Next Step Design

What Next Step Design does

Next Step Design is an independent foodservice design consulting firm founded in 1987 by J. Russell LeBow Stilwell and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. The firm specializes in translating the visions of architects, interior designers, chefs, and hospitality operators into highly detailed commercial kitchen and foodservice specification documents for luxury hotels, resorts, private clubs, full-service and quick-service restaurants, workplace and corporate dining, bars and lounges, and food halls. Its team is distinctive in being composed of former chefs, servers, and kitchen managers, allowing technical CAD/Revit designs to be validated against real-world culinary operations.

The firm delivers its services using Revit and AutoCAD within a BIM (Building Information Modeling) framework, investing in Revit training and implementation since 2011 to coordinate with architects, engineers, and construction firms. It maintains a comprehensive in-house foodservice equipment database and produces what it describes as unprecedented specification detail covering every piece of equipment, connection, and workspace. Its core offerings include foodservice design consulting, kitchen design, bar and lounge design, food hall and market design, workplace and corporate dining design, and a Signature Details module for custom fabrication. The firm operates six offices across the U.S. (Annapolis, New York, Chicago, Seattle, El Paso) and Canada (Ottawa), serving clients across North America and select international markets including Kuwait and Puerto Rico.

Next Step Design generates revenue through project-based professional services fees determined by scope and complexity, with no public pricing disclosure. Its go-to-market is reputation-driven and enterprise-targeted, relying on a portfolio of marquee engagements with EDITION Hotels, Andaz, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, and chef-driven groups including José Andrés/ThinkFoodGroup, Tom Colicchio/Crafted Hospitality, Jean-Georges Management, Boka Restaurant Group, and Union Square Hospitality Group. The firm positions itself as 100% client-funded and independent of equipment manufacturer incentive programs, a structural differentiator versus equipment dealers who also bid on foodservice design work.

Name

Next Step Design

Legal name

Next Step Design

Website

https://nextstepdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Next Step Design is an independent foodservice design consulting firm founded in 1987 that creates detailed Revit and AutoCAD kitchen and hospitality designs for luxury hotels, celebrity-chef restaurants, and corporate dining clients across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Design Consulting

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Foodservice design consulting
• Commercial kitchen design
• Restaurant kitchen planning
• Hotel foodservice design
• BIM foodservice specification

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foodservice Design Consulting: Professional design consulting services for commercial kitchens in restaurants, hotels, resorts, workplace dining, and food halls. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements where the firm provides design specifications, equipment layouts, and project management services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Next Step Design is an independent foodservice design consulting firm that creates detailed equipment specifications, kitchen layouts, and construction administration deliverables for world-class restaurants, high-end hotels, resorts, workplace dining facilities, and food halls. The firm combines Revit and AutoCAD design output with the real-world culinary expertise of former chefs, servers, and kitchen managers on staff, producing actionable specification documents that translate operator and architect visions into functional, efficient commercial kitchens.

Product overview

Next Step Design is an independent foodservice consulting firm offering a unified portfolio of design services for the hospitality and foodservice industry. The core offering centers on foodservice design consulting and kitchen design services, which are delivered through a combination of Revit and AutoCAD software to create detailed specification documents. The company specializes in exhibition kitchens, bar and lounge design, and food hall concepts. Their work spans six primary market segments: Hotels/Resorts/Private Clubs, Full Service Restaurants, Quick Service Restaurants, Workplace/Corporate/Education, Bars/Lounges/Entertainment, and Markets/Food Halls/Bakeries. The Signature Details module provides specialized custom fabrication consultation to complement the core design services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foodservice Design Consulting Comprehensive foodservice design consulting services for world-class restaurants, high-end hotels, resorts, cutting-edge workplace dining, and food halls. The firm translates ideas from architects, designers, chefs, and operators into actionable specification documents with unprecedented detail, covering every piece of equipment, connection, and workspace using Revit and AutoCAD.
• Kitchen Design Services Design of production kitchens, back-of-house kitchens, exhibition kitchens, receiving and storage areas, and employee dining facilities, delivered via Revit and AutoCAD-backed detailed specification documents for hospitality and foodservice operators.
• Bar and Lounge Design Design services for bars, lounges, and entertainment venues, including raw bars, cocktail bars, wine bars, and specialty beverage stations crafted as focal points of the guest experience rather than afterthoughts.
• Food Hall and Market Design Design of markets, food halls, bakeries, and grab-and-go concepts that artfully integrate multiple vendor stations and diverse cuisine offerings, with attention to detail that enhances the energy of communal dining spaces.
• Workplace and Corporate Dining Design Design of corporate servery spaces, employee dining, and workplace food concepts including action stations, grab-and-go areas, and full-service restaurants that bring interesting and luxurious F&B experiences to corporate and educational campuses.
• Signature Details Specialized design services for signature kitchen elements and custom fabrication details that distinguish each project, complementing the firm's core foodservice design services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Keeps change orders to a minimum while preserving project timelines and budgets
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers32 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• EDITION Hotels / Ian Schrager CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership since 1995 with Ian Schrager, credited with introducing the boutique hotel concept. NSD has worked with EDITION Hotels since its inception on multiple flagship properties including Miami Beach, New York (both Times Square and NYC locations), West Hollywood, and Tampa EDITION. NSD collaborates with Ian Schrager Company as the premier name in boutique hotel design.
• Hyatt International / Andaz HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with Hyatt's Andaz brand on luxury hotel foodservice design, starting with Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort as the first beach resort for the brand. The partnership emphasizes integrating foodservice elements with interior design.
• The Cordish CompaniesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Texas Live! - a $250 million dining and entertainment venue in Arlington, TX, developed in partnership with Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers and the City of Arlington. This was a landmark project setting new standards for sports-anchored dining.
• One Off Hospitality GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with Paul Kahan's One Off Hospitality on multiple Chicago restaurants including Nico Osteria, Duck Duck Goat, Elske, Publican Anker, and Pacific Standard Time. NSD collaborates closely with the chef-driven restaurant group on all foodservice design elements.
• Boka Restaurant GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with Boka Restaurant Group and Chef Stephanie Izard on projects like Duck Duck Goat, as well as Swift & Sons steakhouse and Somerset & Devereaux at Viceroy Chicago.
• Jean-Georges Management / Chef Jean-Georges VongerichtencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Michelin-starred chef John Fraser's JF Restaurants and Jean-Georges Vongerichten on multiple projects including The Fulton at Pier 17, Matador Room at Miami Beach EDITION, and Market at EDITION Tampa.
• ThinkFoodGroup / Chef José AndrésmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nobel Prize-nominated chef José Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup on Jaleo Chicago and Bar Mar & The Bazaar by José Andrés, bringing award-winning Spanish tapas and paella concepts to life.
• Crafted Hospitality / Chef Tom ColicchiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with celebrity chef Tom Colicchio's Crafted Hospitality on Small Batch restaurant in Garden City, NY, featuring an 180-seat restaurant with exhibition kitchen.
• Union Square Hospitality Group / Danny MeyermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group on North End Grill, featuring rustic French-inspired cooking with wood-burning grills and exhibition kitchen.
• Rockwell GroupmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFrequent collaboration with Rockwell Group on multiple projects including Andaz Maui, Chefs Club NYC, R17, and various EDITION properties. Architectural partner for foodservice-integrated designs.
• Marriott InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through EDITION Hotels brand with Marriott International, combining Ian Schrager's boutique hotel vision with Marriott's global operational expertise and scale.
• ICRAVEmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration with hospitality brand ICRAVE on MADE Market prototype for DoubleTree by Hilton and The Little Beet concepts.
• Four Seasons Hotel Westlake VillagemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on AAA Five-Diamond hotel renovation including three dining options: Coin & Candor brasserie, Onyx Japanese restaurant, and Prosperous Penny bar.
• The Inn at Little Washington / Chef Patrick O'ConnellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership since 1998 with Chef Patrick O'Connell on his award-winning kitchen often referred to as 'the most beautiful kitchen in the world.'
• Simon Kim / COTE Korean SteakhousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on COTE Miami - the first location outside NYC for the acclaimed Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse brand.
• Chef Sean BrockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Audrey - Sean Brock's flagship Nashville restaurant featuring two world-class exhibition kitchens and an innovative food lab.
• Fairmont HotelsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on $140 million transformation of Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, including Rosélys Restaurant, Artisans market, and Bar Nacarat.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm with a substantial hospitality practice including restaurant, hotel, and corporate dining design — competes for the same enterprise hospitality clients with significantly broader service breadth and global footprint.
• TriMark: Largest US foodservice equipment supplier with an integrated design consulting arm serving hospitality and restaurant clients — broader portfolio spanning equipment supply, installation, and design versus NSD's pure-play consulting model.
• CallisonRTKL: Global architecture and design firm with hospitality and foodservice design capabilities serving hotels, restaurants, and mixed-use developments — directly comparable client base (luxury hospitality) at much larger scale and broader service scope.
• WD Partners: Global design consultancy serving retail, restaurant, and hospitality clients with strategy, branding, and design capabilities including foodservice — broader service portfolio than NSD with significantly larger scale.
• Rockwell Group: Architecture and design firm with deep hospitality and F&B portfolio (Andaz Maui, multiple EDITION properties, Chefs Club NYC) — a frequent collaborator of NSD's that also offers overlapping foodservice and restaurant design services at broader architectural scale.

Direct peers

• Ricca Design Studios: Foodservice design consulting firm serving restaurants, hotels, and hospitality operators with kitchen planning, equipment specification, and layout services — directly comparable in offering, customer profile, and project-based delivery.
• AvroKO: Hospitality design firm that designs restaurants, hotels, and bars with integrated brand and operations consulting — overlapping with NSD on chef-driven restaurant projects though broader in scope to include full interior and brand work.
• Clevenger Inc. Specialized foodservice design consulting firm serving hotels, restaurants, and hospitality clients with kitchen layout, equipment specification, and project management — a direct competitor operating in the same niche with similar services and delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nextstepdesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/next-step-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Next Step Design