Restaurant Consultant Services
Our restaurant consulting services makes the process of starting or updating your business simple. You provide the vision, and we help you create a plan to make it a reality. Whether you are new to the foodservice industry or are an experienced professional, our restaurant consultants will show you the path to success! We realize that your concept is just as unique as you are, so we offer to provide as much or as little guidance as you may need to develop your business.
Our Restaurant Consulting Process for New Restaurants
Mise en place, mise en place, mise en place!
As any first-year culinary school student will tell you, you will never make it in a professional kitchen without it. Mise en place, “to have everything in its place,” means that you have everything you need and set up in front of you before you begin. This way, you can work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Although this phrase not only applies to the kitchen but also to every aspect of starting a restaurant. Our restaurant consultants help you create the framework for your concept, step by step, and we always recommend beginning with the most important step of all: your business plan.
Business Plan Consulting
The process of starting a great restaurant is much like creating a great dish. You start with an idea, and you work through that idea to create a recipe. Likewise, the “recipe” for starting a restaurant is your business plan, and writing a great one is what we help you do. We work with you to create a plan that will act as our roadmap, from developing your concept all the way to construction and the grand opening. Your restaurant consultant will work with you on every aspect of your plan to ensure that no detail goes overlooked.
- Create an effective “elevator pitch” to introduce your company and explain what makes you different.
- Share the passion about your concept — show why it will be successful and your strategy to get there.
- Develop a detailed financial plan explaining what you do, how you will do it, and why it will be profitable.
Restaurant Consulting for Existing Operations
Everyone wants to be successful, but sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to see new opportunities for growth. Our restaurant consultants work with large and small foodservice operators to create new approaches for their businesses. We work with our clients to appreciate their past success, set up new goals, and create a path to achieve them.
Every restaurant is unique, and the same approach does not work for everyone. So, the first step in our restaurant consulting process is to do a thorough evaluation to look at how your business operates now. We want to see what is working and highlight the areas that may need a little polishing. Your consultant will help you visualize and put into action quick fixes and establish benchmarks for both the short- and long-term goals necessary for success.
Even though every restaurant is different, each one shares similar operational aspects. We can categorize these into three groups; Administrative, Marketing, and Operations. There are obviously many other working parts of a restaurant, so please note that this is not an all-inclusive list. The outline below will provide more detail about our consulting approach for each group. Your needs will be specific, so your restaurant consultant will help you decide which area below will be the best to address first.
Administrative
- Start-up business plan compared against current business plan.
- Sales projections and operating budgets.
- Staff liabilities and payroll.
- Menu costing analysis.
- Vendor selection and product specifications.
Marketing
- Menu development, layout, and descriptions.
- Menu specials, discounts, or catering opportunities.
- Visual marketing: online, building interior and exterior.
- Waitstaff training and selling strategies.
- Advertising and promotional campaigns.
Operations
- Ordering processes between the front and back of house.
- Kitchen layout and service area reorganization strategies.
- Product flow analysis from inventory receiving to customer delivery.
- Product handling, fabrication, and waste controls.
- Detailed recipe standards and preparation schedules.
- Ordering levels and inventory control processes.
- Culinary training, execution, and final presentation.
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What Our Restaurant Consulting Clients Are Saying
Where do I begin? My experience working with Victor was INCREDIBLE! Victor literally helped me change the look and feel of my production/prep area while improving efficiencies. I took EVERY ounce of advice he gave me from giving my prep area a complete make over (we painted and created an aesthetically more appealing retail section) , to moving equipment to improve efficiencies during peak hours, to improving product profit margins, to advice on operations for a smoother process altogether. He followed up with a detailed report with even more helpful and useful tools. He went above and beyond my expectations and was generous with his time and sharing his years of experience in the food industry. He genuinely wants to see his customers SUCCEED and he has the tools to help any restaurant/cafe owner!! If you are looking to grow your food business, you won’t regret contacting Victor for a consultation. I was blown away with what I learned and how his advice WORKS! Thank you so very much Victor!!