Whether you’re new to the restaurant business or you’ve been running a restaurant for as long as you can remember, you’re facing a challenge you can’t seem to solve. Maybe you’re unsure how to connect with locally sourced products or can’t figure out how to increase online sales. Whatever it is, you need a solution. Fast.
A restaurant consultant may be just the person you need. An outsider with insider knowledge, they can help you overcome challenges with workable solutions quickly, getting you back on track in no time.
What Is a Restaurant Consultant?
A restaurant consultant is an expert in and on the restaurant industry. They provide restaurant managers and owners with expert advice and insights on things like how your restaurant concept fits into the local and national dining scene or help you improve operations, like improving the cost of goods or how to hire and retain staff.
A good or even great restaurant consultant acts as your coach or partner, collaborating with you to ensure the long-term prosperity and success of your restaurant without getting in the way.
What Does a Restaurant Consultant Do?
A restaurant consultant’s goal is to help you run a profitable business. To achieve that goal, they’ll ask about your current (or anticipated) restaurant and help you identify and overcome any barriers that may be in the way.
For example, a restaurant consultant could examine your current operational process to identify inefficiencies that create a bottleneck and suggest solutions to streamline your operations. Or they can look at your culinary processes and help you cut menu items and ingredients to decrease waste and cost. A restaurant consultant can help you create a restaurant business plan or refine your concept to ensure long-term success in a competitive market.
Types of Restaurant Consultants
Some consultants are generalists, meaning they can help you with any and every aspect of opening or improving your restaurant. Others are specialists who focus on a specific niche or area of the industry.
Restaurant Management Consultant
Also known as a restaurant business consultant, a management consultant focuses on the business side of your restaurant. They’ll help you streamline operations, like improving the front-of-house, optimizing your ordering or supply chain, training staff, and cutting the cost of goods.
Restaurant Marketing Consultant
As the name implies, a restaurant marketing consultant helps you market your business. While their focus is usually on helping you attract and retain customers, marketing consultants can also recommend ways to help your restaurant stand out in a competitive market, provide branding and advertising advice, and support your social media efforts.
Restaurant Design Consultant
Restaurant design consultants design the look and feel of the restaurant. If you’re in the planning phase, a design can help you pick out furniture and lighting that enhance the restaurant’s atmosphere. Established restaurants may hire a design consultant to help them maximize their seating strategy.
Restaurant Menu Consultant
Also called a restaurant food consultant, restaurant menu consultants focus on menu engineering and menu development. They can help you contain food costs, price the menu, and decide which items to keep or remove.
Restaurant Beverage Consultant
Beverage consultants are similar to food consultants, only they focus strictly on beverages. They often advise on the bar and cocktail menus, help source wine, beers, and spirits, and connect owners with vendors and distributors. Many beverage consultants also train bartenders to improve and optimize bar operations.
Restaurant Technology Consultant
Restaurant technology consultants focus on technological solutions to improve restaurant operations. They help pick a POS system, integrate online ordering, and select kitchen displays to improve operational efficiency and streamline operations.
Chat With An Expert
When Should You Hire a Restaurant Consultant?
Whether you’re opening your first restaurant or an established veteran, working with a restaurant consultant can give you a fresh perspective on your plans and provide an expert but neutral opinion when you’re stuck. Restaurant consulting can help you when:
- Opening a new restaurant. Even if this isn’t your first restaurant opening, a consultant can give you guidance and advice that ensures a smooth opening day.
- You lack internal resources. Sometimes, you know what the problem is but don’t have the resources to solve it. Say the kitchen isn’t as efficient as it should be. A restaurant consultant can help you identify the root cause of the inefficiency (long ticket times, food waste) and offer solutions that solve the problem (optimize workstations, suggest a different kitchen layout).
- You can’t figure it out. Reservations and foot traffic are down, but you can’t figure out why. A consultant brings new insights and ideas that can help you uncover the problem and find workable solutions.
What to Look for in a Restaurant Consultant
Hiring a restaurant consultant is a significant investment, and you want to make sure that investment pays off. Consider the following to ensure you hire the right consultant for you and your business.
Expertise and Experience
Even if you hire a generalist, you want to make sure your restaurant consultant understands the industry. Ask how long they’ve been in restaurant consulting or if they’ve worked in the restaurant or hospitality industry. They don’t necessarily need experience in your specific concept, but they should understand overall trends, the local market, and what you’re trying to accomplish.
Results
Look for client testimonials and reviews from current or former clients. Then, dig deeper and ask your potential restaurant consultant for verifiable results. What is their success rate, and in what industries? Do they have a good track record in whatever you’re hiring them for? Talk to current and former clients to learn about the pros and cons of working with this consultant.
How Much Will a Restaurant Consultant Cost?
Fees for restaurant consultants vary depending on the scope of your project and their experience level. Most consultants have similar fee structures that can help you compare costs.
Hourly
Hourly rates will vary based on where the consultant is, their experience level, and which market your restaurant is in. Most consultants charge more per hour for an on-site consultation than a phone or virtual consultation, but this is a good arrangement if you want someone to bounce ideas off of once in a while or ask occasional questions.
Daily
A daily rate is when the restaurant consultant charges a flat fee to come to your restaurant or office for several hours in a single day (or multiple days). They may review operations and budgets with you, observe operations, and make recommendations, or review a specific aspect of your restaurant (like your beverage program).
Project-Based
Project-based pricing is a flat fee for your entire project. You’ll generally pay upfront or in installments, but you’ll know the final price before you start the consulting services and can budget accordingly. That said, there can be additional out-of-pocket expenses, like travel charges or asking for work outside of the original project scope.
Retainer-Based
Retainer-based pricing is best for restaurant general managers and owners who want an ongoing relationship. You’ll pay a flat monthly fee, which covers a certain amount of consulting hours or for a specific project. For example, if you want the consultant to come in every month and train wait staff, you’d likely use retainer-based pricing.
Kezner Consulting Is Your Partner
Running a restaurant is the pinnacle of your career and is the result of a lot of dedication, hard work, sweat, and maybe some tears. And while you’re confident in what you do, an outside perspective gives you valuable insights that help your restaurant grow.
As your restaurant consulting partner, Kezner Consulting leverages years of experience in the industry to give you fresh perspectives, advice, and insight that take your restaurant to the next level. Contact us today for a free consultation, and see what we can do for and with you.
