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Many operators are too close to their own business to see it clearly. We work with ownership and leadership to assess the current state of the operation, identify the highest-leverage opportunities, and build a prioritized roadmap that is grounded in operational reality — not theory. If everone has good availability this scope can typically be at rough draft completion stage within 2 weeks. Whether you are preparing for growth, recovering from a difficult period, or simply trying to get more intentional about the future by getting all departments aligned, this scope gives you a structured framework and an outside perspective to move forward with confidence. Following the initial on-site visit the rest of the scope can be performed with stakeholders in a remote meeting or on-site setting.

• On-site audit to review operations
• Goal-setting and priority alignment with ownership
• Written roadmap with phased action items and accountability markers
• Suitable for single units and multi-location groups

A menu is one of the most powerful tools an operator has, and one of the most commonly mismanaged. We approach menu development as a business exercise first and a culinary one second. That means evaluating food cost, kitchen capacity, skill level of your team, guest expectations, and competitive positioning before a single dish is finalized. The result is a menu that your team can execute consistently, your guests will respond to, and your P&L will reflect. Concepts will be proposed, then developed, then sourced, then presented.  This scope can be done with existing talent and creatives, or in a silo.  This scope is made easier if you have existing purchasing and sourcing departments, but in some cases we're still at concept development stage so those resources will be acquired by our team.  We work where it makes sense based on the project.  While we have done these under just about every condition possible, we ideally use an existing location and kitchen to prepare the proposed menu and discuss changes live and in real time.  For many reasons that is not always an option.  In those cases our team will acquire kitchen space for the menu presentation. This scope involves testing recipes, working with potentially new or existing vendors on new SKU's and possibly evaluating new equipment options or working in test kitchens. It can require samples to be acquired, evaluated and approved. Because of these reasons we are reluctant to put a timeframe on this scope. As a general rule, if you need a 10 item menu with all support materials that can generally be acomplished inside of a quarter from start to finish.

• Menu engineering and profitability analysis of existing items
• New item development aligned to concept, kitchen capability, and cost targets
• Seasonal and limited-time offer strategy, as needed
• Menu language, layout, and design direction
• Beverage program review and development, as needed
• All support materials provided including recipes with multiple batch sizes, basic photos, and allergen material
• Menu presentation to stakeholders in location TBD based on options
• Menu presentations can be repeated or modified as needed for media or investor presentations

Before a menu price can be set, the numbers behind every dish have to be right. This scope covers all of the back-end work required to ensure inventory is valued correctly, portions are yielded accurately, and costs are fully reflected before a single price is determined. We build out your costing framework from the ground up — raw ingredient costs, yield factors, portion weights, and waste allowances — so that every finished item has a true cost attached to it. All finished menu costing will include multiple pricing tiers, giving ownership a clear view of the margin implications at different price points before committing to a menu.  This scope has a few variables but generally can be completed within 21 days after recipes are finalized.

• Ingredient-level cost capture and inventory valuation
• Yield testing and portion cost calculation for all menu items
• Waste and trim factor analysis
• Finished recipe costing with accurate food cost percentages
• Multiple pricing tiers per item to model margin at different price points
• Delivered as a working costing tool (MS EXCEL) your team can maintain going forward

Whether you are required to post nutritional information by law, preparing for a retail or CPG launch, or simply want to give your guests accurate information, this scope delivers a complete nutritional breakdown for your menu items. We work from your finalized recipes and costing data to produce calorie counts, macronutrient profiles, and any additional data points required for your specific use case. This scope is kept separate from food costing intentionally — not every operator needs nutritional analysis, and those who do often need it at a different stage of the process or to a different standard. We scope it accordingly and it generally takes a month to complete after recipes are completed.

• Full nutritional breakdown per menu item: calories, macros, sodium, and more
• Allergen cross-reference and documentation
• Compliance-ready formatting for menu labeling requirements
• Suitable for restaurant menus and retail packaging
• Works from finalized recipes — pairs naturally with Menu R&D and Food Costing scopes

Opening a new concept or repositioning an existing one is one of the highest-stakes decisions in hospitality. We work with operators at the earliest stages to define what the concept actually is, who it is for, and how it will be differentiated in the market. This is not branding work — it is the operational and strategic foundation that branding should be built on. We help you get the fundamentals right before you spend money on the things that are visible.

• Concept definition: positioning, guest profile, competitive set
• Service model and operational format recommendations
• Menu direction and price point strategy
• Staffing model and organizational structure
• Pre-opening planning and milestone framework
• Travel to locations with stakeholders for brand research and ideation if needed
• This scope often takes direction from your marketing team to kick things off — don't have one yet, we can help connect you to some

Most restaurant training programs are either nonexistent or ineffective. We design and deliver training that is specific to your operation, your standards, and your team. Whether you need a full onboarding program built from scratch, a service standards refresh, or targeted skills training for a specific role or challenge, we build it around how your people actually learn and what your operation actually needs.

• Training needs assessment and gap analysis
• Custom training materials: guides, checklists, role-play scenarios
• In-person or remote delivery options
• Manager and trainer certification programs
• Ongoing coaching and follow-up support available

Poor kitchen design is one of the most expensive and least discussed problems in the industry. It drives up labor costs, slows ticket times, creates safety hazards, and demoralizes the team that has to work in it every day. We review existing layouts and proposed designs with an operator's eye — evaluating flow, station logic, equipment selection, and the relationship between the kitchen and the service model it is meant to support. We work alongside architects and equipment dealers, not in place of them.

• Review of existing or proposed kitchen layout drawings
• Flow analysis: prep, cook, plate, and expedite
• Equipment selection and specification input
• Safety, sanitation, and code consideration review
• Collaboration with your architect or contractor as needed

New store openings are chaotic by nature. The operators who navigate them best are the ones who have done the work before the doors open. We provide hands-on support through the pre-opening period and into the first weeks of operation — helping you build the team, establish the standards, work through the inevitable surprises, and open with confidence. This is not consulting from a distance. We are on the ground with you.  This scope is open ended to some extent so we set the duration and deliverables together.

• Pre-opening timeline and milestone management
• Hiring and onboarding support
• Soft opening planning and execution
• On-site presence during opening period
• Post-opening debrief and 30-day action plan

Franchise relationships are complicated. Franchisors need their brand standards upheld across locations they do not directly control. Franchisees need support executing those standards in markets and conditions the franchisor did not anticipate. We work with both sides — helping franchisors build audit and compliance programs that are fair and effective, and helping franchisees close the gap between where they are and where the brand needs them to be. We've had success with video, written, and classroom examples working out solutions for all parties.

• Brand standards audit and compliance program development
• Franchisee performance assessment and remediation planning
• Field support and on-site visits
• Franchisor training and support program design
• Multi-unit rollout planning and execution support