Optimize operations, reduce costs, and strengthen your restaurant’s future—backed by expert guidance.
Expert Restaurant Consulting Services for Growth
At Heard Consulting, owner Sojin Thompson and his team bring over 50 years of combined hands-on experience in restaurant and hospitality consulting. With a background in managing the Hard Rock Cafe on the Las Vegas Strip and consulting across Washington, Nevada, and Mexico, Sojin understands the complexities of running and growing a restaurant.
Heard Consulting offers personalized, bilingual English and Spanish consulting tailored to your specific challenges. No cookie-cutter solutions or one-size-fits-all mentality. Whether you’re looking to optimize operations, scale to multiple locations, or successfully navigate a restaurant closure, we provide the experience-backed guidance you need
Solutions for Your Needs
Consulting That Works
Operations Consulting
We take a deep dive into your restaurant’s daily operations, identifying problem areas and implementing practical solutions. From optimizing kitchen workflows to refining inventory management and vendor contracts, we help streamline restaurant operations to improve efficiency and profitability. Our experience spans diverse restaurant models, including independent eateries, multi-location chains, and food trucks, ensuring your business runs smoothly.
Digital Presence & Customer Engagement
Your digital presence should support your operations — not create friction. We ensure your online systems are accurate, aligned, and easy for guests to find, understand, and order from your restaurant. When needed, we also help coordinate implementation so everything works seamlessly without adding unnecessary complexity.
Scaling & Expansion
Scaling doesn’t always mean opening new locations — it means building a stronger, more profitable operation that can grow without breaking. We help you standardize workflows, training, and leadership systems so quality stays consistent as volume increases. When expansion is the goal, we also support market research, site selection, and rollout planning so growth is scalable, intentional, and profitable.
New Restaurant Openings
Starting a restaurant, food truck, or cloud kitchen? Heard Consulting has guided numerous new ventures from concept to grand opening. Our comprehensive approach includes business planning, location selection, contractor coordination, menu engineering, staffing, and financial forecasting. We work alongside real estate professionals, architects, and vendors to set you up for success from day one.
Training & Certifications
A well-trained team is the foundation of a great restaurant. We offer bilingual training programs in food safety, responsible liquor service, and hospitality management. Our customized staff training covers state-required certifications, leadership development for managers, and best practices for improving service quality and efficiency.
Restaurant Sale/Closures
Closing a restaurant is a tough decision, but navigating the process strategically can help you protect your investments, support your staff through the transition, and maximize any remaining business value. We assist with lease terminations, asset liquidation, debt restructuring, and employee transitions. Our goal is to minimize financial losses and ensure a smooth exit, whether you plan to close permanently or reposition your brand for a future comeback.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can Heard Consulting help my restaurant increase profitability?
We focus on improving the parts of your operation that actually impact profit — cost control, labor, pricing, and day-to-day execution. This includes identifying unnecessary expenses, refining menu pricing, and tightening operations so performance stays consistent as you grow. The goal is to increase profitability without adding extra complexity.
Do you work with all types of restaurants?
Yes. We work with restaurants, bars, food trucks, cloud kitchens, and catering businesses of all sizes. The operational and strategic principles we apply translate across all food service and hospitality businesses focused on improving performance and scaling effectively.
How long does it take to see results from your consulting services?
Some operational changes yield immediate improvements while scaling and expansion strategies require long-term planning. We prioritize actionable steps that generate both quick wins and sustainable success.
Can you help with staff training and retention?
Absolutely! Our bilingual training programs cover everything from food safety and customer service to management development. We also provide strategies for reducing turnover and fostering a positive workplace culture.
What makes Heard Consulting different from other restaurant consultants?
Most consultants provide recommendations. Heard Consulting focuses on improving how restaurants actually operate. The work is hands-on and tied directly to revenue, cost control, and day-to-day execution—built around what’s realistic for each operation, not generic best practices. Bilingual support is also available when needed to better support diverse teams and guest bases.
Why You Should Work With Heard Consulting
- 50+ years of combined experience.
- Proven restaurant consulting experience, from small local eateries to multi-location expansions.
- Bilingual expertise to support diverse staff training and communication needs.
- Flexible pricing plans (retainer, project-based, or hourly) to accommodate different business needs and budgets.
- Sojin uses a hands-on approach to develop strategies tailored to their unique challenges.
- Having worked in both corporate and independent restaurant settings across multiple states and countries, Sojin possesses deep industry knowledge that is vital to success.
Take the Next Step Toward Success
Let’s build a strategy that works for your restaurant. Contact us today to get started.
