Best Commercial Grills for Canadian Restaurants (Complete Guide)
Learn how to choose the right commercial grill for your Canadian restaurant, with a focus on Taylor two-sided grills, faster service, and strong ROI.
Choosing a commercial grill is a big decision for any restaurant in Canada, whether you run a busy Toronto QSR or a small Atlantic café. If your line relies on burgers, breakfast sandwiches, or grilled chicken, the right commercial grill can make or break your rush. Choosing the best commercial grill can improve speed, food safety, and consistency, especially when you move into Taylor two-sided clamshell technology.
This guide walks through how to pick the best commercial grills for restaurants, how they impact profit, and where Taylor grills fit into your line.
What are the best commercial grills for restaurants?
For most high-volume restaurants in Canada, the best commercial grill is a programmable two-sided grill that cooks from both the top and bottom, like a Taylor model, because it significantly reduces cook times while standardising food safety and quality.
In busy Ontario and Atlantic Canada locations, that speed and consistency help you serve more guests per hour with the same or fewer staff. If you are mainly searing steaks or doing à la carte grilling, a traditional flat-top or charbroiler may still be useful, but a Taylor commercial grill will usually handle your core burger, breakfast, and chicken builds more efficiently.
The key is to match the grill type to your menu mix, volume, and footprint, then layer on service and financing support so the upgrade pays back quickly.
Key takeaways: TLDR
A Taylor commercial grill can cut cook times by up to two-thirds versus a standard flat-top grill, which helps you serve more guests during peak periods.
Programmable presets, automatic gapping, and top-and-bottom cooking reduce training time and help less experienced staff hit chain-level consistency.
Canadian foodservice sales reached roughly 96.5 billion dollars in 2024, so shaving seconds off each order scales into real revenue and labour savings.
Taylor commercial grills come in compact and high-capacity models, from the L820 two-platen unit to larger three-platen models like the L810, so you can right-size for cafés, QSRs, and chains.
Working with TFI Food Equipment Solutions gives you access to site surveys, installation, start-up training, and long-term service coverage across Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
What is a commercial grill and how are Taylor two-sided grills different?
A commercial grill is a heavy-duty cooking surface designed for continuous service in restaurants, cafés, QSRs, hotels, and institutional kitchens. Traditional versions are flat-top or griddle-style units that heat from below and rely on the operator to flip items at the right moment. They are flexible, but they also demand constant attention and rely heavily on cook skill.
A Taylor two-sided commercial grill, sometimes called a clamshell grill, adds one or more heated upper platens that close onto the product. Instead of cooking only from below, the food is grilled from both top and bottom at the same time. This design can reduce cook times by up to about two-thirds versus a conventional flat top, while also allowing you to program precise time, temperature, and gap settings for different menu items.
For operators in Canada, this means you can turn out burgers, chicken, breakfast builds, and plant-based patties with fast, repeatable results, even as staff changes shift to shift. Taylor’s commercial grills are engineered for speed, consistent performance, and easy operation, which is why they are widely used by national QSR and convenience brands.
If you want to see specific models available from TFI Canada, start with the commercial grills lineup, which covers both gas and electric Taylor two-sided grills suited to different kitchen sizes and menu profiles.
The benefits of Taylor's two sided grills
How a Taylor commercial grill supports profit, labour, and ROI in Canada
Canada’s food services and drinking places sector generates tens of billions in annual sales, with limited-service and full-service restaurants making up close to 90 percent of that volume. When the market is this large, small efficiency gains at the grill level can have a big impact on overall profit.
At the same time, nearly one in two Canadian foodservice operators report ongoing labour shortages as a key operational challenge. Many restaurants in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador simply cannot rely on a fully staffed, highly experienced back-of-house team every shift. If your line depends on a traditional flat-top grill, this can lead to inconsistent cook times, more waste, and slower order throughput.
A Taylor commercial grill tackles those pain points head-on:
It uses programmable controls to store cooking profiles for different menu items, so staff select a product and let the grill handle time, temperature, and platen gap automatically.
Two-sided cooking reaches target internal temperatures faster and more consistently, which improves food safety and reduces re-cooks.
Automation features align with broader restaurant automation trends highlighted by resources such as the National Restaurant Association’s work on kitchen automation, which note that precision cooking technology can reduce labour pressure and support menu innovation.
A simple ROI example
Exact results will vary, but a basic scenario shows how a Taylor commercial grill can support payback:
Imagine a QSR in Toronto doing 160 grilled sandwiches per weekday and 200 per weekend day, at an incremental gross profit of 2 dollars per sandwich because of faster throughput and fewer mistakes.
That is roughly 5,000 sandwiches per month, or about 10,000 dollars in incremental gross profit. That's also before considering labour savings and reduced waste.
Your actual numbers will depend on menu price, food cost, and traffic patterns, but the core logic is simple: if a commercial grill lets you serve more guests at peak while protecting quality and reducing waste, payback can arrive quickly, especially in busy Ontario and Atlantic Canada sites.
TFI Canada can also help you structure the investment through leasing or rentals, so you can access a high-end two-sided grill on a cash-flow-friendly monthly payment instead of a single capital hit.
What to look for when choosing a commercial grill for your restaurant
With multiple Taylor grill models available, the “best” commercial grill is the one that matches your footprint, concept, and projected volume. When you evaluate options, focus on a few practical questions.
Key buying questions for Canadian operators
Capacity and lanes: Do you need one, two, or three upper platens to cover your expected burger or chicken volume at peak?
Power configuration: Does your site wiring or gas service make an all-electric model like the Taylor L820 easier, or is a gas lower plate with electric platens better for recovery and utility costs?
Menu mix: Are you primarily cooking burgers, or do you also need profiles for chicken, breakfast proteins, plant-based patties, and toasted sandwiches?
Footprint and layout: Can the grill sit on an end cap of the line, or does it need to live between fryers and holding so staff can build sandwiches quickly?
Multi-store needs: If you operate in multiple Canadian provinces, do you need USB or digital menu distribution so you can roll out cooking profiles across locations with minimal manual work?
Service and uptime: Can your distributor support on-site training and fast repairs in cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Moncton, Charlottetown, and St. John’s?
Example Taylor commercial grill options
The table below gives a simplified view of how different Taylor models from TFI Canada can map to common scenarios.
Typical need or site profile | Suggested Taylor model(s) | Why it fits | Internal link example |
|---|---|---|---|
High-volume QSR with three burger lanes and complex menu in Ontario | L810 or L811 gas/electric hybrid | Three upper platens support multiple cook lanes and dayparts with strong recovery | |
Mixed burger and chicken menu with strong drive-thru sales | Gas lower cook surface with electric platens balances power and precision for heavy use | ||
Compact urban kitchen or café in downtown Toronto | Smaller footprint suits limited space while still delivering two-sided cooking | ||
Regional chain wanting hybrid performance and multi-protein menu | Gas lower plate plus electric upper platens provide strong recovery and fine control | ||
High-throughput breakfast and burger line with two main lanes | Electric models simplify utilities and work well where gas is limited or costly |
If you are unsure which configuration fits your line, a TFI Canada specialist can review floor plans, power and gas details, and projected throughput, then recommend the right commercial grill model for each site.
Commercial grill menu ideas and trends in Canadian foodservice
Canadian guests still love classic grill items, but expectations have shifted toward speed, value, and consistent quality. National data shows that limited-service restaurants account for nearly half of foodservice sales, and overall sales in food services and drinking places reached around 96.5 billion dollars in 2024. That volume is driven by busy dayparts, drive-thru business, and off-premise orders that put pressure on cook times.
Industry research highlights how automation and precision cooking technologies help restaurants keep up with evolving guest expectations while managing labour challenges. Two-sided commercial grills fit neatly into that trend, because they standardise execution on high-volume items while freeing up staff to handle assembly and guest-facing tasks.
Here are some practical menu ideas that play to the strengths of a Taylor commercial grill in Canada:
Breakfast sandwiches: Cook eggs, bacon, and plant-based breakfast patties on programmable profiles, then assemble on English muffins or biscuits for morning commuters.
Premium burgers: Offer a core burger plus LTO builds with regional toppings, confident that patties will reach target temperature in the same time every shift.
Grilled chicken sandwiches: Run dedicated profiles for fillets and tenders so you can offer classic, spicy, and better-for-you options without slowing the line.
All-day handhelds: Use the commercial grill for quesadillas, pressed sandwiches, and flatbreads, ideal for coffee-forward or convenience formats.
Late-night value items: In student or entertainment areas, keep a simplified overnight menu (burgers, grilled cheese, chicken) that the grill can handle with minimal staff.
Because presets are easy to update via USB on models like the Taylor L821, menu changes and seasonal specials can be rolled out quickly across multiple locations without retraining every cook from scratch.
Installation, cleaning, and maintenance tips for Taylor two-sided grills
A high-performance commercial grill only delivers full value if it is installed correctly and cared for day to day. This is where partnering with TFI Food Equipment Solutions matters. TFI Canada has around 60 years of experience in Canadian foodservice, with roughly 100 employees focused on brands like Taylor, Franke, Henny Penny, LightFry, and Icetro. Technicians are factory trained and annually certified, and they use OEM parts to protect equipment life and warranty.
How a Taylor commercial grill fits into your line
When you plan installation, think through the full workflow rather than treating the grill as a stand-alone appliance. A simple sequence that works well in many Ontario and Atlantic Canada kitchens looks like this:
Plan the line so raw protein moves from cold storage or undercounter refrigeration directly to the commercial grill with minimal cross-traffic.
Position the grill so finished items naturally flow to the build station, near buns, sauces, toppings, and packaging for drive-thru or takeout orders.
Use numbered or colour-coded grill profiles so staff can quickly select the right cooking programme for burgers, chicken, breakfast items, or plant-based patties.
Build cleaning into the schedule by assigning clear responsibility for mid-shift scrapings, grease management, and end-of-day shutdown.
Work with TFI Canada on start-up training so new staff in Toronto, Halifax, or smaller markets learn safe operation and basic troubleshooting from day one.
Cleaning and preventive maintenance
Daily and weekly cleaning protects food quality and equipment life. Taylor two-sided grills are designed with easy-to-clean platen surfaces and accessible grease management to keep this realistic in a busy kitchen.
For step-by-step instructions, TFI provides a dedicated resource on how to clean a Taylor double-sided grill, which covers platen care, release material, scraper use, and safe shutdown. Integrating that process into your closing checklist helps reduce carbon buildup, improve grill mark quality, and maintain even heat transfer.
For longer-term reliability, many operators choose a structured service plan. TFI Canada offers a TFI Total Care maintenance program, along with traditional reactive service, so you can bundle planned maintenance, priority dispatch, and parts discounts into a single monthly fee. Combined with access to technicians across Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, this gives you a clear path to minimise downtime and protect your grill investment over the full life of the equipment.
If you are outfitting a new site or refreshing an older kitchen in the Greater Toronto Area, the restaurant equipment supplier page for Toronto outlines how TFI supports local installations and multi-unit chains with surveys, delivery, and crew training.
FAQs about Best Commercial Grills for Restaurants
What is a two-sided grill?
A two-sided grill is a commercial grill that cooks food from both the top and bottom at the same time using a heated platen above the product and a heated plate below. This design reduces the need for flipping, shortens cook times, and helps achieve more consistent internal temperatures, which is especially valuable for burgers and chicken in high-volume Canadian restaurants. Many Taylor models, such as the L810, combine two-sided cooking with programmable controls and automatic gapping for even more precision.
What are commercial grills?
Commercial grills are heavy-duty grilling units built for continuous use in professional kitchens, from QSRs and cafés to hotel and institutional foodservice. They typically feature thicker plates, stronger elements or burners, and more precise thermostats than residential grills, which helps them maintain temperature during long rushes. In Canada, commercial grills range from simple flat-top griddles to advanced Taylor two-sided models that store dozens of cooking profiles and integrate with digital menu systems.
What is a dual contact grill?
A dual contact grill is another term for a two-sided or clamshell grill where both the upper platen and lower plate make contact with the food. In practice, it works like a powerful panini press scaled for burgers, chicken, and other proteins, delivering fast, even cooking on both surfaces. Dual contact grills such as Taylor’s two-sided units are popular in Canadian QSR and c-store environments because they deliver consistent caramelisation and core temperature in a predictable amount of time, even with newer staff.
What is the difference between a grill and a contact grill?
A standard grill or flat-top typically heats from below and leaves the top of the product exposed to air, which means the operator has to flip items to finish cooking. A contact grill clamps the food between a hot lower plate and a heated upper platen, so heat transfers into both sides at once. That difference makes contact grills faster and more consistent, which is why many operators now pair traditional flat-tops with Taylor-style two-sided commercial grills for their highest volume menu items or rely on two-sided grills as the primary platform for their burger and chicken programme.
Next steps
A well-chosen Taylor commercial grill can simplify training, speed up service, and support profitable grilled menu items across your Canadian locations, from Toronto to Atlantic Canada. If you are ready to compare models or get numbers for your specific concept, you can request a free equipment quote from TFI Canada and speak with a specialist about sizing, utilities, financing, and long-term service support.
Nicole Camposeo-Cheung is the Director of Marketing, People & Culture at TFI Food Equipment Solutions, Canada’s leading provider of premium commercial foodservice equipment. She combines her expertise in business management and fashion arts to foster a dynamic, innovative, and people-centric corporate culture. Passionate about empowering teams, building strong client relationships, and driving growth through creativity and collaboration, Nicole plays a key role in shaping TFI’s brand and workplace culture. She also shares her industry expertise and insights through the TFI blog, helping foodservice professionals stay informed about the latest trends, best practices, and innovations in commercial food equipment.
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