Why food hall kitchen exhaust is a landlord decision first
Food hall kitchen exhaust is planned by the landlord or developer before most vendors are signed, because the shafts, roof fans and make-up air have to exist before any stall can open. The developer is effectively building infrastructure for kitchens it has not seen yet, and the decisions made at that stage set what every future tenant can cook.
That is the core difference from a single restaurant. A restaurant designs exhaust around a known menu. A food hall designs exhaust around a range of possible menus, with enough capacity and flexibility that a ramen stall can replace a salad stall without cutting a new roof penetration.
The landlord typically provides a criteria package: which stalls get Type I exhaust, how much airflow each stall connection supports, where the hood must be, what fire suppression is required and who maintains what. Vendors then design inside that envelope.
Shared grease duct risers vs individual vendor systems
The central question in a food hall is whether vendors connect to a common grease duct and fan, or whether each stall gets its own duct and fan. Both are used, and many halls end up with a mix.
| Factor | Individual system per vendor | Shared riser and fan |
|---|---|---|
| Roof penetrations | One per stall, more fans and curbs | Fewer, larger fans |
| Shaft space | Many smaller ducts, more shaft area overall | One or a few larger ducts |
| Fire separation between tenants | Simple: each system is independent | Needs careful design so one vendor's fire does not spread through the common duct; AHJ review is closer |
| Airflow balance | Each vendor controls its own fan | Adding or closing a stall shifts airflow at the others; dampers and controls must handle it |
| Cleaning | Scheduled per vendor | Whole system cleaned together; every connected tenant affected |
| Vendor turnover | Old system stays with the stall, may be oversized or undersized | Capacity planned centrally, easier to reassign |
NFPA 96 and the mechanical code allow multiple hoods on a common duct under specific conditions, and some jurisdictions limit it to hoods on the same floor or within the same fire area. The AHJ's interpretation drives the final layout, so raise shared-riser concepts with the building and fire officials early. Our commercial kitchen exhaust system page covers how hoods, duct and fans work as one system.
Designing stall exhaust for vendor turnover and menu changes
Food hall vendors change more often than tenants in most retail, and a new vendor rarely cooks what the last one cooked. A stall built for sandwiches and a panini press may become a fried chicken concept with two fryers and a charbroiler, and the exhaust behind it has to handle that or be upgraded.
Ways landlords build in flexibility
- Oversize the stall connection. Provide duct and fan capacity for a medium-to-heavy cooking line at stalls likely to host hot food, even if the first tenant is lighter.
- Standardize hood sizes. A stall with a known hood length and depth lets a new vendor plan equipment around it.
- Classify stalls. Mark some stalls as no-hood (cold prep, coffee, dessert), some for Type II only, and some for Type I. Leasing then matches concepts to stalls.
- Use dampers and variable speed fans on shared systems so an empty stall can be closed off without upsetting the others, where the AHJ accepts that arrangement.
Duty class matters here. ASHRAE 154 groups appliances into light, medium, heavy and extra-heavy duty, and a charbroiler or solid-fuel appliance demands far more exhaust per foot of hood than a griddle or oven. A stall infrastructure sized for light duty can force the landlord to refuse a strong concept or pay for a mid-lease upgrade. The hood sizing guide explains how duty class turns into CFM.
Landlord and tenant responsibilities for food hall exhaust
Responsibility for food hall exhaust has to be written into the lease, because a grease duct crosses from tenant space into landlord space and fire risk crosses with it. A common split looks like this, though every hall writes its own version:
| Component | Typically provided by | Typically maintained by |
|---|---|---|
| Hood, filters, fire suppression in the stall | Tenant (to landlord criteria) | Tenant |
| Duct from hood to stall connection point | Tenant | Tenant |
| Shared riser, shaft and roof fan | Landlord | Landlord, often recovered through common area charges |
| Make-up air to the common hall | Landlord | Landlord |
| Duct cleaning | Varies | Often landlord-coordinated across all tenants |
Points to settle in writing: who approves a vendor's hood drawings, who pays to upgrade capacity for a heavier menu, what a departing vendor must leave in place, and who carries the cleaning and inspection records the fire marshal will ask for. Disputes over these items usually surface after a grease fire or a failed inspection, which is the worst time to sort them out.
Make-up air and odor in an open food hall
A food hall usually supplies make-up air centrally to the common seating area, and each vendor's hood draws it across the counter. That works when the total exhaust and supply are balanced and the hall is designed to stay slightly negative to the street and to neighboring retail.
Trouble starts when vendors are added or upgraded without increasing supply. The hall goes negative, entry doors become hard to open, and hoods lose capture because they are fighting for air. Plan the central make-up air system for the hall's full future exhaust, or provide space and connections for added units.
Odor is the other open-hall issue. Twenty cooking concepts in one room produce a mix of smells, and diners notice when one stall's fryer oil or fish dominates. Good capture at every hood matters more than any air cleaning device. Outdoors, roof fan discharge should be located away from air intakes and neighboring windows, and dense urban halls may need odor control at the fan.
Coordinating hood and duct cleaning across vendors
Cleaning a food hall exhaust system means scheduling around many operators with different hours and different grease loads. NFPA 96 ties inspection frequency to cooking volume, and a shared system is effectively held to the frequency needed by its heaviest user, so one wok or charbroil stall can set the schedule for everyone on that riser.
- Pick one cleaning contractor for shared risers so records are consistent.
- Clean after the hall closes, with all connected stalls shut down and covered.
- Require each vendor to clean filters daily or as needed and to keep their own hood plenum accessible.
- Keep a single log of inspections and cleaning for each riser, plus stall-level records.
- Provide access doors and shaft panels designed for crews to reach the whole riser.
Individual systems simplify billing but multiply roof visits. Either way, the kitchen exhaust cleaning and inspection guide outlines what a proper cleaning should cover.
Starting a food hall exhaust project
For developers, the useful starting point is a stall plan with a proposed classification for each stall (no hood, Type II, Type I light, Type I heavy) and the building section showing shafts and roof. From that we can size risers, fans and make-up air for the hall at full build-out.
For vendors moving into an existing hall, send the landlord's criteria package, your equipment schedule and the stall drawing. We will check whether your menu fits the connection provided and design a hood that meets the hall's requirements. Start through request a quote.
Food Hall Exhaust Questions
- Can multiple food hall vendors share one grease duct?
- Often yes, but with conditions. NFPA 96 and the mechanical code allow multiple hoods on a common duct in certain arrangements, and some jurisdictions add limits on floors, fire areas or tenant separation. The design has to show that a fire at one stall will not spread to others through the duct. Review the concept with the AHJ before committing.
- What happens to exhaust capacity when a new vendor takes over a stall?
- The new vendor works within the duct and fan capacity already provided, unless the landlord agrees to upgrade it. If the new menu is heavier, the hood may need to be larger or the stall connection increased. Check capacity before signing a lease, not after equipment has been ordered.
- Who pays for cleaning a shared food hall exhaust riser?
- Many landlords contract the riser and roof fan cleaning and recover the cost through common area maintenance charges, while each vendor pays to clean its own hood and branch duct. Some halls allocate shared costs by airflow or by stall classification. The lease should state the method clearly.
- Do coffee, dessert and cold prep stalls need hoods in a food hall?
- Usually not a Type I hood if no grease or smoke producing appliances are used. Some stalls with steam or heat loads, such as a dish area or a combi oven, may need a Type II hood. The equipment list and the AHJ decide, so landlords often classify stalls ahead of leasing.
- How do you keep food hall seating areas from smelling like fryer oil?
- Good capture at each hood is the main defense: adequate overhang, side panels where possible and enough exhaust for the duty class. The hall also needs balanced make-up air so hoods are not starved. Fan discharge on the roof should be placed so exhaust does not re-enter through intakes or doors.
- Can a food hall stall use a ventless fryer system?
- Some self-contained recirculating fryer units are listed for use without a ducted hood, and they can suit stalls with no duct connection. Their filters need strict maintenance, and acceptance depends on the listing and the local AHJ. They do not usually handle charbroiling or heavy multi-appliance lines.
- What should a departing food hall vendor leave behind?
- Many leases require the hood, branch duct and suppression piping to stay in place for the next tenant, with filters cleaned and the system inspected. Others require removal back to the landlord connection point. Either way, the duct should be cleaned and capped or tagged so no one cooks under an unprotected or disconnected hood.