On-Demand Consulting
Need a second set of eyes on your numbers? A sounding board for a decision? Help building a system you can't crack on your own? Book time and let's work through it together.
The Problem
Sometimes you just need focused help on a specific issue
Stuck on a decision. You've got a menu pricing question, a labor scheduling puzzle, or a vendor negotiation coming up—and you're not sure what the right move is.
Need expert eyes. You've built something—a cost sheet, a schedule, a P&L breakdown—but you're not confident it's right. You need someone who's done it before to check your work.
Learning by doing. You want to build the skills yourself, not outsource everything. You need a guide who can walk you through it, not just hand you a finished product.
One-off help. A full consulting engagement is overkill. You need a few hours of focused help, not a multi-week project.
The Solution
Operator-to-operator consulting on your schedule
Direct access to work through your specific challenges. No generic advice—we dig into your actual numbers, your actual operation, your actual decisions.
This isn't a course or a template. It's real-time problem solving with someone who's built and run profitable restaurants.
Recipe costing, menu pricing, supplier comparisons, waste tracking
Schedule building, labor targets, staffing models, productivity
Profitability analysis, pricing strategy, menu design
Process mapping, bottlenecks, systems design
P&L walkthroughs, prime cost breakdowns, margin analysis
Expansion planning, equipment purchases, concept pivots
Invoice review, pricing leverage, contract terms
Inventory systems, reporting cadences, accountability tools
Who This Is For
You run your own place and wear most of the hats. You need answers, not another software tool to manage.
You have something concrete to work through—not a vague "help me be more profitable."
You'd rather understand the why so you can apply it again, not just get a deliverable.
Useful advice requires honest data. You're ready to open the books.
This is consulting, not management. You need to implement what we discuss.
I'm not a lawyer, CPA, or HR specialist. Get proper professional advice for those.
Investment
No retainer required. Pay for what you use.
| Format | Rate | Minimum | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Consulting Video call, screen share | $100/hr | 1 hour | Reviews, Q&A, walkthroughs |
| On-Site (Minnesota) In-person at your location | $150/hr | 4 hours | Within 60 miles of MSP metro |
| On-Site (Travel Required) In-person outside Minnesota | $175/hr | 4 hours | Anywhere in the U.S. + expenses |
Minnesota (within 60 miles of MSP metro): No travel charges.
Minnesota (60–150 miles): Mileage billed at IRS rate ($0.67/mile for 2024).
Out-of-State: Client covers airfare (economy), hotel (up to $200/night), rental car or rideshare, and meals ($75/day per diem). Travel days are included in the engagement or billed at 50% of daily rate.
Estimated travel package: $1,500–$3,000 for most U.S. destinations.
Hourly engagements: 100% due before session. We'll send an invoice after scheduling—pay before we meet.
Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, ACH bank transfer, or check.
How It Works
Simple process, fast turnaround
Email with a brief description of what you need help with. Include context—type of restaurant, specific challenge, timeline.
For complex topics, we may do a free 10-minute call to make sure hourly consulting is the right fit vs. a full project. If it's straightforward, we skip this and schedule directly.
We send a calendar link and invoice. You pick a time that works, pay the invoice, and we're locked in.
We meet (virtual or on-site), dig into your challenge, and work through it together. You'll leave with clarity, next steps, and usually some tools or frameworks to keep using.
Quick questions after the session are included via email. If you need another session or want to move to a full project, we can discuss that too.
Questions
Usually within 48–72 hours. If it's urgent, mention that in your message and we'll do our best to accommodate.
Depends on the topic. For financial questions, have your P&L, food cost reports, or POS data handy. For operations, be ready to walk me through your current process. I'll send specific prep instructions after you book.
If it relates to restaurant operations, food cost, labor, menu engineering, or general business strategy—probably yes. If it's legal, tax, HR compliance, or requires professional licensing I don't have—no. When in doubt, ask.
We can transition to a full project at any point. Many clients start with an hour or two to test the fit, then move to a Prime Audit, Menu Engineering Sprint, or ongoing retainer.
Yes. If you need a confidentiality agreement before sharing sensitive information, send it over. I treat all client data as confidential regardless.
Cancel or reschedule 24+ hours before: full refund or rebook at no charge. Cancel within 24 hours: session fee is forfeited. No-shows: session fee is forfeited.
Our Promise
If you leave a session feeling like you didn't get value, tell me within 24 hours. We'll either schedule a follow-up at no charge or issue a partial refund. I'd rather make it right than leave you feeling like you wasted your money.
Guarantee Terms: Satisfaction guarantee applies to the quality of consulting provided, not to business outcomes. Client must communicate dissatisfaction within 24 hours of session completion. Follow-up sessions are limited to one additional hour. Guarantee does not apply to no-shows, last-minute cancellations, or sessions where client failed to prepare requested materials. Restaurant Profit Systems reserves the right to decline future engagements with clients who repeatedly invoke the guarantee.
Need More Than Hourly Help?
If you need a complete system built, not just advice
Tell me what you're working on. I'll get back to you within 24 hours with availability and next steps.