New restaurant fit-out checklist: what to buy, and what to source from China

Opening a restaurant means buying hundreds of things from dozens of suppliers, then passing a health inspection and a fire inspection before the first service. This checklist goes area by area: dining room, bar, kitchen, tableware, signage, and floors, walls and ceilings. For each item it shows whether it’s commonly sourced from China, better bought locally, or either.

The short answer

Most of what makes a restaurant look finished is commonly sourced from China: furniture, booths, lighting, décor, tableware, stainless steel fabrication, signage and LED screens. Items that need permits, licensed installers or fast local service are usually better bought locally. That means hoods and fire suppression, the gas cooking line, and often dishwashers and ice machines. In the kitchen, certification decides it: whatever the source, equipment has to carry the listings that health and fire inspectors expect.

How to read this checklist

Each item gets one of three labels. They describe common practice, not rules, and your local inspectors have the final word.

Label	Meaning
China	Commonly sourced from China. Usually the biggest savings, especially for custom or large quantities
Either	Works from China if the exact model carries the US listings you need. Otherwise buy locally
Local	Usually better bought locally, because it needs a permit, a licensed installer or quick local service

Dining room

The dining room is where sourcing from China pays off most. Furniture, lighting and décor are bulky and often custom, and none of it needs a kitchen-style certification. The things to check are flammability for upholstered seating, electrical listing for anything that plugs in, and duties.

Item	Source	What to check
Chairs and bar stools	China	Commercial-grade frames. Upholstered seats must meet TB117-2013 and carry the federal label (16 CFR 1640)
Tables, tops and bases	China	Base stability, top material and edges. Composite-wood tops need TSCA Title VI formaldehyde certification (EPA)
Booths and banquettes	China (custom)	Built to your floor plan. Upholstery must meet TB117-2013. Fixing to the floor or wall is done on site
Pendants, chandeliers, wall lights	China	A UL or ETL listing for each model, US voltage, dimmer compatibility
Décor, artificial plants, wall art	China	Fire-performance documents, if your fire authority asks for them
LED screens and video walls	China	Listing and FCC compliance for the model, mounting and power. Installed by a local contractor
Patio and private-dining furniture	China	Outdoor-rated finishes. Cushions made only for outdoor use are exempt from the federal upholstery rule (CPSC)

Watch the duty on upholstered wooden seating. Upholstered seating with a wooden frame (many dining chairs, bar stools and booth seats) pays a Section 232 tariff of 25% as of October 2026, scheduled to rise to 30% on January 1, 2027, except for countries that reach an agreement with the US (Proclamation 11000). Metal-frame or plastic seating avoids that tariff, though metal goods have their own Section 232 rules. We check every line before we quote.

For the range we supply, see restaurant and hotel furniture, lighting and event and banquet furniture for private dining rooms and patios.

Bar

The bar is a mix. The millwork, stools and glassware are good candidates for China. The draft system and anything that needs regular servicing are usually local.

Item	Source	What to check
Bar front and back bar	China (custom)	Shop drawings, finishes, composite-wood certification. Installed locally
Bar stools	China	As for dining chairs
Underbar stainless: ice bins, speed rails, drainboards, sinks	Either	NSF/ANSI 2 certification. Sinks need a duty check (see the kitchen section)
Bottle coolers and back-bar refrigeration	Either	NSF/ANSI 7 where your health department requires it, an electrical listing, an allowed refrigerant
Glass washer	Local, or a listed model	NSF/ANSI 3 and an electrical listing. Local service matters
Ice machine	Local	NSF/ANSI 12. Local service matters
Draft beer system	Local	Installation and line cleaning are local work
Glassware and barware	China	Food-contact compliance, including decorated rims

Kitchen: what inspectors expect

Three sets of eyes look at a commercial kitchen. The health inspector checks that food equipment is certified for sanitation. The electrical inspector checks that equipment is listed. The fire marshal checks the hood, the fire suppression and the gas. Buy only what will pass all three.

• Sanitation (health department). The FDA Food Code (section 4-205.10) treats food equipment certified for sanitation by an ANSI-accredited program as meeting its design and construction rules (FDA Food Code). In practice that means NSF/ANSI standards, certified by NSF, UL or Intertek (ETL Sanitation). States adopt the Food Code with their own changes, and some require certified equipment outright.
• Electrical (building department). Workplace electrical equipment is expected to be listed by an OSHA-recognized lab (an NRTL) such as UL, Intertek (ETL) or CSA (OSHA). Specify US voltage and 60 Hz.
• Gas and fire (fire marshal). Gas food-service equipment is expected to be certified to ANSI Z83.11/CSA 1.8 and connected by a licensed installer. Hoods are commonly listed to UL 710 and fire suppression systems to UL 300, and the installation follows NFPA 96 and local code. Hood and suppression work usually needs a permit and an inspection.

Equipment	Commonly expected	Source
Work tables, wall shelves, carts	NSF/ANSI 2	China
Sinks: compartment, prep, hand sinks	NSF/ANSI 2, plus the duty check below	China
Refrigeration: reach-ins, prep tables, walk-in panels	NSF/ANSI 7, electrical listing (UL 471 or equivalent), allowed refrigerant	Either
Electric cooking: ovens, fryers, griddles, induction	NSF/ANSI 4, electrical listing (UL 197 or equivalent)	Either
Gas cooking line: ranges, fryers, charbroilers	NSF/ANSI 4, ANSI Z83.11/CSA 1.8	Local, usually
Dishwasher	NSF/ANSI 3, electrical listing (UL 921 or equivalent)	Local, usually
Hood, ductwork, fire suppression	UL 710, UL 300, NFPA 96, permits	Local
Smallwares: hotel pans, utensils, cutting boards	Food-contact materials; NSF certification where the inspector asks	China

Three practical notes:

• Ask for proof before you pay. Get the certificate or listing file number for the exact model, and check it in the certifier’s online directory. A logo in a catalog isn’t proof.
• We don’t provide electrical certification. UL, ETL and FCC certification stays with the buyer. We source models that are already listed, or you buy those items locally.
• Refrigerants are regulated. EPA restricts high-GWP HFC refrigerants in new refrigeration equipment, and revised the rules in 2026 (EPA). Confirm the refrigerant before ordering.

The stainless sink duty trap

Drawn stainless steel sinks from China are under anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders (A-570-983 and C-570-984), continued in 2024 (Federal Register). The scope turns on how the bowl is made:

Bowl type	How it’s made	In the orders?
Drawn	Pressed from one sheet into a seamless bowl with smooth, rounded corners	Yes, whatever the finish, gauge or grade
Fabricated	Notched, bent and welded at the vertical corners, sometimes called “zero radius”	Excluded

Check the bowl construction of every sink model, including hand sinks, bar sinks and sinks built into work tables. The written scope decides, not the product name. See our anti-dumping guide for how these orders work.

More on what we supply for kitchens: commercial kitchen equipment and tableware.

Tableware

China is a major source of restaurant tableware, and ceramics are where the compliance risk sits. Lead and cadmium can leach from glazes and decoration into food, so the FDA sets limits and California adds Proposition 65.

Item	Source	What to check
Plates, bowls, cups (ceramic and porcelain)	China	Lead and cadmium leach tests for each pattern and decoration
Glassware	China	Food-contact compliance, decorated areas and rims
Stainless flatware	China	Steel grade, finish, weight
Melamine and serveware	China	Food-contact compliance, heat limits

• FDA. The FDA sets action levels for lead (CPG 545.450) and cadmium (CPG 545.400) that leach from ceramic foodware. Ask for a recent test report for each pattern, and test again when the glaze or decoration changes.
• Proposition 65. In California, products that expose people to listed chemicals such as lead and cadmium can require a warning (OEHHA). Ceramic dishware has been the subject of Prop 65 enforcement, including over lead in exterior decoration.

Signage, screens and lighting

Signs and screens are commonly made in China, but they’re electrical and mounted on a building, so listing, permits and installation are local matters.

• Illuminated signs. The National Electrical Code (section 600.3) requires electric signs to be listed, usually to UL 48. Either source from a factory that can supply the sign listed, or have a US sign company handle listing and installation. Many cities also require a sign permit.
• LED screens and video walls. Check the model’s listing and FCC compliance, the mounting structure and the power supply. See LED screens.
• Lighting. Every fixture needs a UL or ETL listing for the model. An electrician makes the final connections.

Floors, walls and ceilings

Finishes can come from China, but they’re installed locally and judged against local building and fire codes. Codes based on the International Building Code classify interior finishes by fire tests, so ask for the test reports before you order.

Item	Source	What to check
Carpet and large rugs	China	Federal flammability standard (16 CFR 1630)
Wall panels, wallcoverings, acoustic panels	China	Flame-spread class to ASTM E84/UL 723 (IBC chapter 8)
Ceiling systems and feature ceilings	China	Flame-spread class, and fixing details for your ceiling grid or structure
Floor finishes in exits and corridors	Either	A radiant-panel rating (ASTM E648) where the code requires it
Ceramic and porcelain tile	Check duties first	AD/CVD orders on tile from China, continued in 2026 (Federal Register)
Installation	Local	Licensed contractors, per your permits

What to keep local

Keep anything that a licensed trade has to install and an inspector has to sign off. The savings on these items rarely justify the risk.

• Hood, ductwork and fire suppression. Designed, permitted and installed under NFPA 96 and your fire marshal’s rules, usually by licensed contractors.
• Gas connections and the gas cooking line. A licensed installer connects them and the gas inspection follows.
• Plumbing. Grease interceptors, backflow prevention and final connections are local code work.
• Electrical. Final connections by a licensed electrician, to equipment that’s already listed.
• Equipment that needs fast service. Dishwashers, ice machines and the draft system depend on a local technician when they fail on a Friday night.

One container, many factories

The best chair factory isn’t the best tableware factory or the best lighting factory. Buy each category from the right factory, then combine everything into one shipment.

1. Each factory makes its order to the approved sample.
2. Our inspectors check the goods against our reference sample before they leave the factory. If your goods don’t match the approved sample, you choose a remake, a replacement or a refund, at no cost to you.
3. The goods go to our warehouse in China, where we consolidate them and load one container, packed and labeled by area of the restaurant. Our container load calculator gives a first estimate of how much fits.
4. Freight is handled by our sister company, American Global Freights. Customs entry is handled by our partner customs broker, and we can act as importer of record. We ship DDP, door to door.
5. Our delivery and installation partners can deliver and install across the USA, as well as in Canada, France, Germany and the UK.

We check anti-dumping duties on every line before we quote. Our restaurant page covers full fit-outs: furniture, lighting, kitchen equipment, tableware, décor, signage, carpets, ceilings and LED screens.

Key takeaways

• Commonly from China: furniture, booths, lighting, décor, tableware, stainless steel fabrication, signage, LED screens and finishes.
• Usually local: hoods and fire suppression, gas connections and the gas cooking line, plumbing, and equipment that needs fast service.
• Inspectors expect certification: NSF/ANSI for food equipment, an NRTL listing (UL, ETL or CSA) for electrical equipment, ANSI Z83.11/CSA 1.8 for gas equipment, and UL 710, UL 300 and NFPA 96 for hoods and suppression.
• Check tableware against FDA lead and cadmium limits, and Prop 65 in California.
• Check duties: drawn stainless sinks are under AD/CVD orders (fabricated bowls are excluded), and upholstered wooden seating pays Section 232.
• Combine factories into one container, so the whole fit-out arrives in one shipment, sorted by area.