How to Choose Ventilation, Hoods and Fire Suppression for Restaurant Kitchens
Cafés & Fast Casual Kitchens
Hotels & Banquet Kitchens
Ghost Kitchens & Delivery Hubs
Food Courts & Mall Concepts
Central & Commissary Kitchens
Heat, smoke and grease-laden vapour are part of a busy kitchen, but they should not spill into your dining room or make the cookline uncomfortable to work on. Well-planned ventilation and hood systems help you remove contaminated air, bring in fresh make-up air and control grease build-up around your cooking equipment.
This guide explains how to choose commercial kitchen ventilation, exhaust hoods and basic fire suppression arrangements for restaurant kitchens – including wall-canopy hoods, island hoods, low-profile hoods, make-up air solutions and grease management components – so you can align your system with your menu, building and layout. Always check local codes and work with qualified specialists when finalising designs and installations.
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What types of ventilation, hoods and fire-related components do restaurant kitchens use?
A complete kitchen ventilation system is more than a hood over a range. It can include canopy hoods, exhaust fans, make-up air, grease filters, ductwork and fire-related components around the cookline. Understanding each part helps you discuss a practical system layout with your designers and contractors.
| Ventilation / Hood / Fire Component | Core Role in the Kitchen System | Typical Use Cases & Operations |
|---|---|---|
|
Wall-Canopy Exhaust Hood
wall canopy hood |
Mounts against a wall above cooking equipment, capturing rising heat, smoke and grease-laden vapours and directing them into ductwork and an exhaust fan. Often includes grease filters and lighting for the cookline. | Common in restaurants, cafés and hotel kitchens with cooklines arranged against a wall (ranges, fryers, griddles and chargrills in a row). |
|
Island Canopy Hood (Double-Sided)
island canopy hood |
Suspended over equipment positioned away from walls, capturing vapours on either one or both sides depending on the cooking line. Supports central cookline layouts and open kitchens visible to guests. | Large hotel kitchens, show kitchens and island cook suites where cooks work around both sides of the equipment line. |
|
Low-Profile & Proximity Hood
low-profile hood |
Compact hood designs that sit closer to the cooking surface and can be useful where ceiling heights are limited or where you want to reduce the visible size of the hood in front-of-house or kiosk applications. | Food court kiosks, low-ceiling kitchens and open kitchens with limited vertical space above equipment. |
|
Exhaust Fan & Grease Ductwork
kitchen exhaust fan |
Exhaust fan pulls air from hoods through a duct system and discharges it safely outside the building. Duct design helps manage grease build-up, airflow resistance and routing around building structure to the discharge point. | Any commercial kitchen with a mechanical extraction system serving grease-producing appliances such as fryers and grills. |
|
Make-Up Air & Supply Diffusers
make-up air system |
Brings fresh air into the kitchen to replace exhausted air, helping maintain pressure balance and comfortable temperatures. Diffusers and supply grilles are positioned to support hood capture without creating drafts that push smoke out of the capture zone. | Restaurants and central kitchens with significant extraction volumes, especially in tightly sealed modern buildings where natural infiltration is limited. |
|
Grease Filters & Collection Trays
hood grease filter |
Positioned in the hood to capture grease droplets before they enter ductwork. Collection trays help gather accumulated grease so it can be removed during routine cleaning, reducing build-up in hard-to-reach areas. | Any hood serving fryers, grills or high-fat cooking methods. Filter access and cleaning routines are an important daily or weekly task for the kitchen team. |
|
Fire-Related Components Around Hoods
kitchen hood fire safety layout |
Kitchen ventilation projects often include planning for locations of automatic system nozzles, manual pull stations, fuel or energy shut-off devices and clear access for service. The specific design and installation must be completed by qualified fire system specialists according to local regulations and standards. | Restaurants, food courts, hotels and institutional kitchens with fryers, griddles and open flame appliances located under exhaust hoods, where fire safety and emergency procedures are a key part of the overall design. |
How can you match ventilation and hood choices to your menu and kitchen concept?
A small café with light cooking, a busy grill restaurant and a hotel with multiple outlets all need extraction, but their systems look very different. Matching hood style and exhaust capacity to your menu and layout helps you balance comfort, appearance and practicality.
| Kitchen Concept / Operation Type | Ventilation, Hood & Fire-Related Planning Focus | Key Planning Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Café, Bakery or Light Cooking Operation | Smaller wall-canopy or low-profile hoods above ovens, light-duty ranges and possibly a small fryer, with exhaust sized for moderate grease loads and consideration for noise and visibility in front-of-house. Make-up air and general ventilation should keep the space comfortable for both guests and staff. | How intense is your cooking compared with baking and reheating? Is your cookline visible to guests, and how important is a compact, visually discreet hood design to your concept? |
| Grill Restaurant or Casual Dining Kitchen | Robust wall-canopy hoods or island hoods over ranges, fryers, chargrills and ovens, with grease filtration and exhaust sized for continuous, high-intensity cooking. Make-up air planning is important to avoid smoke escaping into the dining room when doors open or during busy periods. | Which equipment items produce the most smoke and grease, and how are they grouped on the line? How will you route ductwork within the building to a safe and acceptable discharge location? |
| Hotel Main Kitchen & Banqueting Operation | Multiple hood sections, sometimes a mix of wall-canopy and island hoods, serving different cooklines (à la carte, banqueting, staff meals). Balanced ventilation to maintain workable temperatures across large production areas, along with carefully planned duct and fan layouts to handle long distances and multiple exhaust risers where required. | How many separate cooking zones share the same ductwork? Do you need separate controls or time schedules for different outlets (for example breakfast, banqueting and all-day dining) using shared ventilation infrastructure? |
| Ghost Kitchen or Delivery-Only Hub | Hoods sized for multi-brand, high-turnover cooking, often with long daily operating hours and dense equipment layouts. Make-up air and general ventilation designed to support staff working near intense cooklines without guest seating areas to absorb heat and odours. | How many separate cooking stations sit under each hood? Are different menus sharing the same hoods, and how might that affect grease load and cleaning frequency across brands? |
| Food Court Kiosk or Mall Food Concept | Low-profile or compact wall hoods matched with central building exhaust infrastructure, and careful selection of cooking processes that fit within the ventilation allowances and duct routes available in shared retail or food court environments. | What extraction capacity and duct routes are available in the unit you are leasing? Are there building-level rules that affect which appliances you can install and how your hood system must connect to shared services? |
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How do different hood types and basic ventilation approaches compare?
Canopy, low-profile and island hoods all capture air differently. The way you bring in make-up air and arrange ductwork also affects performance, comfort and ceiling appearance. Comparing options helps you find a solution that fits your kitchen and building.
| Option or Configuration | Best Suited For | Key Strengths | Points to Consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall-Canopy Hood vs. Island Canopy Hood |
Wall-canopy: cooklines against walls where airflow patterns are straightforward.
Island canopy: central cook suites or island ranges where cooking occurs away from walls or in show kitchens viewed by guests. |
Wall-canopy: uses the wall as a boundary, often simplifying capture and duct routing.
Island canopy: flexible layout for equipment and chefs working on multiple sides, and can be a visual feature in open kitchen designs. |
Wall-canopy: may require careful coordination with wall finishes and services behind equipment.
Island canopy: needs more attention to hood positioning, lighting and supply air to ensure effective capture from all sides. |
| Standard Canopy Hood vs. Low-Profile / Proximity Hood |
Standard canopy: kitchens with typical or generous ceiling heights and space for full-size hoods.
Low-profile / proximity: spaces with limited headroom or design constraints where a full-depth hood is difficult to accommodate. |
Standard canopy: often provides good capture volume and flexibility for different appliances under the hood.
Low-profile: can make better use of limited ceiling height and may reduce visual impact in tight front-of-house spaces. |
Standard canopy: may visually dominate small kitchens or low ceilings if not well integrated.
Low-profile: requires careful sizing and positioning relative to equipment to maintain effective capture with a smaller canopy depth. |
| Centralised Exhaust Fan vs. Zone-Based Fans for Different Hoods |
Centralised: buildings with a single main riser or shared discharge point for multiple hoods.
Zone-based: operations where different hoods may operate at different times or intensities, such as separate restaurant and banqueting cooklines. |
Centralised: fewer fans and external discharge locations to coordinate on the roof or façade.
Zone-based: allows some independence in scheduling and control across multiple kitchens or cooking zones within the same building. |
Centralised: requires careful balancing so all hoods get appropriate extraction when used simultaneously.
Zone-based: may involve more fan units and control points to monitor and maintain across the site. |
| General Make-Up Air vs. Targeted Supply Near Hoods |
General make-up: kitchens where air is supplied through ceiling or wall diffusers across the space.
Targeted supply: scenarios where air is introduced near hoods to help direct flows into the capture area without disturbing cooking operations. |
General make-up: simpler to integrate with building HVAC and easier to co-ordinate with other rooms.
Targeted supply: can support hood performance by guiding air movement while keeping the rest of the kitchen more comfortable. |
General make-up: must be balanced so air currents do not push smoke away from hood capture zones.
Targeted supply: needs careful design to avoid drafts on cooks and to ensure supply air remains compatible with overall building pressure control. |
Which features matter most when choosing hoods, ventilation and fire-related layouts?
Kitchen ventilation is a long-term investment. Effective capture, easy cleaning, working comfort and practical integration with other services all matter. While detailed design must follow local rules and specialist guidance, you can use the checklist below to shape conversations and compare options.
| Feature Category | Impact on Kitchen Operation & Comfort | Questions to Ask During Planning |
|---|---|---|
|
Hood Size, Overhang & Capture Efficiency
Applies to: all hood types above cooking equipment
|
A hood that is appropriately sized for the cookline, with adequate overhang and capture volume, is more likely to contain smoke and vapours even when cooks are moving pans or opening oven doors. This helps keep air clearer in both the kitchen and nearby guest areas. | How wide and deep is your cooking line today, and could it grow in future? Are there appliances producing more intense plumes, such as chargrills or high-output fryers, that need particular attention in hood positioning? |
|
Noise, Heat Build-Up & Working Environment
Applies to: fans, airflows, hood and make-up air design
|
Fan noise, airflow patterns and radiant heat from equipment all affect how comfortable the kitchen feels, especially during long services. Good design aims to remove excess heat without creating strong drafts or high noise levels that make communication difficult on the line. | Are there spaces above or outside the kitchen where fans and ducting can be located to reduce noise in the workspace? How does the planned system interact with any existing building ventilation and air conditioning? |
|
Cleaning Access & Grease Management
Applies to: hoods, grease filters, ducts and collection trays
|
Easy access to filters, trays and key duct sections supports regular cleaning routines. Effective grease collection helps reduce build-up in harder-to-reach areas, contributing to more reliable performance and easier maintenance scheduling with specialist cleaning providers. | Can kitchen staff remove and clean filters without tools during daily or weekly routines? Are access doors or points in duct runs located where cleaning technicians can reach them safely during scheduled maintenance? |
|
Integration with Equipment Layout & Services
Applies to: hood placement, duct routing, utilities and ceiling services
|
Hoods, lights, sprinklers, ceiling services, gas and electrical connections all share space above the cookline. Good coordination helps avoid clashes, keeps access open for maintenance and ensures hood placement aligns with actual equipment positions below. | Have you locked in your final equipment layout before finalising hood dimensions and duct routes? How will you maintain access to shut-offs, control panels and service valves once hoods and ceiling finishes are installed? |
|
Fire-Related Layout Planning & Emergency Access
Applies to: hood areas, equipment placement and access routes
|
When planning hoods and ventilation, it is important to consider where fire-related system components, emergency pull points and fuel or power shut-off devices will be placed in relation to the cookline. Clear access routes help staff reach these points quickly in an emergency. The exact nature and configuration of any automatic or manual fire systems must be determined and installed by qualified specialists in line with applicable codes and guidelines. | From which positions can staff safely reach manual emergency controls without crossing directly over cooking equipment? Have you discussed with your fire system specialist how hood, duct and equipment positions influence their design and the required clearances? |
How should you position hoods, ventilation components and fire-related access in your layout?
Good layouts treat ventilation as part of the kitchen design from day one, not an afterthought. The position of hoods, duct risers, fans, make-up air grilles and fire-related access points influences how your team works on the line and how your kitchen connects to the rest of the building.
| Kitchen or Building Zone | Role of Ventilation, Hoods & Fire-Related Elements | Layout & Workflow Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Main Cookline & Hood Zone | Hoods capture vapours directly above equipment, with lighting integrated to support clear visibility on the line. Equipment is arranged so that high-heat and high-grease appliances are placed in locations where capture is most effective and access for cleaning is reasonable. | Group equipment with similar ventilation needs under the same hood section. Keep equipment slightly back from hood edges as recommended by your ventilation designer to support capture, and leave space for pulling equipment forward when cleaning behind and underneath. |
| Back-of-House Ceiling Space & Duct Riser Routes | Ductwork carries exhaust air from hoods to fans and discharge points, often running through ceiling voids or service shafts. Access openings in appropriate locations help with inspection and cleaning, while coordination with other services avoids conflicts in tight ceiling spaces. | Identify early where risers and horizontal duct runs can go in relation to beams, pipes and electrical services. Try to avoid unnecessary bends or long detours, and allow for access panels in locations that maintenance teams can reach safely. |
| Fresh Air Supply & Make-Up Air Locations | Supply diffusers introduce fresh air into the kitchen in a pattern that supports hood capture and comfortable working conditions. In some designs, air may be introduced in the ceiling around hoods or partially integrated into the hood assembly itself, depending on design choices and applicable rules. | Avoid placing strong air supply directly in front of hood faces where it could push smoke away from the capture area. Coordinate diffuser positions with lighting, sprinklers and ceiling features to minimise visual clutter and support consistent coverage across the kitchen. |
| Connection to Dining Room & Front-of-House Areas | Pressure relationships and airflow between kitchen and dining areas influence whether cooking odours and heat drift into guest spaces. Ventilation design around pass-throughs, doors and open kitchen hoods plays a role in how guests experience the environment near the kitchen. | Consider how doors, passes and server routes interact with airflows. When designing open kitchens, balance the desire for visible flames and aromas with practical control of smoke and heat, especially near guest seating and host stations. |
| Fire-Related Access Paths & Equipment Clearances | Layout should allow staff and maintenance personnel to reach key fire-related components and shut-offs that are associated with the cookline and ventilation zone. The specific placement and configuration of these components will depend on local regulations and the design provided by fire system specialists. | During kitchen planning, review potential locations for emergency access points in relation to hoods and equipment. Ensure that storage, shelving or non-cooking fixtures do not block visibility or access to these areas once the kitchen is in daily use. |
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Disclaimer: This guide is for general information only and does not replace the advice of qualified designers, installers or local authorities. Always follow local regulations, building and fire codes, and manufacturer instructions when selecting, installing and operating kitchen ventilation, hood and fire-related systems in restaurant and commercial kitchen environments.
