Tips for Hiring a Restaurant Consultant

 If you're searching for a restaurant consultant, here’s what I know for sure. You’re not lazy. You’re not stupid. You’re just tired of carrying the whole restaurant on your back. I work with independent restaurant owners every day and I’ve seen what happens when you hire the wrong kind of help. Before you bring anyone in, I have three tips for hiring a restaurant consultant so you don’t waste your time and money.

Make sure a restaurant consultant has solved your exact problems

Most people get this wrong.

Don’t ask if they’ve worked in restaurants. Don’t ask if they sound smart. Ask whether they’ve solved the exact problems you’re facing in an independent restaurant like yours.

I’m talking about real world chaos, tight margins and owners stuck playing hero every single day. Experience in a corporate environment does not automatically translate to your restaurant. Corporate systems, budgets and staffing structures are completely different.

If they haven’t helped restaurant owners like you get out of the weeds and into true leadership, be careful.

Look for proven restaurant systems not opinions

This one is huge.

If all they offer is advice, opinions or ideas, walk away. What you need are proven systems.

You need systems for leadership, systems for training, systems for accountability and systems that make sure things get done the same way every time. Without systems, you’re just crossing your fingers and hoping your team performs.

If they can’t show you a clear framework they’ve used successfully with multiple restaurants, you’re not hiring help. You’re buying hope. Hope is expensive and it rarely delivers.

Make sure you’re stronger when they leave

Almost nobody asks this question, but it’s the most important one.

When the consultant leaves, are you stronger? Are your managers stronger? Or does everything slowly slide back to the way it was?

If you still need them just to function, that’s not a solution. That’s dependency.

The goal is not for someone to fix your restaurant for you. The goal is for you to learn how to run it with systems in place and leaders you trust. That’s why I call myself a coach, not a consultant. A consultant fixes things for you. A coach teaches you how to think, lead and make decisions long after they’re gone.

Different approach. Very different outcome.

Ask these three questions before you hire a restaurant consultant

Before you sign any agreement, ask yourself:

Do they have the right experience?
Do they have proven systems?
Will I be able to succeed without them when this is over?

Answer those honestly and you’ll finally get the kind of help you’ve been looking for.

Be sure to visit my YouTube channel for more helpful restaurant management video tips.