Our Services

RH ConsulTeam has worked with all kinds of clients. Big or small, franchised and independent. We have been retained to work for as little as an hour to review a business plan and for over a year to provide prospective on new start ups. We always tailor the program for your specific needs, and will only take on the project if we believe we can help you. Our goal is to save you money in the long run.

We treat all our clients with discretion and integrity. Click on the list below, or scroll down to see some of the programs we've successfully delivered to our clients.

If you require special assistance, give us a call and we'll work with you and our partners to find solutions.

Start Up:

Starting a restaurant requires detailed attention to the beginning phases. A great concept can only work if it's in the right location, has the proper layout and start up costs set up a reasonable rate of return.

Location, Location, Location

It may be rule number 1 in successful business planning, but a great location is just the beginning. Restaurants need to have proper visibility, access to adequate parking and compatible tenants. The site needs to supply the right traffic numbers during the right time of day to be a great site.

We can help you assess what a great location can be for your restaurant. Are you looking for weekday breakfast and lunch business, the happy hour crowd or a meal for the whole family? 30,000 cars a day passing your business can mean a great opportunity for you or a great opportunity for higher rents.

Lease negotiation

After finding the perfect site, a good lease can make or break your profit potential. Some leases can be 50 pages long and filled with jargon that your lawyer can help you decipher, but do you know what is negotiable? Do you need more time for build-outs? How long can you renew? What common area maintenance expenses can occur?

We have counseled restaurateurs through this process and can help you too. An ounce of prevention can save a pound of headaches.

Facility design/Construction

Unless you are building from scratch, on your own lot, with your own designers, you'll have to fit your needs into a pre-existing space. Knowing how and where power, water, sewer and other utilities are located can cost you or save you.

How will traffic flow into your restaurant?

Will there be enough room for a lobby-full of people waiting for a table on a Friday night?

Will people try to order from the pick up cashier?

How many seats will you need to make your proforma work?

How many more can you have if you look at things from a different angle?

Will your "A" seats end up in "B" locations?

Successful restaurants recognize all the different aspects.

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Brand Incorporation:

Any good Ad agency can create a logo, ad slicks and a strategy to "build your brand." Finding the right agency is only the beginning of the process. After they have completed the initial package it's up to you to incorporate that vision into every aspect of your restaurant...at a rate of return that makes economical sense. We've helped restaurants find the right agency, and worked successfully to see the strategy come to life.

Relating your Brand

The Brand isn't a nice name and neat tagline, it's everything you communicate. For restaurants that includes the menu and decor, but more importantly the service. How your restaurant performs has a profound impact on your Brand. If you say you are a "quick place for a great lunch" you need to create the tools necessary for you staff to pull that off. If you are "for the refined taste" you'll need different tools. The challenge with restaurants is that everyone uses them, so there are a lot of people who think they know what is best. And they're right. But it's what goes on behind the scene that makes it easy on operations and the bottom line.

RH ConsulTeam balances the line between being "creative" and being "profitable." We have helped existing restaurants understand where they fit in their customer's lives and worked strategically to create or refine your brand.

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Operational Systems:

There's a reason many restauranteurs use the title "Chief Cook & Bottle Washer." The operation of a successful restaurant requires precision, flexibility, and an unforgiving amount of patience. We've counseled, created, and implemented many operational procedures such as:

Inventory controls & planning
Proper cleaning and facility maintenance
Purchasing and vendor relations
Cash control
Food safety & sanitation
Audit & evaluation systems
Manual Development

Your customers and employees expect consistency. We can help you develop and execute sound operational sytems that will help you meet their expectations.

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Management Services:

Whether you are an owner-operator, or employ a management team to handle the day to day operations of your restaurant, we can provide a variety of support services such as:

Hiring and training assistance
Temporary staffing support for special projects such as expansion or remodeling.
Strategic planning in the areas of facility re-imaging, menu development and analysis, marketing, and financial statement management.
Supervision of day to day operations.

Use us to lighten your load or as a second opinion for your plans or ideas.

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Financial:

We work with Banks, Financial Institutions, Accountants and Bookkeepers on behalf of restaurants. Sometimes, these people recognize the signs of a struggling restaurant, and need to give their clients some advice. We have worked with both parties to create plans to get a restaurant back in the black.

We also have helped financial institutions analyze the risk potential of an individual restaurant. Whether a franchisee or a single operation we have proven systems to allow an inside look into a restaurant's possible health.

There are many elements involved in financial evaluation:

Financial statement review and recommendations

Point of Sale evaluation and integration

Cash control evaluation, design, and implementation

Food Cost control

Sales trend evaluation and improvement planning

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Developer Assistance:

Restaurants are a critical part of any healthy retail development. However, they present unique challenges and risks. Let us help you insure your success. See "Start Up" to understand how we work with restaurants to assure the success of the business. (Theirs and yours.)

Concept Mix & Traffic Flow: finding the right restaurant

You know you need them, they add traffic to the location, they fill your parking lots, and they make consumers know which development they are in. But which ones will make you known for success. Do you know if your building is "Oh that restaurant is in the ABC center!" or "oh no, they're in the ABC center."

Restaurants provide a steady stream of consumers. The morning rush hour brings coffee and pastry. Lunch traffic includes both the Power Lunch and "Lunch with the Ladies." Dinnertime could be intimate dinner or a quick bite with the family before soccer practice. Late Night dining is becoming a trend.

National chains bring a lot of name recognition, but aren't always the best risk for your development. There are currently over 50 regional and national chains in law suits across the country due to disgruntled franchisees and encroachment issues. Chains also may require a lot of upfront costs for you.

Independents might pose different challenges. They are generally more pliable into an existing space, and can often provide a unique experience in your center. However, they may not have the financial depth of larger companies and can present a risk. This is often overcome with entrepreneurship and determination.

We have proven programs to evaluate the local independents and current major chains. We give you a restaurateurs' overview on the health of the parent company(s), local operators and management team.

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Troubleshooting:

Many restaurateurs are happy with what they have, but know they need help here and there. One client said it best, "I'm doing everything ok, but nothing great." The flexibility of RH ConsulTeam can help work on any portion of the business. Restaurants are complex and many people are surprised to find out how little changes can impact the entire organization.

Here is a list of the most common requests:

Declining or flat sales trends
High food/labor costs
Poor customer service/food quality
Unacceptable financial results
Dated design/image/menu
Preparation for sale

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Start Up
Brand Incorporation
Operational Systems
Management Services
Financial
Developer Assistance
Troubleshooting