How to Find the Best Restaurant Consultant: Top 26 Restaurant Consultants

Running a restaurant business is tough, and it's only getting more complex. Sometimes you need a hand — some guidance from a mentor, a business coach, or maybe a trusted advisor.

If you find yourself seeking outside counsel for your restaurant, there are a few things you should understand to get the most out of the relationship the first time around. First, you should recognize which type of restaurant category you fit into. There are basically three categories that restaurants fall into:

• Those in trouble.

• Those that are content.

• Those who want to grow.

Here's what you need to know about all of these restaurant types and how to identify the best restaurant consultant for your business.

1) The ones in trouble

These restaurants need some outside input to stop the internal damage that's growing within their business. The problem is they usually need help at that exact moment. For some, this can be done with a few tweaks to their marketing strategy, and that can help take the pressure off. For others, consulting services might have to completely change the restaurant concept.

You see, all "business" problems are really just people problems in disguise, and it takes a great restaurant consultant a while to uncover the real issues. 

Sometimes, consultants can affect change with open communication to turn a business around. If the restaurant owner has waited too long and contacted a consultant as a "Hail Mary," then the discussion shifts to how to close the business down in a way that works best for all involved.

Needless to say, the sooner a struggling restaurateur reaches out for help, the better.

2) Those who are content

The restaurant owners who are comfortable or content with how things are can sometimes be the most difficult to work with and usually never contact a consultant.

Remember, staying in your comfort zone is never a place you want to be in the restaurant industry. 

Why? Because markets change. You can coast along being content while new competition will enter your market and slowly start taking market share from you. Some restaurants are so aloof to the changes in their own business they get blindsided one day and quickly drop into the category mentioned earlier: the ones in trouble.

Most consultants stay clear of these types of restaurants because they have no real desire to implement change, but it's often helpful for a consultant to coach on the opportunities available.

If you find yourself in this category it might be time to consider rebranding or working on menu development. We highly suggest you look into one of the phenomenal successful restaurant consultants listed below.

3) Those who want to grow

These restaurants are a consultant's dream client. They are doing well, yet they feel a pull to do even better. These restaurants understand that consulting and coaching are an investment that will return two-fold.

They seek to fine tune everything like a high performance athlete! The things that separate gold medal winners and silver medalists in the Olympics is sometimes just a fraction of a second. High performance restaurants know this and seek to maintain their advantage.

These are the restaurants that have a learning culture - not a training culture. They seek self-optimization to dominate their market. They invest in the three things consulting focuses on – people, process, and products.

How to find the best restaurant consultant for your business

If your restaurant is either in inspiration or desperation mode, here's what you should look for when finding a restaurant consultant to help you improve your business.

Know this: a professional restaurant consultant's only drive and purpose is to improve your business in a way that works long-term for you. If in your initial meeting, your professional wants you to settle for average performance, send them away.

1) Require real-world experience

It’s sad to say, but anyone can claim to be a restaurant consultant today. There are "consultants" who stalk the internet with very little credibility...except that they worked as a bartender, cook, or server for a few years and think that's all it takes.

A consultant should commonly have restaurant ownership experience. You need someone who truly understands the pressure of being a restaurant owner - not just an employee. Most (former) employees may know their specific job very well, but not all of them understand all the full-service roles that the position of restaurant owner encompasses.

Another question you need to ask any consultant you're considering is “tell me about your failures and what you learned from them?” If a consultant cannot be open and take ownership of the faults they had, stay clear. Failures are truly the greatest lessons in life and while you do want a consultant with a solid track record of results, you also want someone who has made mistakes and taken those lessons to help others.

2) Look them up online

The easiest thing to do is a Google search for the consultant and their track record. See what comes up. A reputable consultant should have quite a few hits on search engines.

Check out their social media pages, too! Do they appear to be what they claim to be? How about their LinkedIn Profile? Do they have endorsements or reviews with positive customer experiences? What does their website say about initial consultations and pricing? Do they have any new concepts you can review to check out their work?

Keep in mind - most of the great consultants rarely advertise. Their business is mostly from referrals. Social proof is powerful and having someone you trust recommend a restaurant consultant can go a long way.

3) Make sure they are well-rounded

When looking for your future restaurant consultant you will want to explore:

1. Which areas of your business need the most assistance?

2. Does that consultant have the skillset to take your project to the next level?

If your business needs improvement on the culinary side, you'll need a consultant with real culinary experience. They should’ve held a position as an executive chef for many years. You will find people out there who can design a killer menu, yet when it comes to setting that menu up to be executed in your business, they can't pull it off. Look for real case studies and examples.

Really outstanding consultants have years of experience and actually work with other outstanding consultants to bring a wealth of skills to a project. Remember that outstanding people associate with other outstanding people. They want the same thing: to make your restaurant better. 

4) Ask for deliverables

Qualified consultants will give you a list of actionable items and will give you what are known as deliverables. These are the items they promised to bring to the project.

Be wary of consultants who don’t offer up a solid plan with actionable steps and deadlines. A consultant who says that they just “go with the flow” is not a true professional. An outstanding restaurant consultant will have done their due diligence on you. They will know more about you than you think. They will have a business plan.

Now, that plan may change once they get into the project. However, being able to adapt without losing sight of the end result is the mark of a highly qualified restaurant consultant.

All qualified consultants have a process map that they use. Just like when you build a house, you have a set of plans on how to get from the drawing board to actually moving in and living in the building. The consultant should be able to walk you through their process step-by-step. If they cannot explain it to you in clear and concise communication, their chance of success is very slim.

5) Find a personable match

Make sure you spend some quality time getting to know the consultant before you bring them on board.

Just like in all relationships, not everyone is meant to be together. You definitely want to find a consultant that you can talk to openly and with full transparency. You’ll need to work well and collaborate together.

Don’t keep secrets from your consultant. The consultant-client relationship is one built upon trust. It’s far better to be upfront and give them full disclosure than to have them find out halfway into the project. A professional consultant is not there to judge you. They are there to help you. Maybe you’ve made some bad decisions - did you learn from them, or are you still doing them? Remember, the hospitality industry is tough — everyone makes mistakes.

When you find a consultant that is a good match you'll find that you will have open conversations that will move you and your business forward. A great consultant will ask you challenging questions that force you to search for quality solutions. There will be times when you might not like the process and will even feel a little uncomfortable. That’s good. We know that the truth will set you free. It’s just that sometimes it might upset you first.

The top 25 restaurant consultants

If your restaurant is in trouble, or if you just want to improve your operations, getting a consultant is a worthwhile investment. That’s why we compiled this list of the top 25 restaurant consultants.

Coyle Hospitality

Founded in 1996, Coyle Hospitality Group is a market leader in designing and implementing programs for all industries worldwide. Coyle works with restaurants all over the world from NYC, Washington D.C., and Chicago, to Hong Kong, Paris, Tahiti, Bhutan, and even Antarctica.

Check out one of their case studies on an upscale service restaurant here.

A2Z Restaurant Consulting

Since 2009, A2Z has been servicing the restaurants of NYC and Florida. This firm is comprised of innovative hospitality experts offering full-service restaurant consulting. A2Z can guide you with:

• location scouting

• concept development

• feasibility studies permit & licensing

• budgeting

• staffing & training

• vendor negotiations & procurement

• menu engineering

• branding

And so much more! Check out their client portfolio here.

Synergy Restaurant Consultants

For over 30 years, Synergy Restaurant Consultants has helped restaurants strengthen their futures by achieving operational excellence and financial improvements. They work with all businesses from new restaurants to chains and independent operators. With a 4.9 average star rating on Google, they have plenty of clients who can attest to their hard work.

Read some of their success stories here.

Blue Orbit Restaurant Consulting

Led by Ray Camillo and Michael Maxwell, who each have more than 30 years of wide-ranging experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, Blue Orbit helps restaurants succeed by telling the hard truths, illuminating untapped opportunities, and creating the roadmap from good to great.

They offer all types of services such as:

• Concept development

• Landlords and property developers

• Menu development

• Rescue and positioning

• Restaurant management agreements

And more! Discover their large list of clients here.

Blackwood Hospitality

If you own a restaurant in New York City, Los Angeles, or Hudson Valley, this might be the consultant for you. Blackwood Hospitality is a full-service consulting and advisory firm providing innovative and strategic counsel to the hospitality industry at large.

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With over 60 years of collective experience, this group leverages its resources and experience to help its clients create value and mitigate risk while recognizing each business’ unique perspective.

Check out how they helped Cup of Joe Coffee here.

Culinary Culture

If your business needs improvement on the culinary side, check out Culinary Culture.

Culinary Culture is a group of passionate research chefs who offer consulting services for food-based businesses. Through trend research, innovative ideation, and unsurpassed industry expertise, Culinary Culture will deliver imaginative, crave-able products and recipes that consistently exceed your expectations. Their services include:

• Innovation

• Presentation

• Education

Improve your food service with Culinary Culture today!

Clark Wolf Company

The Clark Wolf Company is a New York City and Sonoma County-based firm that was formed in 1986 to provide consulting services to food, restaurant, and hospitality businesses. This company has extensive experience leading a collaborative process with owners, management teams, architects, institutions, property holders, developers, and more.

Check out some of their stellar case studies here.

Figure 8

Figure 8 is a New York City-based company made up of a team with a background in fine dining, fast casual, catering, data science, and design. Their approach is guided by an 8-step framework called the Delivery Cycle℠. This process assesses each step in your digital operation and builds a roadmap to success.

Find out more here.

Playground Hospitality

Playground Hospitality partners with established restaurants to provide invaluable expertise to change the face of their business. They provide exceptional hospitality for their clients, so they can create memorable experiences for their guests.

Take a look at their work here.

Full Heart Hospitality

Full Heart Hospitality is an innovative food, beverage, and hospitality consulting company dedicated to creative and sustainable solutions. They’re based in San Francisco and offer expertise in creative development and operations management to enhance the people, product, and guest experience.

Aaron Allen & Associates

Aaron Allen & Associates is made up of advisors to owners of leading foodservice and hospitality companies around the world. They’re solely focused on the food service and hospitality industry and have many years of experience, as their founder & CEO literally grew up in his family’s seafood restaurant.

You can check out examples of this work here.

Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group

In 2006 Scott Gilkey’s passion for food led him to launch Gilkey Restaurant Consulting. His many years of experience give him a rare holistic perspective of both front and back-of-house operations and brand development. With over 30 years in the industry, Scott knows restaurants.

Read up on his case studies here.

New School Consulting

New School is a boutique hospitality agency based in Los Angeles with decades of experience and a commitment to caring for the numbers as much as the creative process. They help their clients with:

• Planning - concept, financial analysis

• Development - branding, culinary program

• Administration - lease negotiating, accounting

• Execution - HR, soft/grand openings

• Building - interior design, schematic design

• On-going - troubleshooting, performance analysis

You can review New School Consulting’s portfolio here.

Last Word Hospitality

If you’re looking for a creative, unique team filled with loads of experience Last Word Hospitality (LWH) might be the firm for you. Holly Fox and Adam Weisblatt co-founded Last Word in 2014 because they share a genuine love for restaurants. Their mission is to create charismatic neighborhood venues that also serve as city-wide destinations.

You can explore some of their beautiful work here.

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Goliath Consulting Group

Goliath Consulting Group is an experienced consulting firm that works with independent restaurants, restaurant groups, and chains to help them grow to the next level. They provide services such as:

• Menu design

• Franchise consulting

• Menu development

• Business planning

• Profitability assessments

• Marketing advice

• Management training

And more! Check out their large list of clients at the bottom of this page.

Navigator Consulting 

Navigator Consulting uses practical approaches focusing on brand, communication, people, and money, to find solutions for staffing, profitability, sales, and strategy to help enterprises stand out and level up. This firm offers a plethora of services including:

• Menu engineering

• New openings and emerging concepts

• Online presence audits

• Social media marketing and Google optimization

• Secret shopper

• Lease review/negotiation tips

• SWOT analysis

(Just to name a few!)

HAND Hospitality

The team at HAND Hospitality is passionate about all things food. Founded in 2011, they’ve now established 18 different brands. You can find their concepts in many big-time publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Eater.

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Ovation Restaurant Consulting

With 30+ years of industry experience, Ovation’s expertise includes finance, strategic operations, and sustainable operating systems. This restaurant consulting firm is completely hands-on until restaurant operations are fluid. Ovation develops sustainable concepts, strategies, and systems that reduce costs and drive sales to maximize long-term profitable growth.

Check out some of their projects here.

The Restaurant Group

The Restaurant Group is an all-inclusive, restaurant consulting and management firm that provides solutions to restaurants’ operational needs. They work with establishments of all types and sizes with restaurants ranging from fast food to fine dining. The Restaurant Group provides start-up, expansion, turnaround, design, concept development, and expert advice to restaurants, bars, and the hospitality industry.

Read about their happy clients here.

Harlan Scott Hospitality

With over two decades in hospitality, Harlan has played a leading role in over 20 restaurant openings and re-conceptings. Harlan Scott Hospitality offers many services such as:

• Restaurant development

• Staff training

• HR

• Marketing

• Inventory management

• Vendor relationships

Plus many more! You can review some of their past projects at the bottom of this page.

Streetsense

Today, Streetsense is a creative collective with global reach, committed to crafting well-rounded strategies and promoting diverse perspectives. Whether you’re developing an idea from scratch or reimagining an asset, the question should be the same—how do you connect meaningfully with your guests? Streetsense’s Hospitality Consulting team helps answer this question by delivering thoughtful market analysis, compelling conceptual visions, and turn-key solutions for hospitality offerings big and small.

You can check out some of their case studies and testimonials here.

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National Restaurant Consultants

This team of consultants has the knowledge and business acumen to ask the right questions for start-ups, as well as operations that may be struggling or seeking new ideas and action plans for better results. National Restaurant Consultants can take your business from where it is now, to where you want it to be without having to worry.

Read more details on their services here.

International Restaurant & Hospitality Consultant Group

International Restaurant & Hospitality Consulting Group’s (IRHC) core foundation is restaurants. They know and understand the restaurant business inside and out, and have helped hundreds of different businesses increase revenue, profits, and quality of operations. IRHC Group is a worldwide leader in Restaurant Consulting services, helping hundreds of restaurants in over 17 countries.

Check out their recent projects here.

MBB Hospitality

MBB consistently maintains a much-valued rapport with each and every one of their clients. They strive to exceed expectations and pride themselves upon knowing their clients can and will trust in their services. MBB currently serves the entire East Coast with offices in South Jersey, Philadelphia, and Delray Beach, FL.

Checkout their extensive client list here.

Bain & Company

Across 65 cities in 40 countries, Bain & Company works alongside their clients as one team with a shared ambition to achieve extraordinary results, outperform the competition, and redefine the industry. Their current restaurant consulting impact is an average of 2-6% increase in year-over-year growth in same-store sales.

Learn more here.

Kenzer Consulting Group

With over 100 years of combined restaurant consulting experience and a deep understanding of the challenges restaurant entrepreneurs face, Kenzer is your trusted partner on the journey to success. Their mission is simple: to provide tailored solutions that elevate your business and drive sustainable growth.

This group offers everything from menu development and bar consulting to service training and real estate support. 

You can check out some of Kenzer Consulting Group’s case studies here. One of their happy customers, The Crawlspace Gastropub is pictured below.

Take the first step to improvement

Restaurants get better when the people in them can grow, too, and sometimes you need a gentle nudge to push you in the right direction. Contact one of these professionals today to embrace change and to avoid finding your restaurant in the “those in trouble” category. You got this!