| Your new restaurant has been well received by | | | | conceptualization |
| your customers. But now that the honeymoon | | | | -Startup |
| period is over, sales have leveled off. Customers | | | | -Project management |
| are coming in, but there is no increase in numbers. | | | | -Financial planning |
| You find that handling the kitchen is still a | | | | -Recipe development and design |
| nightmare. Food and labor costs are high and you | | | | -Operations |
| are unable to streamline the business to make it | | | | -Assessment of profits |
| operate in an effective manner. The worst part is | | | | -Operating systems |
| that you know that business will pick up with | | | | -Staff training |
| some efficient marketing. But marketing is not | | | | -Accounting systems |
| your expertise in addition to the fact that you are | | | | -Kitchen management |
| working almost 70 hour weeks. So, even if you | | | | How do you choose the right people in the food |
| knew exactly how to go about marketing your | | | | consulting business? |
| restaurant, where are the resources- Does it | | | | - First, identify your problems and define the role |
| sound like you need to look for food and | | | | of the consultant. For instance, climbing food costs |
| beverage consultants-You bet. | | | | may be due to the lack of proper kitchen |
| Most businesspersons do not like the idea of hiring | | | | management, poor systems or even lack of |
| food development consultants for their | | | | trained staff. It could also be the result of your |
| restaurants. After all, the restaurant is their | | | | pricing strategy. If you believe that your pricing is |
| investment and they do not want to hand over | | | | wrong, you need your consultant to have |
| the business to someone else. There is also | | | | experience evaluating your prices and comparing |
| concern about the expenses involved. When your | | | | them with market prices. Some restaurant |
| business is running on thin margins, it is hard to | | | | consultants may not have sufficient experience in |
| invest in something that does not bring immediate | | | | kitchen systems and even if they have some, |
| returns. Nevertheless, there are advantages for | | | | you need to find out whether they have the |
| you in investing in a goodfood consultant. The first | | | | specific expertise that you need. |
| and the most obvious is the measure of | | | | - At times, a restaurant owner is unable to |
| objectivity they bring. Most businesspersons find it | | | | identify their problems, even though they know |
| difficult to be objective about their own business. | | | | that the business isn't running as well as it could. In |
| Many restaurant operators who are new to the | | | | this case, you need a restaurant/food consultant |
| food or hospitality business realize that running a | | | | who has the expertise to undertake an |
| restaurant is a lot more complicated than they | | | | operational assessment. |
| thought. When owners begin to realize that they | | | | - You may opt to take the temporary services |
| do not know enough about their business, hiring | | | | of a food consulting firm in order to expand your |
| food development consultants becomes inevitable. | | | | business or even branch out in a new way. |
| At this point, owners need help from someone | | | | - Before you select the restaurant consultant, |
| who has done it all before. | | | | review their background thoroughly. It's not |
| Food and beverage consultants can help you in | | | | enough to find out about the jobs they have |
| the different areas of your restaurant business, | | | | done. You also need to know how much time the |
| including: | | | | consultant has actually spent in the industry. You |
| -Selection of site | | | | can find this out through a personal interview. |
| -Development of brand, design and | | | | |