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Writer's pictureBrent MacGillivray

So you Want to be a Chef Consultant?

I still remember my first paid consulting job many years ago. I kind of fell into it through a mutual friend after returning from a work contract out of the country. I had opened 2 restaurants at this point. One as a chef, the other as a owner. This however was a 400 room hotel with 3 restaurants and 6000 sq feet of banquet space. Already exhausted from my work abroad, this laned in my lap 3 days after arriving home. The hotel had been neglected for years, and was in rough shape. One item was taken care of before I started, the owner had acquired the brand Ramada...so it was off to the races. This project was put together in less than 9 weeks, including all the criteria noted below. After this project, there were many more over a 20 year period across Canada and abroad.

Chef Consultant Job Requirements

  1. Business plans; cash flow analysis, budgeting, startup planning.

  2. Restaurant and kitchen design; proper layout and equipment selection. Maintenance schedules; protect the investment, take care of the equipment.

  3. Efficiency; all phases of not wasting time and money.

  4. Wine List and Menu Specialists; selection, design, proper pricing and implementation.

  5. Menu implementation: Standardize recipes, training of dining room and kitchen staff.

  6. Systems layout and training; every aspect from cleaning to guest services.

  7. Vendor selection; finding the products you need at prices that make sense.

  8. Receiving and inventory implementation; how to accept products and account for them.

  9. Marketing/Sales/Advertising; The how and why of successful promotion, press and TV, with regular follow ups.

  10. Customer awareness; instill pride of customer service in all staff. Community Acceptance; help you work to achieve harmony with the community. Offer learning places, support temples and orphanages, etc.

  11. Sanitation and Hygiene; clean facilities and safe food preparation, storage, labelling and service.

  12. Computer systems and software planning; determining the business needs and conducting training.

  13. Cost Controls; know how to control your costs through purchasing, pricing and waste prevention.

  14. Layout and design of the restaurant web site.

  15. Planning for the future.

  16. Job descriptions, employee manuals and operation procedures; you write them.

  17. Loss and fire prevention, safety procedures and emergency planning.

  18. Quality assurance; only the best service and employee cooperation will do.

  19. Staff training, front and back of house; training your staff to be efficient and professional.

  20. Inventory utilization; get the most out of your stock.




That's all folks. Looking to open a restaurant or rebrand an established property? Give us a shout, we can help! Have a great week!


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