If you are scaling a franchise in the GTA, you likely focus on the lease, the contractor, and the equipment.

You assume that if the building has a front door, it has what you need to run your business.

This is a dangerous assumption.

In commercial construction, the "Utility Trap" is the most common reason projects stall two weeks before a scheduled launch.

The Gap Between "Existing" and "Requirement"

Most retail bays in Ontario were built for general commercial use.

They were wired for a few light bulbs and a computer. They were plumbed for one bathroom.

Your franchise is different.

You have high-voltage ovens, multi-head espresso machines, or specialized medical equipment.

If your engineer calculates your total load and finds it exceeds the current building supply, you are no longer just doing an interior fit-out.

You are now in a negotiation with Toronto Hydro, Alectra, or Enbridge.

The Third-Party Timeline

When you build inside your four walls, you control the pace. You can add more labor or run double shifts.

When you deal with utility providers, you lose all leverage.

A transformer upgrade or a new gas header is not a construction task. It is an infrastructure project.

In many parts of the Golden Horseshoe, the lead time for a simple transformer can be 12 to 16 weeks.

If you discover this during the framing stage, your rent commencement date will arrive long before your power does.

The Revenue Impact of "Dry" Running

Imagine your staff is hired. Your marketing is live. Your franchisor is flying in for the ribbon cutting.

Then you realize you can't turn on the HVAC and the ovens at the same time without blowing the main breaker.

You are forced into a "soft opening" where you can't actually serve your full menu or operate at capacity.

Every day you operate under-powered is a day your ROI shrinks.

You are paying full overhead for 40% of the output.

How to Audit Before You Sign

To avoid the trap, you must look at the mechanical room before you look at the floor plan.

• Check the Panel: Don't just look at the size; look at the available capacity in the building's main switchgear.

• Verify Gas Pressure: High-output kitchens often require high-pressure gas. If the street line is low-pressure, your equipment won't fire correctly.

• Water Meter Sizing: A hair salon or a restaurant has different water requirements than a clothing store. Upsizing a meter often requires a municipal permit that takes weeks to process.

Think Like an Operator

A contractor sees a pipe. An operator sees a bottleneck.

Do not wait for the "issued for construction" drawings to find out your utilities are insufficient.

Perform a site-level utility audit during your due diligence period.

If the building can't support your brand standards, you need to know that while you still have leverage with the landlord.

The most expensive power is the power you don't have on opening day.

If you want a second set of experienced eyes on your site's utility capacity, you can book a review call here.