Being a major hub for big companies and several higher education institutions, Irvine, California is home to a wide variety of eating options ranging from casual dining to top restaurants. It’s a busy city with a rapidly growing market and an abundance of activities that the whole family can enjoy, generating a lot of foot traffic for business owners in the area.

If you’re looking to start a restaurant in the area, we’ve gathered a list of the best restaurant contractors in Irvine, California. This list was created after our editorial team considered the contractors’ experience, the quality and complexity of their projects, and the recognition they’ve enjoyed in the business.

W L Butler Construction, Inc.

3 Mason, Irvine, CA 92618

W.L. Butler Construction started as a small construction company based out of the back of William Butler’s pick-up truck. 46 years later, it has become a phenomenal success: it’s quality-focused, full-service contractor, serving a variety of markets in California. Right from the beginning, it has always stood for putting people first, promoting honesty, fairness, and respect among its team members and clients. 

The firm’s thoughtful, people-oriented business practice—coupled with the company’s proven craftsmanship—has helped WL Butler Construction garner the recognition it enjoys now. Some of the awards that it has received over the years include the 2021 Silver Spur Award, the 2019 Second Place honors for the Best Retail Project in the County from the LA Business Journal, the 2018 Gold Nugget Grand Award for Best Rehabilitation Project, the Best Educational Project, and the 2017 Gold Nugget Award of Merit for the Best Multifamily Housing Community.

Above is WL Butler Construction’s work on by CHLOE, a plant-based restaurant in LA. The team made tenant improvements to the place and gave it a bit more life and vibrance to it, fitting for such a healthy establishment. All of the finishes and the details of this new sustainable and vegan-friendly restaurant all blended together to create an atmosphere perfect for the millennial-friendly neighborhood, all while maintaining the CHLOE New York-based branding and adapting it to the styles of the West Coast.

Bogart Construction, Inc.

9980 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92618

Over the past 30 years, Bogart Construction has earned its reputation as one of the premier general contractors in the retail construction industry. With its clean and comprehensive construction process, it promises to finish clients’ projects on time and within budget.

At the helm of this business is Brad Bogart, who has a background in Environmental Design and is a Board Member of the CBC YMCA and a Procore Certified Associate. 

Licensed across 30 states, Bogart has a long list of clients it has worked with, including well-known brands like Chick-fil-A. San Clemente requires buildings to have classic Spanish-style elements on their facade. The team’s work on the San Clemente branch adopted the Chick-fil-A brand to the city requirements into one perfect, cohesive whole. The finished product features stucco and rounded steeple to mimic classic Spanish architecture on the outside; on the inside, diners enjoy the atmosphere of a fresh, vibrant restaurant.

SCGWest Development

18001 Sky Park Circle, Suite LM, Irvine, CA 92614

SCGWest Development is another up-and-coming general contracting firm that has proven itself, consistently providing high-quality and trustworthy service. The firm was initially based in Scottsdale, Arizona and now services the city of Irvine and nationwide. It’s an adaptive company that focuses on the needs of its retail, restaurant, and medical office clients to optimize the opening process so they focus on their core business all while reducing the cost, timeline, and stress.

The firm is led by principals Kyle Gorman and Brandon Lehman. Gorman has a background in Real Estate Development and Lehman in Engineering. The combined experience of both principals provides the company with a structured direction that has given SCGWest Development a great start in the general contracting and commercial real estate development industry.

The 5,200-square-foot restaurant featured above is a stunning testament to the fine attention to detail that SCGWest Development puts into its projects. This remodeling project revitalized Las Brisas and gave it a fresh new look that was vibrant and airy, perfect for its location by the waters. Each fine detail, from its wooden finishes to the blue accents pair well together to evoke a feeling of relaxing on the beachfront tailored to fit the needs and branding of this restaurant.

Slater Builders

3100-B Pullman Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Slater Builders has been serving Orange County and parts of San Diego and Los Angeles Counties for the last 28 years. With its sizable team, the firm guarantees it can secure every aspect of the construction process without sacrificing attention to detail. Being a family-owned business, it has made providing good service a part of its heritage.

It is also Woman Business Enterprise that provides a fresh alternative to the standard anchored on decades of experience. Its CEO, Lizabeth S. Slater has a background in BS Business Administration from USC Marshall School of Business and is the Founder of Mae House – Home for Life—a residential community for women with developmental delays.  She is joined by Edward J. Slater, also coming from a Business Administration background, and serves as the Marketing Executive from The Seeley Company and Colliers International. This strong leadership provides Slater Builders its solid direction when it comes to providing a service that is client-centered and detail-oriented.  

In the Islands project featured above, Slater Builders took charge of the construction of several new ground-up restaurant buildings, along with some adjacent site work like the build-out custom finishes and coordination of the kitchen equipment installations for the new restaurants.  The result is a tropical getaway that makes customers feel like they’re dining by the beach.

Uprite Construction

2211 Michelson, Suite 500, Irvine CA 92612

Uprite Construction is a multi-service construction company with 30 years of experience in project site development, ground-up, new construction, renovations, and tenant improvements for both commercial and industrial projects. During its 30 years in business, it satisfied over 175 satisfied and forged long-term relationships while working on 1160 projects since 1991. The firm also provides for its community through its Uprite Communideeds that provide an avenue for its staff to volunteer for the communities that Uprite serves.

Featured is the firm’s work on a very striking modern tenant improvement project for The Lost Bean. Uprite Construction gave the new coffee house some new walls, doors, ceiling, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and light fixtures to create a rustic, minimalist-style coffee house reminiscent of much of the newer trends in the Santa Anna area. According to a rep from The Lost Bean, working with the Uprite team on this project was fantastic: the job was finished on time and with strong communication throughout the process.

Casco Contractors

9850 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618

Casco Contractors has been providing commercial tenant improvement services to the project owners of Orange County for the last 21 years. Its founder, Cheryl Osborn, founded the company from her kitchen table and it has later grown into one of Southern California’s most trusted tenant improvement companies and it was named the 6th largest female-run business in Orange County.

The firm’s priority on communication and transparent business practices ensures that each problem is understood and addressed as well as keeping the project n schedule and within budget. The consistent result is a high-quality space that reflects the endeavors of the client’s business, as seen in the company’s work on El Pollo Loco, an eclectic restaurant that reflects the company’s brand of commitment to fresh, authentic food.