The roof
Brand and concept
What the place stands for, and how people can tell from the street.
- Positioning and identity
- Concept development, new or reinvented
- Guest experience, from the door to last orders
- Typical
- 4 to 8 weeks
- Good for
- New openings, tired rooms, rebrands.
The office
People and culture
Structure, hiring, training and reviews, so managers can run a shift and good staff stay.
- Structure, roles and hiring
- Induction and a training plan
- Reviews, standards and progression
- Typical
- 6 to 10 weeks
- Good for
- High turnover, first-time managers, groups that are growing.
rota out Wednesday, two weeks ahead
The floor
Operations and systems
Opens, closes, line checks, stock and cost control, written with your team during real shifts.
- Opening and closing procedures, front and back of house
- Line checks, stock counts and cost control
- Service standards written with the team
- Typical
- 8 to 12 weeks
- Good for
- Owner-run venues, opening a second site, late-night operations.
The cellar
Maintenance and facilities
A maintenance schedule, contractor terms and a compliance calendar for every piece of kit in the building.
- Maintenance schedule for every piece of kit
- Contractor list, terms and call-out cover
- Compliance calendar: gas, electrics, fire, pest, water
- Typical
- 3 to 6 weeks
- Good for
- Older buildings, more than one site, hotels and pubs.
glasswasher: filter + spare pump
The kitchen and pass
Product development
Menus and drinks lists that taste like the venue and make money. Spec books, costings, suppliers.
- Menu and drinks development
- Spec book, costed
- Supplier review and gross-profit targets
- Typical
- 4 to 8 weeks
- Good for
- Margin pressure, menu drift, new concepts.
4 dishes still not on spec
The route in.
The call
Tell me about the place and what is not working. If I can’t help, I’ll say so.
Book itThe survey
I walk the venue while you are trading, cellar to sign, and send a written, prioritised fix list within five working days.
Ask about itThe build
One area or several, scoped and priced in writing before any work starts.
Scope itThe partner
Ongoing support once the systems are in. A call a week, a visit a month, or whatever the place needs.
Talk termsQuestions.
- What does a hospitality consultant actually do?
- I walk your venue while it is trading, work out where it is losing money, time and goodwill, and put systems in place to stop it: brand, people, operations, maintenance and product. I have done the jobs I am advising on.
- Do you only work with bars and restaurants?
- Independent bars and restaurants are most of my work. I also work with pubs, hotel food and beverage, and late-night venues, including door culture, dispersal and keeping the operation on the right side of the licence.
- How is the survey priced?
- A flat fee, agreed on the free call before we book a date. There is no retainer and no hourly clock. Builds and ongoing support are scoped and priced the same way, in writing, before work starts.
- Do you work outside London?
- Yes, anywhere in the UK. I am based in London; travel outside Greater London is charged at cost and agreed in advance.
- What is an SOP library, and does an independent really need one?
- It is the written way your venue runs: opens, closes, line checks, stock and cost control, service standards. Independents need it more than the chains do, because it is what lets you take a night off without the standards leaving with you. Mine are written on your shifts with your team, and kept short enough that people read them.
- How long does it take?
- The survey is one visit, with the written report inside five working days. A build runs somewhere between three and twelve weeks per area, depending on what is involved. The quick fixes usually start in the first week.