vision and concept documents without committing to full technical drawings.
How to Get More Value from Your Design Budget
- Fix the brief first: A changing brief is the biggest source of design cost overrun. Agree concept, seat count, service model, and budget before the designer starts.
- Request staged fees: Break the fee into concept, detailed design, and approval drawings stages — each with a defined deliverable and client sign-off. This gives you exit points if the project changes.
- Verify approval experience: Confirm the designer has recently submitted and received approvals from the specific authority governing your site — especially important for Sharjah, DIFC, and free-zone projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the interior design fee included in the fit-out contract?
Not automatically. In a design-only engagement, the design fee is a separate contract. In a turnkey or design-and-build contract, design is embedded in the overall project cost. Read the contract carefully to confirm what is and is not included.
How long does the restaurant interior design phase take in Dubai?
From kick-off to submission-ready drawings: typically 6–12 weeks, depending on concept complexity and client approval speed. Dubai Municipality review after submission adds a further 2–6 weeks depending on application type.
Can I use the same designer for Dubai and Sharjah locations?
Yes — for multi-location operators this is the right choice. A single designer can standardise the design package and adapt approval drawings for each jurisdiction. Confirm the firm actively handles submissions in both emirates, not just design work.
Ready to Plan Your Restaurant Design Budget?
Make My Restaurant is a Sharjah-based turnkey restaurant services company serving all seven UAE emirates. We manage the full lifecycle — concept, interior design, approvals, fit-out, kitchen installation, handover — under one contract, with active experience at Dubai Municipality, Sharjah Municipality, and key free-zone authorities.
Call +971 58 570 7110 or get in touch online to get a clear picture of what your restaurant will cost to design and build.
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Restaurant investors in the UAE routinely bundle interior design and fit-out into a single budget line. That is a mistake. Interior design is the professional service phase: drawings, specifications, and material selections. Fit-out is the physical construction that follows. Getting the distinction right from the outset is the difference between a budget that holds and one that unravels after the first contractor meeting.
This guide focuses on design fees specifically — what a restaurant interior design company charges in Dubai, how those fees are structured, what they cover, and what moves them up or down. Fit-out and construction costs appear only as context.
Interior Design Cost vs. Fit-Out Cost: A Critical Distinction
Interior design fees in Dubai typically represent 5–12% of a restaurant’s total fit-out budget, making them the smallest but most consequential line item — because every other cost flows from what the designer produces.
Interior design is the professional service phase: concept development, space planning, 2D drawings, 3D visualisations, FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) schedules, material specifications, and the technical drawings required for municipality approvals. This phase produces the documents contractors need to price and execute the work.
Fit-out is the execution phase: civil works, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), flooring, ceiling, joinery, and kitchen installation. Total fit-out costs in Dubai range from AED 450–750/sq ft for a café or QSR, AED 800–1,500/sq ft for casual dining, and AED 1,500–3,000+/sq ft for fine dining. On a 300 sqm casual dining restaurant that translates to AED 2.5–5 million for construction alone. The design fee — the subject of this article — is a separate, earlier charge agreed before any contractor is appointed.
How Interior Designers Price Restaurant Projects in Dubai
Designers in Dubai use three main fee structures: a rate per square metre of the space, a flat project fee, or a percentage of the estimated total project cost — each with different risk profiles for the client.
Three billing models are common. Under a per-square-metre rate — the most transparent model — designers charge a fixed amount per sqm of the space. Indicative ranges for F&B projects in Dubai: AED 700–2,200 per sqm (AED 65–200/sq ft) for concept design only; AED 2,200–4,300 per sqm (AED 200–400/sq ft) for full detailed design including approval drawings and FF&E. These are design-service fees only, not construction costs.
Under a percentage model, the designer charges 10–20% of the total estimated project cost. On a AED 1 million fit-out, expect AED 100,000–200,000 in design fees. This is common for design-and-build firms where the design fee is embedded in the overall contract value.
A flat project fee — a lump sum agreed at outset — typically runs AED 80,000–300,000 for a standalone design engagement on a 150–400 sqm restaurant, depending on deliverables and scope. Before committing to a full fee, a structured restaurant concept consultation clarifies scope and prevents costly brief changes later.
Restaurant Interior Design Cost by Format and Scope
Design fees scale with the complexity of the brief, the number of deliverable rounds, and the technical demands of the kitchen and compliance documentation — not simply the size of the space.
Café or beverage-led concept (60–200 sqm)
The most straightforward brief. Design-only fees: AED 50,000–130,000 for a full package (concept, 3D, layout, FF&E schedule, municipality submission drawings). Interior décor and furniture — a separate cost — typically adds AED 40,000–150,000.
QSR or fast casual (100–300 sqm)
Efficient customer flow, branding integration, and compliant kitchen layouts. Design fees: AED 80,000–200,000. Adapting an existing brand standard costs less than developing a custom concept from scratch.
Casual dining (200–500 sqm)
Full kitchen layout, multiple seating zones, lighting design, and bespoke joinery are standard scope. Design fees: AED 150,000–450,000, with mid-range Dubai projects typically landing at AED 200,000–300,000 for a 300 sqm space.
Fine dining or signature concept (150–400 sqm)
The most design-intensive format: bespoke material specifications, custom FF&E, lighting mood studies, acoustic planning, and kitchen consultant coordination. Design fees range from AED 300,000–700,000+. On landmark luxury concepts, design and consultancy typically represent 8–12% of a fit-out budget exceeding AED 3 million.
What a Restaurant Interior Design Fee Covers
A professional design engagement should produce a defined package of deliverables. Confirm these items are explicitly included before signing.
Services typically scoped separately include kitchen design (a specialist discipline), acoustic engineering, procurement management, and site supervision.
What Moves the Price: Key Cost Drivers
Understanding these variables lets you scope your brief intelligently and avoid paying for complexity you do not need.
Dubai vs. Sharjah: Does Location Affect Design Fees?
Design fees are set by the designer’s cost base and market positioning, not primarily by where the project sits. A Dubai firm typically charges the same rate for a Business Bay job as for an Al Nahda Sharjah one.
The practical difference lies in approvals: Sharjah Municipality submission formats and fee structures differ from Dubai Municipality. A designer without Sharjah experience will spend more time on the submission — time that appears in the fee. Always confirm your designer has recent approvals experience with the specific authority governing your site.
On fit-out costs, Sharjah projects typically run 10–20% below equivalent Dubai budgets due to lower commercial rents and more competitive contractor rates. Under a percentage-based fee model (10–20% of project cost), this translates to lower absolute AED design fees in Sharjah even at the same percentage. Working with a turnkey restaurant fit-out firm that covers all seven emirates gives you approval expertise in both jurisdictions without paying a learning-curve premium.
Design-Only vs. Design-and-Build: Which is Right for You?
In a design-only engagement you hire a designer for documents, then tender separately to contractors. In a turnkey or design-and-build model, concept, approvals, construction, and handover sit under one contract — the lower-risk path for first-time UAE operators. For experienced operators with an existing contractor relationship, design-only with a separate tender is viable. A restaurant concept design service sits between the two: vision and concept documents without committing to full technical drawings.
How to Get More Value from Your Design Budget
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the interior design fee included in the fit-out contract?
Not automatically. In a design-only engagement, the design fee is a separate contract. In a turnkey or design-and-build contract, design is embedded in the overall project cost. Read the contract carefully to confirm what is and is not included.
How long does the restaurant interior design phase take in Dubai?
From kick-off to submission-ready drawings: typically 6–12 weeks, depending on concept complexity and client approval speed. Dubai Municipality review after submission adds a further 2–6 weeks depending on application type.
Can I use the same designer for Dubai and Sharjah locations?
Yes — for multi-location operators this is the right choice. A single designer can standardise the design package and adapt approval drawings for each jurisdiction. Confirm the firm actively handles submissions in both emirates, not just design work.
Ready to Plan Your Restaurant Design Budget?
Make My Restaurant is a Sharjah-based turnkey restaurant services company serving all seven UAE emirates. We manage the full lifecycle — concept, interior design, approvals, fit-out, kitchen installation, handover — under one contract, with active experience at Dubai Municipality, Sharjah Municipality, and key free-zone authorities.
Call +971 58 570 7110 or get in touch online to get a clear picture of what your restaurant will cost to design and build.