Baton Rouge Restaurant Consulting

Restaurant consultant firms can be utilized from the pre-stages through the opening of a new restaurant.  They can also be brought in for established restaurants and expansions.  With their experience in the restaurant industry, a consultant brings a new set of eyes, a different perspective, and expertise, restaurant consultants can address and strategize each phase of opening, managing, and growing your business.

Restaurant consulting cost is $120 an hour to include traveling expenses.

• Restaurant and conceptual design
• Restaurant proformance
• Menu development (food, cocktails, wine)
• Operating systems 
• Vendor set up 
• Marketing  
• Management and staff training FOH and kitchen 
• Order guides
• Inventory systems 

The process of building a restaurant is a complex and critically important endeavor.  From layout and design to fashion and function, the construction of a restaurant needs to address a variety of considerations.  Your customer’s comfort in terms of seating, waiting, navigating from their table to the bar to the bathroom and back all stems from the architectural design.  This same design impacts your wait staff, bartenders, chefs, and other employees as well.  Furthermore, the kitchen, offices, and other “behind the scenes” areas need to be appropriately laid out to promote convenience, comfort, and most importantly, efficiency.  

Restaurant consultants are familiar with how to design a restaurant.  While they know what to do, more importantly they know what NOT to do.  This all comes from their experience.  One of the most valuable attributes that a consultant can provide is knowing how to work with architects and contractors.  From recommendations to communication skills, working with architects and getting them to understand your vision is vital for a successful restaurant build.

Depending on where you want to build your restaurant, and the type of restaurant you want to open, certain zoning regulations will need to be met, and permits will need to be acquired.  Your consultant should be familiar with these prerequisites.  Taking care of zoning and permits early can save time, money, and frustration down the road.

At the core of every restaurant is the menu.  Your menu, ultimately, is the reason people come to your restaurant.  It is also an element of your business that can adapt, evolve, and grow.  Your menu design influences everything from your marketing to your budget to your overall operation.  The menu at any given time should represent the personality and brand of your restaurant.  Offering items that can’t be easily found from your competitors and pricing options that make sense from a business standpoint are important elements of menu.  Your restaurant consultant can help you make these decisions and navigate the ins and outs of your menu.

Having the right people, with the right skills, in the right positions is vital for the success of your restaurant.  Combining the best food with the worst service is a recipe for disaster.  Your consultancy firm can offer insight on how to adequately fill out your wait staff, kitchen team, bartenders, caterers, and management.  Because your staff impacts your bottom line and the overall reputation of your restaurant, strategically building your team is a critical step.

There are other components of staffing like human resources, payroll, employee manual development, forms and documentation, and more that can also be addressed by your consultant.

The restaurant sector is competitive one.  While you have a number of ways to differentiate yourself, marketing, advertising, and promotion are important.  Your restaurant consultant will be able to advise on when, where, and how to spend your marketing dollars in order to grow your business.

Your POS is a major component that will influence everything from your staff’s efficiency to your customers’ experience.  There are a variety of platforms to choose from.  Your consultant’s experience and expertise will be valuable in guiding you through the selection process.  Deciding how many you’ll need, where they should be located, and the how the software integrates with your business are all major considerations.

Accounting is a critical aspect of every business.  Budgeting, managing accounts payable, receivable, payroll, and the overall finances of running a restaurant can be complex.  Understanding how to prioritize, create a budget, and when, where, and how to spend and save is vital for the success of your restaurant.

Depending on the different services and products you plan to provide at your restaurant, you will need to acquire certain licenses and certifications.  An occupancy license is issued by a local government agency and certifies that your building is up to code.  If you serve alcohol you’ll also need a liquor license, making it legal for you to sell those products.  A catering license is also needed if you intend to offer those types of services.  Your restaurant consultant will be able to identify the types of licenses and permits you’ll need and how to attain them.