SHIPPING CONTAINER RESTAURANTS
Fundamentally a shipping container restaurant is just a different way to build a restaurant as it has to be up to all the building and health codes that any regular brick and mortar would have to be. Form follows function and the shape of a container can be an interesting start for the architect to play with, although units are fully customizable.
Shipping container restaurant concepts
(One size fits... A LOT)
Standard ISO certified actual shipping containers used for a restaurant are structurally one of the easiest units to work with. It is a hardened, steel rectangle and reinforced on all pressure and stress points to boot.
Despite growing popularity not everyone is familiar with the concept, and it can take some convincing to get a whole project team or city officials on board. Some convincing arguments in favor of a shipping container restaurant are:
- Modularity – Standardized sizes and unit buildouts allow for variety and flexibility on a budget.
- Units can be built off-site and out of state or outside of the country, even, allowing better costs and lead times.
- Setting up inside a larger space or on unbuilt terrain is made easy for use inside a large warehouse or corporate lobby, or even a parking lot or field a turnkey ready to go restaurant unit can be set up in no time.
- Less of the investment is intrinsically attached to the rented space, so you can move the location or sell container units while keeping more value intact than if remodeling the restaurant space is tied to a rental brick and mortar you do not own.
- Design! The shipping container aesthetic is unique and can be repurposed however you want it to be, from high end sophistication to rough industrial looks or vintage Americana.
Last but not least, on average a shipping container restaurant is at least 30% cheaper than a comparable brick and mortar shop, everything said and done, and built in 60% of the time a normal construction project takes.
Are SHIPPING CONTAINER RESTAURANTs A FIXED SIZE?
No, sizes vary between ISO certified containers and many designs end up needing adjustments.
Stacked containers, interaction between the units and custom size requirements can only be accommodated by modifying true containers or making a custom construction using corrugated steel paneling on the outside of your shipping container restaurant to mimic the look of a true sea container.
However, the width can be an issue as fitting all the kitchenware, the electric, plumbing, and insulation into 8 feet is not always possible when having to meet local code requirements.
WILL THESE container UNITS BE UP TO MY LOCAL CODE?
Although Karpatia is a global company, part of our US based team includes designers and engineers licensed in several states and reciprocity for those in which they are not, can be requested if we are in time for that given your project deadline. We can subcontract some of the planning and engineering to an engineer and/or architect licensed in your state if that expedites the project.
If you are from Canada or somewhere in Europe and have no idea what you just read, be glad as licensing and permits in the US can be quite intense, Karpatia does projects globally and it is likely a similar container project is a substantially smaller investment outside of the USA.
We always consult with local officials and experts/engineers like the AIA where our own expertise falls short to ensure all units are delivered turnkey and up to code.
That includes drafting the site plan if you have no architect of your own, a plan for the unit(s) including wiring, plumbing, and materialization and if necessary on-site tours of our facility for inspectors and direct contact and involvement in managing the approval process to get the city or other authority on board. Although many US counties are quite forward thinking and allow virtual inspections of both the unit being built and the workshop, it is being produced.
How much work local approval is varies as some jurisdictions are extremely supportive of local business, others not so much so (e.g. Amsterdam or NYC).
HOW MUCH DOES A SHIPPING CONTAINER RESTAURANT COST?
Prices start from around $80k per unit, with most single-unit restaurants landing around $100k. Fully equipped units can reach 100k-200k+, and as a whole project the cost could be well over $200k if you are building a container village or complex. It depends enormously on the complexity of the total plan, how many containers, how you want them to interact, what equipment, where it is being built, and how cumbersome local regulation is. To provide a little more insight we break the cost down into component parts.
THE BASE UNIT - HOW MUCH IS A 40FT CONTAINER?
As a base unit the shipping container is just a steel box, ISO certified and reinforced, sure, but these are still available from around $1,800 for a used 20ft container up to around $4,500 for a one-trip 40ft unit.
Containers can be “high cube” meaning 9’6″ (2896mm) instead of 8’6″ (2591mm) and 40ft (~12m) or 20ft (~6m).
Custom steel constructions are a little more expensive, but the base unit is never a great contributor to the cost.
SHIPPING CONTAINER RESTAURANT DESIGN
How much work can it really be to engineer out a rectangle with a kitchen in it? You would be surprised.
Our process starts with the visual/graphic design of your unit including a 3D render and a base layout proposal including equipment. When you sign off on that, the project moves into the true engineering phase.
That includes architectural designs (optionally with a site plan), structural engineering review for both local and state codes, providing a blueprint/MEP, calculating circulation and airflow, and incidentally even providing shop drawings of the custom fabricated kit inside of your unit.
Although very few people die in lawless places such as Texas, Belgium, or Germany on an annual basis in shipping container restaurants where sinks and shelves were constructed without shop drawings, many locales do require all of the above. Design and engineering typically account for 13k-25k+ of the total project cost, and can add 2-3 months of lead time when including the time required to get these designs a governmental stamp of approval.
BUILDOUT
Getting a container unit up to restaurant standards includes the following:
- Plumbing
- Electrical wiring
- Insulation
- Flooring
- Paint or wrap
- Cladding
- Finishes and lighting
- Parapets and/or rooftop patios
- Fitting concession window(s) and door(s)
ON-SITE SERVICES
If you are not or do not have a general contractor and units need to be installed, the terrain leveled, etc., there will be a setup fee involved in getting the project ready even though the unit itself is as close to turnkey as a unit can be.
APPLIANCES
A modest kitchen package runs 15k-40k, while a full hot-food line is more like 40k-80k+. As commercial kitchens go, any level of quality and amount of gear can be fitted into container units, and some ovens alone cost over $40k, so there really is no one price.
Whatever your budget is Karpatia will strive to give you the best package available that suits your planned investment.
CAN I BUILD A SHIPPING CONTAINER RESTAURANT IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS?
Do Shipping Containers get hot inside?
Yes, they certainly do get hot without proper insulation. When engineering out a unit local requirements are not purely a matter of local governance, wind force, rainfall, heat, and other conditions need to be taken into account. You would need a very different container in Saskatoon than you would in Phoenix.
Whether it means coating the unit in special thermal insulate latex paint to keep the heat down or adding air curtains inside the concession window for Canadian customers, our units are always engineered to customer specifications.
Yes, the containers are extremely modular and can be stacked or joined together.
If local code allows, yes! The standard height of the unit is not ideal for a seated driver but with minor modifications to your site, it is very feasible to create a drive through.
No. Ghost kitchens are mostly used for delivery orders and are quite often concession trailers or food trucks, not containers.
Containers can be used for anything from full-service restaurant concepts with sit-down dining to bars, and are not limited to use as a ghost kitchen.
No, probably not. Your city will have zoning laws and other limitations placed on new establishments.
You must check with the local council whether it is allowed before signing any rental agreements. It can be a long process to get all the design, engineering and permitting in order for container projects.
CAN WE HELP BUILD YOUR SHIPPING CONTAINER RESTAURANT?
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