Restaurant - Exiting and Max Diagonal Distance

[akelly]

Hi All,
I am creating a restaurant layout that has all of your basic components. Kitchen ,bar, dining, etc. Code states that we can not exit the dining room occs through the kitchen which makes sense.
My dining room will require 2 exits. That said I have a long narrow space and the "front" where the public enters on the narrow side. It is not wide enough for me to get my minimum exit separation if I go off of 1/3 the diagonal of the overall footprint. BUT if the back half of my restaurant is a kitchen that I can't exit through anyway should I only be going off of 1/3 the diagonal of the dining area where I can actually exit from? Otherwise, I have to take this narrow space and create a hallway that can exit the patrons through the back of the building... which of course is not ideal. Thanks in advance for your input on this!

 

[bill1952]

Existing building being reused or new?

 

[JPohling]

A sketch would save a million words and questions

 

[akelly]

Its an existing building but its a suite that is getting bisected

Existing building being reused or new?

Its an existing building but its a suite that's getting bisected into (2) suites. I guess what I'm asking is if you can't exit through the kitchen and I make the kitchen the back half of the space, do I need to include it in my max diagonal or do I just do the max diagonal of the dining area?

 

[akelly]

A sketch would save a million words and questions

I tried and I don't see that you can attach images to this forum... just links.

 

[ICE]

should I only be going off of 1/3 the diagonal of the dining area where I can actually exit from?

Yes but it is 1/2 of the maximum diagonal.

1007.1 General. Exits, exit access doorways, and exit access stairways and ramps serving spaces, including individual building stories, shall be separated in accordance with the provisions of this section.

1007.1.1 Two exits or exit access doorways.
Where two exits, exit access doorways, exit access stairways or ramps, or any combination thereof, are required from any portion of the exit access, they shall be placed a distance apart equal to not less than one-half of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the building or area to be served measured in a straight line between them. Interlocking or scissor stairways shall be counted as one exit stairway.

 

[JPohling]

I am assuming it is fire sprinklered to allow 1/3 max. diagonal?

 

[bill1952]

I was hoping others would have ideas but not a lot. I believe if the kitchen has it's own means of egress - door to alley, whatever, you just use the dining area for the diagonal. I too wondered if you didn't get to 1/3 the diagonal with sprinklers. I think you have a good case for a variance. I'm guessing it's not like the 500 maximum number of people for just two means of egress, but many fewer. Separate the doors as far as feasible and ask for variance based on existing conditions, and keep noting it's sprinklerd.

 

[ICE]

I am assuming it is fire sprinklered to allow 1/3 max. diagonal?

That’s a reasonable assumption.

Where a building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2, the separation distance shall be not less than one-third of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the area served.