CUISINE-SPECIFIC FIELD GUIDE
Indian / South Asian Conversion Inspection Manual
CUISINE-SPECIFIC LANDMINE
Tandoor ovens have unique clearance + venting rules most inherited hoods don’t satisfy.
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WHERE THIS CUISINE QUIETLY COSTS YOU MONEY
Indian / South Asian-specific conversion gotchas
01 · Tandoor heat output + clearance
A charcoal tandoor reaches 900°F+ inside and radiates hard; as a solid-fuel appliance under NFPA 96 it must sit on a noncombustible floor extending 3 ft in all directions unless listed for less, and its listing sets wall clearances (NFPA 96's 18" rule is for the hood and duct). Most inherited back walls are drywall + paint, a fire-marshal red-line: plan stainless or fire-rated board behind every tandoor.
02 · Tandoor venting + solid-fuel hood
A charcoal tandoor is solid fuel and needs the same treatment as a wood-burning smoker: its own hood and exhaust with spark arresters, never tied into the curry-line gas hood (NFPA 96 and IMC 507 require solid-fuel exhaust to be separate). Gas tandoors run hot too, so size the hood over them for that load.
03 · Curry-spice aroma penetration
Long-simmer curries put aromatic oils into HVAC return air, drywall, and ceiling tile. After 18 months an inherited space smells permanently of fenugreek and turmeric. Plan independent exhaust for the curry line (no shared return air with the dining room) and budget about $4K–$8K to replace any porous ceiling at lease end.
04 · Dosa griddle + flat-top sizing
A South Indian dosa griddle is 30"–48" round and runs at 450°F. Tandem with the tandoor and curry line, that's three high-heat appliances in one zone — usually 250K–400K BTU concentrated on 8' of line. Most inherited 4' hoods don't span the load; plan continuous hood coverage for the gas line (dosa griddle + curry range) and a separate hood and exhaust for a charcoal tandoor — not a stitched-together combo.
05 · Vegetarian + non-veg separation
Many Indian operators serve a strict-vegetarian segment and need physically separated prep surfaces, utensils, and walk-in shelving from non-veg lines. Inherited spaces with one combined prep area force a rework: add a second small walk-in or a fully partitioned prep zone (~$10K–$20K). This is a brand-trust issue, not just an operational one.
Five immediate stop signals
These cancel any deal regardless of cuisine.
You smell gas, see burnt wiring, or see blackened / charred hood areas.
The exhaust fan is missing, disconnected, or shaking violently.
The seller refuses to provide hood / fire / grease records.
You must add major cooking equipment outside the existing hood.
The landlord will not allow roof, gas, electrical, or grease-interceptor work.
WALK
Smell, look, listen
PROVE
Hood · gas · electrical · plumbing
PRICE
Written scopes before signing
NEGOTIATE
Or walk away
Defined terms in this guide
The vocabulary worth knowing before you sign.
- Type I Hood
- A grease-rated commercial hood with grease filters and a fire-suppression system, built of steel or stainless steel. The mechanical code requires one where appliances produce grease or smoke (IMC 507; UMC Chapter 5); NFPA 96 sets matching hood, duct and suppression rules.
- Ember Collector
- A baffle or screen assembly in a solid-fuel hood, ahead of the grease filters, that stops sparks and embers — what NFPA 96 calls a spark arrester.
- Make-Up Air· MUA
- Outside air brought in to replace what the hood exhausts. The mechanical code requires make-up air roughly equal to the exhaust (IMC 508.1); a dedicated, tempered unit typically supplies most of it, the rest transferred from the dining room.
- NFPA 96
- NFPA’s Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations — the national standard behind most hood, grease-duct and kitchen fire-suppression rules.
- BTU (British Thermal Unit)· BTU
- A unit of heat. Gas cooking appliances are rated by input in BTU per hour (BTU/h): a home burner is roughly 12,000 BTU/h; a commercial wok burner typically 100,000–150,000 BTU/h.
OTHER CUISINES
01
Chinese / Wok
High-BTU wok ranges need real make-up air and a Type I hood with proven capture.
09
Thai / Vietnamese / Southeast Asian
Pho stock pots run 18+ hours — gas load and exhaust capacity get under-spec’d.
17
Mediterranean / Middle Eastern / Kabob
Vertical broiler + charbroiler combinations stack BTUs in ways inherited hoods rarely handle.
Already walking the space?
After your field findings come the permit drawings. We don’t take restaurant jobs ourselves — send us the address and we’ll refer you to a registered architect. We reply within one business day.
Contact
Begin a project.
Studio
Phoenix4435 E Chandler Blvd · Suite 200
Phone
(602) 628-1231Servicios disponibles en español · 中文版本 (602) 628-1231