What Restaurant Consulting Services does

Restaurant Consulting Services, Inc. (RCSI) is a privately held hospitality consulting firm founded in 2004 and headquartered at One Cherry Center in Denver, Colorado, with a second field office in San Diego, California. The firm serves the US restaurant industry nationwide (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) with a curated team of 6+ core consultants and a network of partner specialists covering legal, real estate, and design disciplines. RCSI delivers 24+ discrete services spanning the full restaurant lifecycle — concept development, feasibility studies, SBA-compliant business plans, restaurant startups, operations analysis, due diligence, prime vendor negotiations, profitability improvement, management training, recruitment support, and M&A advisory for buyers and sellers.

The core technical asset is a proprietary Operations Analysis methodology developed 19+ years ago, which produces an 18-24 page diagnostic report in approximately five days with a written guarantee that the engagement will save or make the client more than its cost; a second unique product is the firm's SBA-compliant combined feasibility study and business plan document, which it states is the only such combo offering. Customer segments include restaurant startups, struggling or failing operators, multi-unit groups, high-volume purchasers (those buying $600K+ annually from major distributors), restaurant buyers, and restaurant sellers in Colorado. Select customers disclosed include Whiptail Restaurant, Woody's Q Shack, Food Bank of the Rockies, Colorado Tap House, Fisher's Liquor Barn & Market, and a San Francisco restaurant group.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based professional services fees (custom business plans, feasibility studies, operations analyses, due diligence, and advisory work), supplemented by a transaction-fee stream from Prime Vendor Agreements, in which the firm shares vendor incentive checks with no upfront client cost. Pricing is custom by project, location, and complexity. Distribution is direct sales led by President Kevin Moll, with 85% of business originating from referrals and satisfied clients — a reflection of the firm's 22-year operating history, Google 5-Star rating, and Colorado Restaurant Association membership. Strategic adjacency is provided by sister company Restaurant Recruiting Pros and partners including Cabaret Design Group, Transworld Commercial Real Estate, and specialty legal counsel.

Name

Restaurant Consulting Services

Legal name

Restaurant Consulting Services, Inc.

Website

https://restaurantconsultingservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Restaurant Consulting Services is a Denver-based hospitality consulting firm providing business plans, feasibility studies, operations analysis, due diligence, prime vendor negotiations, and M&A advisory to restaurant startups, operators, buyers, and sellers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Consulting Services

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Risk, Compliance & Internal Controls Consulting (BPAHACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Restaurant consulting services
• Restaurant business plans
• Feasibility studies
• Operations analysis
• Restaurant due diligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Business Plan Development: Custom business plans written from scratch with 20+ pages of financial projections and 30-40 pages of detailed narrative. Pricing determined by location, project complexity, and hours required. SBA-compliant combo documents available.
2. Operations Analysis: On-site consulting engagement resulting in 18-24 page detailed report. Guaranteed service. Process includes discussion, proposal, on-site visit, and results delivery in approximately 5 days.
3. Due Diligence Services: Comprehensive on-site analysis for restaurant and bar buyers. Covers financial analysis, operational assessment, compliance review, market analysis, asset verification, and lease review. Nationwide service at approximately half the cost of traditional firms.
4. Prime Vendor Agreements: Negotiation service where firm receives share of vendor incentive checks. Vendors provide checks within 30 days of signing agreements. Client must purchase at least $600,000 annually from qualifying vendors.
5. Business Acquisition Advisory: Advisory services for buyers and sellers of restaurants. Sellers pay small monthly fee instead of broker commissions (saving 50% or more). Buyers receive guidance through entire acquisition process.
6. Feasibility Studies: Restaurant feasibility studies for any concept type. Two options available: simple cost-effective study or substantial detailed document. Bank and investor-ready documentation. SBA combo option available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Restaurant Consulting Services, Inc. (RCSI) is a hospitality consulting firm providing a comprehensive suite of services for restaurant and foodservice businesses, including custom business plans, feasibility studies, operations analysis, due diligence for buyers, prime vendor agreement negotiations, and advisory services for buyers and sellers. Services cover the full restaurant lifecycle from startup through operation to sale, delivered by consultants who have each previously owned their own restaurants and have 30+ years of industry experience.

Product overview

Restaurant Consulting Services (RCSI) is a hospitality consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of 25+ consulting services for restaurant and foodservice businesses. The company's core offerings include Restaurant Business Plans (with 20+ pages of financial projections and 30-40 pages of narrative for funding approval), Restaurant Feasibility Studies (including SBA-compliant combo documents), Operations Analysis (an 18-24 page diagnostic report with a savings guarantee), Restaurant Due Diligence (affordable on-site analysis for buyers), Prime Vendor Agreements (food cost reduction through distributor negotiations), and Advisory Services for Buyers and Sellers (transaction advisory in Colorado). The company provides services across the entire restaurant lifecycle from startup through operation to sale, including concept development, financial modeling, bar operations, management training, menu engineering, culinary training, recruitment, cost control, operating systems design, and owner coaching. Services are delivered by consultants with 30+ years of industry experience who have previously owned their own restaurants, with operations analysis guaranteed in writing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restaurant Business Plans Comprehensive restaurant business plans with 20+ pages of financial projections and 30-40 pages of narrative, designed for investors, landlords, banks, and SBA funding approval. 90% of business plan clients get the funding they need.
• Restaurant Feasibility Studies Feasibility studies for fine-dine, fast casual, QSR, multi-unit operators, taverns, bars, resorts, and food halls, including a unique SBA-compliant feasibility/business plan combo document only RCSI provides.
• Operations Analysis An 18-24 page diagnostic report analyzing financial, marketing, operations, personnel, competitive, and practical issues, delivered approximately 5 days after on-site visit and guaranteed in writing to save or make more than the cost of the service.
• Restaurant Due Diligence Affordable, rapid, comprehensive on-site analysis for bar and restaurant buyers, covering financial analysis, operational assessment, compliance review, market analysis, asset verification, lease review, and recommendations, priced at approximately half the cost of traditional firms.
• Prime Vendor Agreements Negotiation service connecting restaurants purchasing $600,000+ annually with major food distributors (Sysco, US Foods, Gordon Foodservice, etc.) to secure lower food costs, consolidated purchasing, and incentive checks, with no upfront cost to the client.
• Advisory Services for Buyers and Sellers Third-party advisory services for restaurant and hospitality business transactions, including letter of intent drafting, negotiations, and closing support, with sellers saving an average of 50% or more compared to broker fees.
• Restaurant Startups End-to-end startup assistance covering 400+ pre-opening tasks, including administrative, culinary, and beverage components with coaching, side-by-side support, or full project management.
• Concept Development Design and rollout of new restaurant concepts including space design, market comparison, brainstorming, and strategic implementation for rebranding or additional locations.
• Financial Modeling Services Financial projections for new and existing restaurant concepts designed for presentation to investors or partners.
• Bar Operations Services Complete solutions for startup and existing bar operations including services for sports bars, nightclubs, taverns, and full-service hotels and resorts.
• Management Development and Training Processes, procedures, and hands-on experience development for restaurant management teams, covering one person or the entire organization.
• Special Projects Custom and unusual hospitality projects of all types, worldwide, leveraging decades of consulting experience.
• Restaurant Profitability Improvement Profitability enhancement services targeting the 2-4% industry average margin, including high food cost solutions via Prime Vendor Agreements.
• Menu Development and Menu Engineering Menu design services that drive brand identity, uniqueness, and future success.
• Culinary Cost Controls Operating tools including inventory management, order guides, and vendor relations for kitchen productivity and profitability.
• Basic Culinary Training Training for hourly team members covering basic culinary operations, required for startups and refreshers for existing operations.
• Advanced Culinary Training Advanced training for management personnel led by culinary consultant Jeremy Abbey, focusing on taking talented staff to a new level.
• Recruitment and Human Resources

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of business plan clients get the funding they need
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Restaurant Recruiting Pros, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company to Restaurant Consulting Services. Provides restaurant and hospitality recruitment services nationwide. Clients use RRPI when they have positions to fill and need fully vetted, hired-ready candidates confidentially.
• Adam Stapen - Business and Liquor Licensing AttorneysupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAttorney concentrating in federal and state alcoholic beverage licensing, hospitality law, real estate, and commercial matters. Represents restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels, and retail liquor stores throughout Colorado for liquor license acquisition and protection.
• Melissa Woo-Allen - IP and Trademark AttorneysupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAttorney specializing in intellectual property, trademarks, and licensing. Handles IP needs for Restaurant Consulting Services clients including trademark registration, copyright protection, and contract negotiations.
• Phil Kubat - Transworld Commercial Real EstatesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrincipal & Managing Broker of Transworld Commercial Real Estate, a Colorado-based commercial real estate brokerage. Provides leasing, listing, tenant/buyer representation, and site selection services. Strategic partner for restaurant location services.
• Rick Uzubell - Cabaret Design GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident of Cabaret Design Group, industry leader in bar design with focus on casinos, hotels, restaurants, and sports bars. Mastery of bar design combining architectural engineering with integrated bar design approach. Designs bars across US and Canada.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Restaurant365: Cloud ERP/financial platform purpose-built for restaurants; offers operational dashboards, accounting workflows, and benchmarking that overlap thematically with RCSI's Operations Analysis and Cost Control Review services, serving the same independent-restaurant buyer.
• Lightspeed Restaurant: POS and payments platform with a restaurant-specific product line and partner/integrator ecosystem serving independent restaurants; overlaps with RCSI on the technology-selection and operating-system decision support that touches restaurant openings and turnarounds.
• Toast, Inc. Leading restaurant tech platform (POS, payroll, marketing, online ordering) serving SMB and chain restaurants; increasingly publishes guidance content and connects operators to advisory partners, positioning it as both an ecosystem participant and a partial substitute for parts of RCSI's business-plan and feasibility work.
• Otter (Collective Inc.): AI-driven restaurant operations tool consolidating delivery, menus, and analytics across third-party platforms; targets the same struggling-operator segment RCSI serves with Operations Analysis, with a SaaS cost structure that competes for budget previously allocated to consulting engagements.

Direct peers

• Blue Orbit Restaurant Consulting: Small, founder-led restaurant consulting firm offering operations, concept development, and management advisory to independent operators — overlapping service catalog and customer base with RCSI in the small-business restaurant segment.
• Synergy Restaurant Consultants: Boutique restaurant and hospitality consultancy providing menu engineering, operations analysis, and new opening support to independent restaurants and small chains — direct service-line overlap with RCSI's operations analysis and concept development offerings.

Others

• Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI): The leading industry association for professional foodservice consultants, with a member directory of independent restaurant/hospitality consultants serving the same SMB-restaurant buyer that RCSI targets — both membership pipeline and competitive supply.
• Culinary Institute of America (CIA): Premier culinary education institution offering industry consulting, custom training, and alumni networks; parallels RCSI's Culinary Training and Concept Development lines, with adjacent customer-overlap among emerging restaurateurs and culinary-school graduates.

Broad incumbents

• Alvarez & Marsal Consumer & Retail Practice: Global advisory firm whose Consumer & Retail practice includes restaurants and foodservice operators for performance improvement, turnaround, and transaction advisory — competes in the upper end of RCSI's addressable market (multi-unit and PE-backed restaurant accounts).

Regional players

• Cozymeal / Cozy Industries: Hospitality training and small-business support platform providing consulting and educational content to entrepreneurs in food, beverage, and culinary verticals — adjacent customer base (would-be restaurant owners) and overlapping go-to-market around new-restaurant onboarding and feasibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Restaurant Consulting Services