Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group has successfully advised and supported more than one hundred restaurant companies over the past 30 years.
The restaurant business is one of the toughest businesses to break into and most restaurants face closure in their first year of operation. Unsuitable location or inadequate understanding of the demographics of targeted clients are some of the reasons restaurants are closing. Others suffer from poor service or a mismatch between their menu and local tastes.
Hiring a Restaurant Consultant
Whether you’re looking to sell pizza, open a franchise, or open a trendy restaurant, the best method to ensure that you don’t repeat someone else’s mistakes is to seek advice from a professional restaurant or hotel consulting firm. Professional consultants are more cost-effective than the trial-and-error risk of developing your restaurant concept.
A restaurant consultant can work with you on everything from concept development, financial performance enhancement, decorating, demographics and food development. They can also help you run your business effectively and profitably. Before choosing a restaurant consultancy, let’s take a look at the different types of consultants available.
You can choose a full-service hospitality consulting firm, which should be able to help with every aspect you need. Optionally, a restaurant consulting firm specializes in specific areas and disciplines, such as design, real estate, accounting, operations and litigation. Regardless of the type of consultant you choose, the selection process does not vary.
Looking for a Hotel Consultant?
Before starting your search for an effective hotel consultant, make a comprehensive list of the areas where you may have problems or need advice. For starters, you may want a consultant to create your business plan. Based on the list, decide whether to seek a full service or a specialized consultant.
Start the initial search with the aim of finding a qualified consultant to assess your problem. Identify more than one restaurant consultant. You can also use references from your business colleagues. Look at the consultants they have used in similar situations and are effective.
Discuss the project with the three best consultants you can find in your area. Discuss the project with them to identify who is best suited to address your problem area. You should also analyze proposals: Review the proposals of each of the three analysts. Get back to them if you have questions. You should also check their customer references and reviews.