Insights
What we keep telling clients
Short pieces on the questions that come up in nearly every engagement.
Revenue
Covers are not the goal
A full dining room at the wrong check average is an expensive way to look successful. What to measure instead.
June 18, 2026 · 5 min read
Operations
Rosters that survive a Friday
Most staffing problems are forecasting problems wearing an apron.
May 2, 2026 · 6 min read
Audits
What a venue audit should actually tell you
If the report reads like a list of observations, you paid for a checklist, not an audit.
March 11, 2026 · 4 min read
Profitability
The delivery app is not a channel, it's a cost centre
Most restaurants treat delivery as incremental revenue. It is — but at a contribution margin that's a fraction of dine-in. Here's how to read it honestly.
February 20, 2026 · 5 min read
Operations
Prep sheets that actually work
A prep sheet is the single most boring and most important document in a kitchen. Most are wrong. Here is what a working one looks like.
January 15, 2026 · 4 min read
Strategy
Lease terms that quietly decide your margin
Most operators negotiate rent. Few negotiate the clauses that actually sink the business — CAM, percentage rent, exclusivity and assignment rights.
December 8, 2025 · 6 min read
Strategy
Opening a second site without breaking the first
The second location is where most independent operators get into trouble. The first site runs on the owner's presence; the second runs on systems.
November 3, 2025 · 7 min read