Hiring The Best Restaurant Consultants
If you are a restaurant owner or CEO and planning to for a new restaurant, trying to grow and expand your existing brand, you might be wearing many hats and although it may be fun at times, it is a position of extreme stress.
Many very successful companies use consultants to help navigate the waters, provide an outsider’s fresh pair of eyes and bring in knowledge beyond that of the in house team.
A qualified restaurant consultants should have an in-depth knowledge of the food business as well as innate passion for your business to thrive and succeed.
As you look around to hire restaurant consultant services, use your experience in the restaurant business to set the right expectations, as the restaurant business is hard and very complex. You must approach the right restaurant consulting firm that has a proven track record that that benefit your business.
A few restaurant owners will retain a consultant or work with one on a specific project. Many restaurant consulting firms sell time, experience, credibility and the extraordinary ability to track down data and come up with solutions when needed the most. Basically, they pull the rabbit out of the hat, time and time again.
A consultant will advise you on a variety of challenges including concept development, interior design, growth, expansion, financial data systems, franchising, human recourses, food development and more.
Their products or deliverables, can be documented in a written report or even a hands-on approach. At Aston Hospitality Services like the hand-on approach.
The team at Aston Hospitality Experts, are well versed in project management, menu development, accounting, branding, marketing and operations. While the types of consultants on the market can vary broadly, the selection process and client/consultant relationship are comparative so keep your eyes and ears open and don’t hold back any questions. At the end of the day you are going to invest in a firm, and you should be able to forecast a result.
How Do Consultants Help New Launches And Business Expansion?
- Work with small, medium, and large businesses to meet legal requirements for operations. For example, identify which permits are significant to get started.
- Provide advice on operations and effective strategies.
- Help choose effective software, including restaurant POS systems and inventory management softwares, staff scheduling and marketing.
- Educate the client on a tailor made way to keep up with the growth and success of the new locations after they leave.
- Bridge the communication gap between the project/construction team and the operational team.
How Do Consultants Turnaround A Struggling Location?
- Provide high level and objective insight into performance and business objectives.
- Help with building communication between teams, owners, and the management.
- Advocate for successful habits and productive operation strategies.
- Set the systems to build a strong client base.
How Do You Select Restaurant Consulting Services?
If you read this far, we suggest you note down your next steps.
Here are the fundamental steps.
- Begin A Preliminary Search
The objective of the following step is to find different consultants who appear to be qualified to assess the issue. Similarly to getting quotes on products, identifying more than one restaurant consulting firm is better. A great source is a referral from your business colleagues. Figure out who they worked with and the reputation of the restaurants they have worked on. - Discuss The Project With Finalists
Discuss the project with the champs of your preliminary search. The objective is to narrow the list down. If you have a few finalists, go to step 3. - Request Written Proposals
Request a written proposal, references and other collateral from the top applicants. - Analyze The Proposals
Take a look at each proposal cautiously; if you have any questions, ask the restaurant consulting company to explain them. - Choose The Best Restaurant Consultant Team
After analyzing each proposal, decide and choose the best restaurant consulting company for your restaurant. Also, meet the team and get a “feel” if you are confident with them. Work with people you actually like. Remember, consultants can do anything in the restaurant or hotel from helping you take control of your budget and staff or re-engage your customers. However, they can also help with brainstorming, for example, launching a new location or revitalizing a concept that appears to be stale.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Restaurant Consultant?
Restaurant consulting fees are not simple as you may think because the best restaurant consultants in any field will generally charge what they accept is fair for their work.
Restaurant consulting firms with experience will analyze your needs and the craft their fees around that. They may have a few structure in place for you to choose from. At Aston Hospitality Experts we have a fee structure that has been worked out against our competitors as well we taking our decades of experience and reputation in consideration.
Typically, out of pocket and travel expenses are charged separately from professional fees and should be in the proposal. These expenses can be transportation expenses and accommodation.
Look at what can be achieved with the consultant team, not just at the price. There are many freelancers and amateurs that will charge you very little and then not deliver results, leaving your at square one. Budget is often a driving factor, but don’t allow it to drive you into an agreement that isn’t right for you.
When hiring a restaurant consultant service, select the fee structure which enables the consultant to deliver the best outcomes at the best price.
However, as we mentioned earlier be cautious because you will “get what you paid for”.
All the best!
