You found the perfect spot for your café, restaurant or shop in Orlando, Kissimmee or Miami. The landlord is ready, the broker is pushing, and the lease is on the table. Before you sign, pause. The space that looks right on a walkthrough can hide costs that blow up your budget and your opening date.
We design and build commercial spaces across Florida, and many of the hardest projects we see started with a lease signed too fast. Here are seven things to check first. None of this is legal advice, so have your attorney review the lease itself, but these are the design and build-out questions that decide whether a space can work.
1. Is your use allowed in this space?
Zoning and the shopping center's own rules decide what you can open. A restaurant, a smoke shop, a salon and a retail store are treated differently. Confirm with the city or county that your exact use is permitted at that address, and check the lease for "exclusive use" clauses that might block you, or protect you.
2. Can the space handle a kitchen?
If you serve food, ask early about the grease trap, the exhaust hood path to the roof, and gas service. Adding a grease interceptor or running a hood duct through two floors can cost more than the rest of the interior. A former restaurant space ("second generation") can save a lot of money if the equipment and infrastructure are still usable.
3. Is there enough electrical power?
Espresso machines, ovens, ice cream freezers, display lighting and signage all need power. Many retail units come with a small electrical service. Upgrading the panel or bringing new service from the utility takes time and money, so have someone check the panel size against your equipment list before you sign.
4. Plumbing and restrooms
Count the sinks you'll need: hand sinks, prep sinks, a mop sink, and restrooms that meet accessibility (ADA) requirements. Moving plumbing in a concrete slab means cutting the floor. Knowing where the existing lines run can shape your whole layout.
5. HVAC capacity
Florida heat plus a full dining room plus kitchen equipment is a lot of cooling. Ask the age and size of the AC units, who maintains them, and who pays to replace them. An undersized system means an uncomfortable space and customers who don't stay.
6. Signage rules
Your sign is your first marketing. Check what the landlord and the city allow: size, lighting, placement, and whether you get space on the monument or pylon sign. A great brand with a sign nobody can see from the road is a missed opportunity.
7. Build-out time, allowance and free rent
Design, permits and construction take time. Negotiate a tenant improvement (TI) allowance and a rent-free period that matches a realistic build-out schedule, not an optimistic one. Ask what the landlord delivers ("vanilla shell", "cold dark shell" or existing build-out) and get it in writing.
Get a test-fit before you sign
The best way to answer all of these questions is a test-fit: a quick layout showing your counter, kitchen, seating or displays in the actual space. It shows whether the space works, what needs to change, and roughly what the build-out will involve. It's also a strong tool in lease negotiations, because you can show the landlord exactly what you need.
We do test-fits for business owners and brokers in Orlando, Kissimmee and Miami as the first step of our design process. See how we plan spaces on our Commercial Interior Design page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a test-fit?
A test-fit is an early layout drawing that places your planned use, like a counter, kitchen, seating or retail displays, inside a specific space to check that it fits and works before you commit.
Should I hire a designer before or after signing a lease?
Before, if you can. A designer can spot problems with power, plumbing, the kitchen or the layout while you still have room to negotiate or walk away.
Do you help with leases in Orlando and Miami?
We don't give legal advice, but we review spaces, prepare test-fits and work alongside your broker and attorney for businesses in Orlando, Kissimmee, Miami and across Florida.
Looking at a space?
Send us the address and floor plan before you sign. We'll tell you what to ask the landlord and whether your concept fits.
Start your project or call (786) 777-9747.
