Information on emissions from restaurant industry is limited in scientific literature. Emission inventory of greenhouse and non-greenhouse air pollutants from restaurant industry was prepared for two Class 1 Indian cities, viz. Nagpur and Raipur for 2010. Emissions were estimated from a primary database on type and amount of cooking fuel combusted in restaurant industry in the selected cities. Liquefied petroleum gas, charcoal, wood, coal, diesel and candy coal are used in this industry, first three being the major ones. Carbon dioxide emission was highest in both cities and liquefied petroleum gas, charcoal and wood were the major contributors to emissions. Total annual emissions of greenhouse gases, viz. carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide were estimated to be 19,251, 27 and 1 Mg year−1 in Nagpur and 21,207, 34 and 1 Mg year−1 in Raipur, whereas total annual emissions of non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC), carbon monoxide, total suspended particulate (TSP), sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and black carbon (BC) were 96, 959, 31, 12, 19, 3 Mg year−1 and 87, 1141, 78, 37, 28, 6 Mg year−1 in Nagpur and Raipur, respectively, from all the fuels used in restaurant industry. Considering the huge growth of Indian restaurant industry in the last decade and the predicted growth in future, emissions from this industry is assumed to grow and will play a major role in governing regional and national emissions in India.