Restaurants
Your hood suppression system is one missed semiannual inspection away from a fire marshal stop-work — or one missed cleaning away from losing your kitchen for a week. We keep your NFPA 96 compliance on schedule so the inspection is a tag on the wall, not a shutdown notice.
How we work with restaurants
NFPA 96 is the governing standard for commercial cooking and kitchen hood suppression, and it's the code your health inspector, fire marshal, and insurance carrier all look at simultaneously. Your restaurant must maintain a Type I hood over every grease-producing appliance, a listed wet-chemical or dry-chemical suppression system with semiannual inspection, and fuel shutoff valves that actuate automatically on system discharge. We install Ansul R-102 and Amerex KP systems and inspect any listed system regardless of brand.
The semiannual inspection isn't just a tag on the suppression cylinder. NFPA 96 §11.2 requires a full check of nozzles, fusible links, actuation components, fuel shutoff valves, hood filters, and grease buildup in the exhaust plenum. Deficiencies on the inspection form can trigger a fire marshal stop-work or cause an insurer to deny a claim on a cooking fire. Most restaurant operators don't realize the suppression inspection and the hood cleaning are two separate compliance requirements — we make sure you understand what each covers and that neither falls through the cracks.
Beyond the kitchen, your restaurant falls under NFPA 101 Chapter 12/13 (new/existing assembly occupancy) once occupant load exceeds 50. That triggers fire alarm, emergency lighting, and specific sprinkler requirements that a standard light-hazard alarm permit won't cover. If you're in a strip center, the building fire alarm panel must receive a supervisory signal from your suppression system per IFC §904.3.5. We handle that integration and keep all of it documented in one place.
Typical systems in your buildings
- Kitchen suppression (NFPA 96) — wet-chemical system on all grease-producing appliances; semiannual inspection; automatic gas/electric fuel shutoff on discharge · Service page →
- Fire alarm (NFPA 72) — addressable or conventional per occupant load; suppression system interconnect per IFC §904.3.5; audible/visual notification · Service page →
- Fire sprinkler (NFPA 13) — ordinary hazard occupancy for kitchen areas; light hazard for dining; required throughout for assembly occupancies above 50-person load · Service page →
- Fire extinguishers (NFPA 10) — Class K rated extinguisher within 30 feet of each cooking appliance; annual formal inspection required · Service page →
- Emergency & exit lighting (NFPA 101) — required at exits and exit access corridors; 90-minute battery; monthly 30-second test · Service page →
Code touchpoints
- NFPA 96 (2024 ed.) — commercial cooking operations; hood, exhaust, and suppression requirements
- NFPA 101 Chapter 12/13 — assembly occupancy life-safety (applicable when occupant load exceeds 50)
- NFPA 72 (2022 ed.) — fire alarm requirements; suppression system supervision per §23.8
- NFPA 13 (2022 ed.) — sprinkler hazard classification for kitchen vs. dining occupancies
- NFPA 10 (2022 ed.) — Class K extinguisher placement within 30 feet of cooking appliances
- IFC §904.12 — commercial cooking systems; automatic suppression and shutdown requirements
- IFC §904.3.5 — automatic fire-extinguishing system interconnect to building fire alarm
- Texas Administrative Code Title 28, Chapters 34, 35, 36 — SFMO licensing requirements
Inspection cadence we run for this vertical
| Activity | Typical interval |
|---|---|
| Kitchen suppression — full system inspection (NFPA 96) | Semiannual |
| Kitchen hood exhaust cleaning — high-volume fryers/charbroilers | Quarterly |
| Kitchen hood exhaust cleaning — moderate use | Semiannual |
| Kitchen hood exhaust cleaning — low-volume cooking | Annual |
| Fire alarm — full functional test | Annual |
| Fire extinguishers — Class K visual inspection | Monthly (by you) |
| Fire extinguishers — Class K formal inspection | Annual (by us) |
| Sprinkler — main drain test | Quarterly |
| Sprinkler — full inspection per NFPA 25 | Annual |
| Emergency/exit lighting — 30-second function test | Monthly |
| Emergency/exit lighting — 90-minute discharge test | Annual |
What a Texas customer in this vertical wrote on Google
As a small business owner Zion Fire Protection has been awesome to do business with. This is the first time we are using their service and we will definitely use them for future fire extinguisher inspections and also for our hood installations and fire suppression installations and services. Sandy at their Plano office not only helped me get the inspections done very fast but she also gave me an awesome deal.
Frequently asked questions
How often does a Texas restaurant need kitchen suppression inspection?
Every six months, per NFPA 96 §11.2. This is a hard requirement — there is no annual option for commercial cooking suppression systems. The inspection must be performed by a licensed contractor (Texas ECR license) and must cover nozzles, fusible links, fuel shutoff, actuation components, and agent quantity. A tag on the cylinder alone does not constitute a compliant inspection.
What is the difference between a suppression inspection and hood cleaning?
They are separate compliance requirements. The suppression inspection verifies the fire-extinguishing system is functional and properly charged — that's NFPA 96 §11.2 territory. Hood cleaning removes grease from the exhaust hood, plenum, filters, and ductwork — that's NFPA 96 §11.4 territory. The cleaning frequency depends on cooking volume; the suppression inspection is always semiannual. Zion does both; confirm your hood-cleaning contractor is IKECA-certified if you use a separate vendor.
Does my restaurant need a fire alarm system?
It depends on size and occupant load. Assembly occupancies with an occupant load over 50 require fire alarm per NFPA 101 §12.3.4. Occupant loads over 300 have additional requirements. Your kitchen suppression system must send a supervisory signal to any building fire alarm panel under IFC §904.3.5 — whether or not a full restaurant alarm system is required. Zion can evaluate your specific configuration and tell you exactly what the AHJ will expect at permit review.
What happens if my suppression system discharges during service?
The system actuates, gas shuts off, and the cooking surface is covered with wet-chemical agent. You're now shut down until the system is recharged and the hood is cleaned — typically 4–6 hours with Zion on dispatch. We respond 24/7 to system discharges and accidental actuations: 855.ZIONFIRE. Recharge requires replacing fusible links, refilling the agent cylinder, and re-inspecting the full system before you can return to service.
What Class K extinguisher is required and where does it go?
NFPA 10 §5.5.1 requires a Class K portable extinguisher within 30 feet of each commercial cooking appliance that uses vegetable or animal oils. The K rating is specific to cooking-oil fires — standard ABC extinguishers are not a substitute. Annual formal inspection is required; Zion provides a dated and signed inspection tag meeting NFPA 10 §7.3 requirements.