Operations Consulting

Operations consulting is the primary focus of our business, though it is generally comprised of pieces from all of our other services. We start with a general assessment of your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT Analysis). Chris then uses his decades of industry experience and an "out-of-the-box" approach to find solutions to the gaps in your model. Due to the strong analytical nature of this approach, we suggest people start here, though some prefer to only contract us for specific services.

Though our primary industry is the Restaurant and Hotel Industry in all of its segments, we have consulted in general operations in a number of other fields including Finance, Software, Retail, and recently in Colorado's ever-increasing Cannabis Industry. Our goal is to help you succeed. That is a very specific plan for each customer.

Communications Consulting

What does your communication say about your brand? Chris has written hundreds of business plans, training manuals and marketing plans. One of the earliest forays into consulting for Chris in the early 1990's was image consulting, which he continued for some time. Identifying your brand and communicating that brand is so vital to your success, that we beleive a written plan that outlines your Mission, Vision and Values allows everyone involved to know what you tand for and where you are going.

Growth and Real Estate Consulting

There are two times when you need to be smart about your real estate choices: when you are growing and when you are contracting. The old saying is that there are three main factors in restaurants: location, location and location! Chris spent seven years of his career as a restaurant and hotel real estate broker, in addition to decades of growth consulting. In the last few years, he has chosen to specialize in consulting but retains both the knowledge to serve you and the connection with real estate brokers necessary to make sure that you get what you need.

Whether you are looking for your first location, looking to add to existing locations, or looking to rid yourself of the encumbrance of excess property, we can develop a plan to achieve your goals and connect you with the professionals in Chris' network that will make the process as smooth as possible.

Marketing Consulting

Your image is everything. For a restaurant it starts with your menu. There are a few times when the items you serve will make a huge difference in your brand recognition. Most of the time, how you present them on a menu can be a "make-or-break" decision. Studies have proven that your customer judges you more from your menu than any other factor. It is vitally important to showcase your fares in the best manner possible

From there, we improve yoru traffic and sales through a marketing plan that includes web-based branding, event marketing, and product promotion. Chris rarely utilizes traditional media for marketing purposes, so often we can save you a lot of money through his "Brand Recognition and Influence" plans.

Recruiting and Training

Who runs your business when you are not there? This is one of the most vital questions in any business. Unless you plan to be around 24/7, you will need the right person(s) to represent you and your brand. Chris is connected with many gifted operators int he business and can often sell them on why they should work with a particular company. This ability comes from undertstanding a good fit.

Have you ever hired someone who was the right fit, had the talent you needed, was the ideal hire...and they still didn't work out? Often this is due to a lack of training. Chris offers not only recruiting services, but also training services for managers, GMs, chefs and financial staff.

Capital Acquisition

There is no denying that one of the most difficult necessities for a business to obtain is capital, money, cash. The acquisition of this resource can be the thing that makes or breaks a business. Chris takes a no-nonsense approach to this process. He isn't going to fill you with the dreams of people throwing cash at you. Acquiring capital is one of the hardest prospects in all industries.

That all sounds horrible, doesn't it? Well the good news is that Chris has a network of hundreds of lenders, investors and other sources of capital that can aid your business. It is not easy, but it can be done. When financing froze up almost entirely in 2008-09, Chris was able to secure private funding for two of his clients when it seemed all was hopeless. Let's talk about your capital needs and Chris will give you an honest assessment, and not waste your time.