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Synergy Food Consulting Group, LLC23 Corporate Plaza, Suite 150

Newport Beach, CA 92660synergyconsultants.com

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The Synergy Team

Dean Small is the Founder and CEO of Synergy Restaurant Consultants. Dean has over thirty-five years of hands-on food service experience. In addition to his two decades leading the Synergy organization,

he has owned and operated restaurants, bakeries, juice bars, and retail specialty food concepts. Upon graduating from the Culinary Institute Of America, Dean completed a two-year culinary apprenticeship

at Windows On The World located atop the former World Trade Center in New York City. This restaurant was the #1 sales volume restaurant worldwide. During his apprenticeship, Dean also served as personal Executive Chef to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. In 1985 Dean joined El Torito Restaurants as Director of Culinary Development and Purchasing Manager. El Torito operated over two hundred and twenty units and twelve restaurant concepts with operations grossing over $420 million.In 1988, Dean founded Synergy Restaurant Consultants to provide innovation and efficiency strategies

to restaurants and food manufacturers. Since 1988 Synergy has been a food, beverage, and operations resource to over 225 national restaurant chains and independent operators. Dean was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree from Hofstra University and an AOS from the Culinary Institute Of America.

DEAN SMALL PARTNER AND CEO

Areas of Expertise• Concept Development• Restaurant Branding & Brand Voice• Operational Efficiency• Labor Optimization• Menu Development• Culinary Innovation• Strategic Planning• Building Cross Functional Teams

Danny Bendas is a Managing Partner of Synergy Restaurant Consultants. With over 30 years of practical food service experience, he has worked for numerous restaurant operations ranging from

quick service to fine dining establishments. Following his culinary education, Danny became opening chef at Houlihan’s Old Place in Kansas City, MO; followed by rapid promotion to the position of the company’s first regional/corporate chef. Danny’s experience also includes numerous positions with a variety of restaurant operations; he was

Chef at the acclaimed American Restaurant in Kansas City; Director Of Operations for American Food Service Enterprises (food service division of Hallmark Cards) in Kansas City, Missouri, and Vice President, Food & Beverage for Nanco Enterprises Santa Barbara, CA, operator of a nationwide chain of casual theme and steak house restaurants.Since 1989, Danny has been a Managing Partner at Synergy where he has partnered with more

than 225 clients with services ranging from new concept development, menu innovation, operations assessments, strategic planning, kitchen optimization and design, management development, and the development of restaurant operating systems.Danny was awarded a Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, an AAS degree from Bucks

County Community College, and an AOS from the Culinary Institute Of America, where he was the recipient of the Waldorf Astoria Scholastic Achievement Award.

DANNY BENDAS PARTNER AND COO

Areas of Expertise• Concept Development• Operational Efficiency• Labor Optimization• Product Engineering• Culinary Research and Development• Efficient Design Strategies• Systems and Process Development• Infrastructure Implementation

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The Synergy TeamDAVID BLOOM EVP Business DEvelopment & Strategy

David brings over 35 years of high level experience in the restaurant industry along with an extensive track record of success establishing and growing numerous national and international brands and

businesses. David has a unique combination of experience operating as a highly successful entrepreneur, a large muti-unit franchisee and C level executive in a wide variety of industries on a global basis.Having grown up in the restaurant industry throughout the greater New York Metropolitan area, David

graduated UNLV with a degree in Hospitality Management. He then completed a six month training program with Steak & Ale Corp and went on to run some of the highest volume Bennigan’s Restaurants under the mentorship of Norman Brinker. David went on to serve in executive food & beverage roles in the hotel industry at a number of premier hotel and resort properties throughout the United States. David then left the corporate world to join Quiznos Subs as a multi-unit franchisee when there were only 18 stores in Denver, CO. He went on to become one of the largest multi-unit franchisees and a highly successful area developer as well as a key member of the senior management team that built over 5,000 restaurants in over 28 counties. After starting two national consulting and development businesses, David went on to build several national

brands in a variety of industries as the Senior VP of Brand Expansion. David was brought on as COO by the Omidyar network to build Bridge International Academies based in Nairobi, Kenya. Bridge has since become one of the largest and fastest growing private education companies in the developing world. Most recently David served as COO for Famous Brands International operating over 900 stores in over 30 countries. David joined Synergy Restaurant Consultants to provide expertise and leadership in the areas of brand

building, business development and strategy. He loves working and collaborating with great entrepreneurs and executives at every level that are seeking to grow and improve their business performance, expand their brand, and take their success to the next level.

Areas of Expertise• Scalable Brand Strategies• Financial Analysis• Growth Planning• Brand Expansion• Strategic Funding for Growth• Domestic and International

Franchise Operations and Development

Background and Experience

Founded in 1988 by Dean Small and Danny Bendas, Synergy has recently celebrated 26 years of business. Synergy had its start in performing R&D services for dozens of

national suppliers, which led to research and development services for national restaurant chains in all service sectors. With the exponential growth of the fast casual segment, Synergy has stayed in front of trends through a combination of primary market research, industry journal review and strategic partnerships. Over the years, the Synergy team has expanded to include experts in all areas of the hospitality business capable of providing comprehensive integrated consulting services to a wide range of clients.

• Founded in 1988

• Culinary innovation and operational efficiencies are the foundation of the business

• Team of 26 consultants with distinct areas of expertise who work together to provide seamless service to clients around the globe

• Partner to more than 225 brands

• Integrated food service design capabilities

• Extensive experience in menu and food product development

• Global consulting partner to clients in more than a dozen countries

• Culinary team composed of experienced award-winning chefs

• Labor optimization experts

• Franchise development expertise

• Organizational evaluation and restructuring

Synergy at a Glance

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The Synergy Team

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The Synergy TeamBrian McDonough, Human Resources and complianceBrian McDonough has been navigating the Human Resources waters for restaurants over the past

24 years with major chains and independently for operations in every U.S. state, in Mexico, Canada and overseas. Brian assists restaurant operators and franchisees of all sizes with HR through the acquisition of Management talent, group teaching sessions, publication of a Quarterly newsletter based specifically on compliance and by integrating best practices into all employee Training Systems and restaurant policies. From an operations and risk mitigation standpoint, he has defended charges that include Wage & Hour related cases in multiple states with the EEOC, the Department of Labor and civilly, safety-related issues with OSHA and Worker’s Compensation cases, guest injuries, public relations matters including the NLRB, immigration difficulties, and crisis management related concerns.

Charlie Candelas, Operations & special ProjectsCharlie Candelas’ 25-year career in the food industry has incorporated a vast

diversity of skill sets and achievements. As Senior VP of Operations for Darden/Olive Garden, Charlie was responsible for leading the team that grew a 38-unit brand into a 400-unit mega-brand. His team ideated and implemented new satellite training center programs for personnel, drastically reducing employee turnover and subsequently increasing efficiency throughout the chain. With Wolfgang Puck, Charlie turned around his 20-unit chain that had lain dormant for 5 years and achieved turbo charged profitability in 18 months. Charlie attended the Culinary Institute of America as well as participated in Central Florida University’s Executive Development Program. Charlie has been project manager for numerous start-up and concept implementation projects for Synergy, most recently opening a fast casual Italian concept called Ciao in

Rapid City, SD. Charlie led the team throughout a process where Synergy was responsible for executing a complete concept development, full facility design, all menu and product development and operational infrastructure development for the brand, which has outperformed financial expectations during its first six months in operation.

Emily Callaghan, Concept Development

Emily brings a diverse editing, content management, and social media background to Synergy, pairing her skills in media with nearly 10 years of experience spent working in bakeries, full-service restaurants, and bars in both the U.S. and abroad. Responsible for relaunching and managing all editorial for TableMatters.com and reviewing restaurants for CityEats, her work has also appeared in Philadelphia magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Smart Set, WetFeet magazine, NotForTourists.com, and They Eat That?: A Cultural Encyclopedia of Weird and Exotic Foods. Emily has played a key role in dozens of Concept Development projects with Synergy, facilitating the Discovery process and creating Concept Books and Business Plans that articulate the vision, strategies and DNA of each new brand. Emily holds a degree in Liberal Arts from Drexel University.

Randy Lopez, Branding & MarketingWith over 20 years in marketing and advertising, Randy is known as a creative

thinker and brand visionary. He has held marketing executive leadership roles in brands such as TGI Friday’s, Arnold Palmer Golf Management, Buca di Beppo, and Del Taco. On the agency side, he has developed brand strategies and led the account teams for such clients as Toshiba Medical, Tommy Bahama, Acapulco Restaurants and Wolfgang Puck. More than a traditional marketing practitioner, his operations background allows him to understand the specific challenges individual restaurants face as well as the strategic resources needed to grow the global “brand”. Randy is also the founder of JaKE, a restaurant-industry marketing and PR agency that creates innovative Local Store Marketing strategies and tactics to drive traffic and build brand affinity. He is currently a board member for the California

Restaurant Association/OC Chapter, Ophelia’s Jump Productions and the Colon Cancer Coalition.

Warren Ellish, Strategic Partner – Branding & MarketingWarren Ellish, President & CEO of Ellish Marketing Group and member of the

faculty at Cornell University (Johnson School) has held executive marketing positions with Boston Market, Darden Restaurants, Burger King, and PepsiCo and had been named to Advertising Age’s Marketing 100 – “The Superstars of U.S. Marketing”. He has a successful track record of assisting the senior leadership of highly competitive multi-unit businesses generate high returns on investment based on a strategic focus to drive profitable traffic and product mix. A significant amount of this work has been with start-up, emerging, and turnaround businesses. He has launched many new brands and concepts that became successful growth businesses while also revitalizing many once-formidable brands that lost their way to become strong competitors once again. He has been responsible for developing brand positioning for

hundreds of well-known international, domestic, regional and local brands. Warren received both his BS and MBA from Cornell University. He currently serves on the board of directors of Buffets, Inc. the nations largest steak-buffet restaurant company and on Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration master’s program advisory board.

Phil Ratner, Business StrategyPhil Ratner is a veteran restaurant executive who served as a CEO for more

than twenty years in the casual-full service segment. His record of successful turnarounds began with Acapulco Restaurants in 1984 where he served as President and CEO for nearly ten years, taking the nearly bankrupt company and doubling its size to $90 million in sales with a ten percent EBITDA. Most recently, as CEO of Marie Callender's Restaurants he improved both sales and profits and successfully merged the company with Perkins Family Restaurants. Phil has both a Bachelor’s Degree and an MBA from Cornell University. An expert in real estate evalucation and feasibiity, he has served on the boards of five publicly traded restaurant companies.

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Karen Brennan, Branding & MarketingKaren Brennan is an accomplished, results-oriented restaurant marketing

executive with a broad knowledge of the restaurant industry, a deep understanding of consumer behavior, the expertise of 30+ years of restaurant marketing leadership and a record of award winning marketing initiatives for more than 70 restaurant brands, having achieved both Nation’s Restaurant News ‘EAT’ Award for Excellence in Advertising on TV and the NRA’s ‘Great Menu’ Contest Award multiple times. She has held top brand marketing positions with the Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Coco’s Bakery Restaurants and Max & Erma’s Restaurants, Inc., spanning all segments of the restaurant industry. She has a wealth of restaurant industry expertise and experience including serving as an instructor of Hospitality Marketing at The Ohio State University. She exceeds at refining and developing innovative solutions, jump

starting growth initiatives, new concept development, start-ups, turnarounds, brand re-invention and for interim marketing solutions. She provides proven strategies and results, helping restaurateurs figure out their toughest brand challenges and succeed by translating consumer insights into growth through marketing and branding solutions.

She holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and an MBA from The Ohio State University and serves on their Fisher College of Business Alumni Board of Directors, The Lone Star Steak Advisory Board and the National Restaurant Association Marketing Executives Group Board of Directors.

Clyde Gilfillan, OperationsAs an operations specialist, concept/business developer, and catalyst for sales

and profit improvement/turnarounds, Clyde brings expertise to established companies by centering operations personnel on primary objectives and critical issues, developing/implementing strategies that improve average unit volumes, area profitability, and overall operating structure. He also helps startups grow, and improves emerging brands through concept ideation, brand development, and creation or enhancement of policies, processes, and controls.

Clyde has over 25 years of operational and executive experience in several key sectors of the food service industry including restaurants, airline food service, hospital food service, and high volume sports stadium/airport concessions. Clyde has been CEO for LaVecchia Restaurant Group, an $8

million, multi-concept full service company based in Charlotte, NC. He was also COO for The Harper’s Restaurant Group, a $31 million, multi-concept, multi-sector restaurant company based in Charlotte, NC, where he helped lead the team in orchestrating a $1.3 million profit turnaround for the troubled company, build long-term positive cash flow, and help create and open 5 separate, successful concepts. Clyde was also Market Partner for Flat Rock Grille, a $15 million, upscale casual seafood concept company based in Charlotte, NC, where he led operations personnel in stabilizing systems and controls, building the new prototype unit, developing the recognizable brand, and helping recruit and build a field management team which provided the impetus for the successful sale of the company. Clyde has also been General Manager of a $45 million division of Dobbs International Services, Inc. which operated all flight kitchens in Chicago, Illinois for United Airlines. Directing the largest airline catering and ground services hub in the U.S., he was able to stabilize these high profile profit centers by turning $6 million annualized losses into sustained profitability within 8 months of taking charge.

He has served on numerous boards including The Charlotte (NC) Regional Visitors Authority, The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Restaurant Association (as President), and The Greater Charlotte Hospitality and Tourism Alliance. Clyde has also served on the Board of Advisors for Central Piedmont Community College’s Hospitality Department.

Brad Miller – Operations Brad brings more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality sector to

Synergy. His international consulting experience has included projects ranging from strategic development and concept-expansion management to business plan formation and training manual development for both large corporate clients and independent owner/operators. He holds expertise in operations, finance, bar & mixology development programs, people development, process analysis, food and beverage program development and brand refinement. Brad’s resume includes 10 years as the Director of Operations and President of Tia Juana Management, a successful multi-unit restaurant management company. Brad expanded this company from one single unit into five successful operating units including full-service dining, fast casual, large event catering, event production, and golf course concessions.

Brad has also held positions as Director of Marketing at a large California steakhouse, and as an analyst with two large finance institutions. Brad holds a B.S. in business management and finance from the University of Colorado.

Jeff Hosaka, CulinaryJeff Hosaka’s passion for food evolved over years spent in the kitchen. It

was most significantly developed while working for the famous Point Loma Seafood, where Jeff spent several years training as a fish butcher and honed his skills with a knife as well as acquiring an eye for yields and portion control. Jeff was involved in the successful opening of the multi-million dollar Ivy Hotel where he trained under nationally known Chef Damon Gordon at the Quarter Kitchen. Here he was able to learn the process for setting up a functioning and effective operation. Jeff refined his culinary skills and quickly progressed through all stations of the hot and cold line where he soon became a tournant. Jeff continued his education in the culinary program at the Arts Institute and worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines and then in Las Vegas at the nationally acclaimed Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino where he worked at the concept

restaurant D.O.C.G. Enoteca, sister restaurant to Scarpetta, under Celebrity Chef Scott Conant and Chef Stefano Chiarugi. Jeff has completed culinary development work for three QSR conceps in the last year including Spoleto, Firehouse Subs and Ciao.

Justin Braly, CulinaryJustin Braly has more than 10 years of experience as an executive chef,

opening numerous restaurants and instilling his passion for simple, seasonal ingredients into kitchens spanning high-end steakhouses, neighborhood wine bars, a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence-winning bistro, and numerous national chains. He feels strongly about creating both a phenomenal dining experience for guests and a positive work environment for employees, all while keeping food and labor costs low. Justin recieved his culinary education from the Art Institute of San Diego

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Fred Juillet, International Operations Born in France and now based in Dubai, Fred has spent the last 15 years

working in the restaurant and F &B industry in five different countries and continents. He has significant experience in leading and managing restaurants with a high diversity of background, culture, and concept. Fred has opened and managed high-volume venues in some of the most prestigious locations in the world such as Sydney, Australia and Singapore, where he worked for Planet Hollywood and Zenbu Restaurant, a fusion food concept. Heineken took him back to Paris to design, conceptualize, open, lead, and manage a unique luxury French Brasserie concept store dedicated to beer with a 3-story restaurant, bar, nightclub, and merchandise store. He then became the executive director of restaurants operations at the Ocean House, a Five Diamond AAA hotel and a member of Relais & Chateau in Westerly, RI. Fred holds an MBA from Jonson & Wales University.

Bob Kuchinski, Kitchen DesignFor 30 years as a design director, Bob has received numerous restaurant

industry awards for his innovative and highly adaptable designs. A cum laude graduate in architecture of Cal Poly Pomona, Bob credits his unique problem solving skills and abilities to the intense training and many years of practical application and experience. Bob specializes in designing kitchens with energy efficient features, which was evidenced in his prototypical design for LYFE Kitchen which included a heat-recovery dishwasher, which recaptures steam from the wash or rinse cycle to preheat the incoming water for the next cycle, and does not require a vent hood, saving build-out costs and creating utility savings. Bob’s extensive knowledge of ergonomic and efficient design strategies guided the Synergy team in the development of a prototypical kitchen for Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Cue, a 127-unit chain. The new kitchen was more compact and was designed to create a straight line, “front-to-

back” kitchen layout that tightened work-stations and reduced steps needed to work multiple stations, facilitating a reduced overall footprint for the store by 25% without impacting performance.

Other recent projects include the prototypical kitchen development for Pollo Campero, El Pollo Loco, Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, California Pizza Kitchen, Marie Callenders, T.G.I. Friday’s, the new La Crepe Kitchen in Guatemala City and the Player’s Club at the new Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Mandy DeLucia, Project CoordinationWith more than 15 years of diverse international project management

experience, Mandy ensures Synergy projects exceed client expectations through clear team communication and strategic problem solving. Mandy initially developed her client services and project coordination skills as a Valuations Manager at Sotheby’s in London where she managed the production of detailed documents cataloging the contents of multi-faceted collections and coordinating contributions from diverse experts. She honed her project management skills as an editorial manager for Rizzoli Publications in New York City where she was responsible for coordinating all aspects of long-term projects requiring detailed documentation, adherence to tight deadlines, budgetary oversight and international contract negotiations. Mandy is a graduate of Emory University and earned her Masters through the

State University of New York.

Jeffrey Manno, OperationsUpon graduation from the Cornell University Hotel School, Jeff was immersed

in world-class hospitality onboard the Crystal Symphony cruise ship where he circumnavigated the globe and pursued his passion for food, beverage and hospitality. Returning to the US, Manno honed his skills in restaurants and nightlife with industry leaders The Rio Casino Resort by Harrah’s and Tao Las Vegas. Manno then joined LA powerhouse SBE where he opened and operated elite restaurants and bars including celebrity haunts Hyde Lounge, S-Bar and Foxtail Restaurant & Lounge.

During his tenure, Manno’s venues were recognized in Angeleno, Vanity Fair, LA Times, Riviera, Pacific, Town & Country and received coveted awards including Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence”, “Top 100 Nightclubs” by

Nightclub Magazine, and the “DiRoNA” Award. Jeffrey has over 16 years of award-winning restaurant and nightlife development & operational experience, with particular skill as a startup and turnaround expert.

Tim Green, Culinary Team Pizza ExpertTim Green has been extensively involved in the Art of Stone Hearth Cooking

specifically related to all aspects of Pizza since 2001. The focus being different styles of pizza from Traditional Neapolitan to Classic American Style. His work relates to understanding the dough to the fuel. Cooking on a stone hearth oven using Wood, Gas, Coal, or a combination of the fuels and how the fuel affects the pizza.

Tim has worked with hundreds of concepts helping the customer to better understand their pizza. These concepts vary from QSR, Institutions, and Corporate Cafeterias, VPN Certified Pizza, Full Service Dining, Casual Pizzerias to Fine Dining Concepts. Concepts using fuel sources including Gas, Wood, or Coal. Primary focus with these concepts is Dough Development, production, and managing of dough. Oven Operations and

understanding oven management and temperature management to bake consistent product. Training and development of staff to understand all aspects of building a great pizza and learning the art of cooking pizza perfectly. Specifically with Coal Fired Pizza Tim has worked with more than a dozen concepts focused on what it takes to operate a Pizzeria / Restaurant using a coal fired oven. The first part of this is understanding the fuel and managing the fuel with regards to temperatures.

Tim’s experience stems from 25 years in the hospitality industry working in mostly resort hotels around the country. He is an 81 graduate of Johnson & Wales College, Providence, RI with an Associate Degree in Hospitality. Always goal orientated putting the customers’ needs for first, following a great work ethic and enjoying the work you do.

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LYFE Kitchen• Primary Concept Development

Consultant for New Healthy Fast Casual Chain

• Prototypical Kitchen Design • Prototypical Facility and Interior Design• Menu and Recipe Development• Operations Systems and Processes• HR, Supply Chain and

Financial Services

Dickey’s BBQ• Menu Engineering & Optimization• Pricing and Bundling Strategies• Menu Board Development

for Digital Menu • Strategic Planing for New

Menu Approach• Competitive Market Menu Assessment

Toppers Pizza• Menu and Recipe Innovation

and Development• Commercialized Sauces

for Branded Use• Menu Engineering• Promotional Product

Identification and Testing• TURF Analysis• Brand Positioning and

Marketing Campaign

Pollo Campero• Brand Re-Positioning for

Entry to U.S. Market• New Product Category Identification• Product R&D for Sandwiches,

Salads, Drinks and Side Dishes• Menu Engineering• Marketing Campaign• Kitchen Optimization and

Prototypical Design

Tai Pak• Complete Brand Refresh• New Product Category

Identification and R&D• Menu Reengineering and Optimization• Recipe Costing and Documentation• Marketing Campaign to Support

New Programs Resulting in Double Digit Comp Sales +2 Years

Mayo Clinic• Brand Positioning• Full Concept Development

for New Dining Faciltiy • Food and Beverage Research

and Product Development• Consumer Research, TURF Analysis• Development of all Operations

Systems and Manuals

Selected ProjectsBoston Market

• Developed all Marketing Programs• Extended line of Side Dishes• Developed Retail Items• Commercialized Side Dishes

for outside manufacture• Developed a process for pre-marinating

chicken to increase food safety and reduce labor costs

• Facilitated food tasting focus groups to test new products

California Pizza Kitchen• Menu Category Expansion• New Menu Concept Development

to Expand Lunch Business• Product and Recipe Development• Raw Material Sourcing• Time Motion Study to Increase

Operational Efficiency Resulting in $4mm Savings

La Crepe• Complete Brand Refresh

for 35 year old brand• Brand Positioning and

Marketing Campaign• Complete Menu Development• Kitchen Design• Operations Manuals Development• Developed Service Standard for

Flex Casual Service Model

Ciao• Complete Brand Development for

Italian Fast Casual Concept• Interior Design• Kitchen Design• Menu and Recipe Development,

Costing and Documentation• Development of all Operations

Systems and Manuals• HR, Supply Chain and

Financial Services

FireHouse Subs

• New Product Category Development• Product Research and Developlment

for Sandwiches, Salads• Catering Prorgram Development• Operations Assessment• Labor Reduction Action

Plan Implementation• New Equipment Development

T.G.I. Fridays• Brand Assessment and Refinement• Concept Ideation• Kitchen Optimization• Designed energy-efficient open

kitchen and revised interiors • Menu and Recipe ReEngineering• Value-Engineering of Menu Offerings• Labor Efficiency Study

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As a full-service consulting firm, Synergy provides a broad range of hospitality support services for restaurants, hotels, chains, business & institutions, health-care facilities

and multi-tenant venues. With extensive experience in the coffee and bakery space, Synergy has provided keen industry insight for many partners, including Caribou Coffee, Panera Bread, Au Bon Pain and St. Louis Bread Company, among many others.

Synergy retains a unique approach to its consulting services. Synergy’s development strategy coupled with its culinary capabilities and profit and loss accountability enable the firm to focus more attention on our clients needs to create actionable solutions. Synergy provides consulting services including many Fortune 500 businesses and prestigious companies such as Darden, Brinker International and Nabisco/Kraft Foods.

Synergy began its core values standard in 1988, which only today is beginning to be emulated in the hospitality industry: a restaurant retail management philosophy based on innovation and efficiencies. With the company principals intimately involved at every level, Synergy is 100% hands on and has always stood behind a commitment to exceed our clients’ operational goals and financial expectations.

Synergy Restaurant ConsultantsOverview of Services

A new restaurant startup can be a highly profitable venture if conceived and managed well. The most successful restaurants begin with a collaboration of big ideas, a disciplined approach, culinary knowledge, management expertise, and a passion for operational excellence. Synergy’s proven restaurant start-up process guides you through a strategy of creativity, best practices, and time-tested experience to ensure your successful start.

Concept Development

Managing Partners and Culinary Institute of America-trained chefs, Dean Small and Danny Bendas lead the Synergy culinary team. Culinary development and menu innovation are critical components of a brand’s competitive advantage, growth positioning, and long-term financial health. We carefully develop menu selections to create distinctive flavors and visual appeal that are balanced with targeted food cost, profit contribution, and an eye for consistent execution.

The Synergy team begins by researching site demographics, evaluating the surrounding population, scouting competition, and creating price and value strategies. The second phase involves the creation of a capital budget, sales projections, labor costs, profit and loss statements, and a breakeven analysis. Also included are cash flow forecasts, working capital requirements, payback forecasts, general layout and mechanical estimates, equipment costs, pre-opening expense budgets, and estimates of all general costs.

With experience in hundreds of kitchens, Synergy understands how to design a practical and cost-efficient restaurant kitchen that maximizes productivity and minimizes the build-out and construction costs. Our team will design a simple yet practical equipment package that meets specifications and facilitates exceptional kitchen operations.

Menu Development

Financial Modeling

Facility Design

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Our team of seasoned restaurant marketing and branding experts is poised to significantly impact the success of startups, turnarounds, expansions, and multi-unit rollouts. Whether you want to develop an entirely new restaurant brand, increase sales and profitability, or maximize your marketing opportunities, our proven scientific methodology will provide recommendations that result in satisfying your specific brand initiatives.

Marketing and Branding

As a contract management partner, Synergy is dedicated to improving the financial performance of our clients. Using proven cost reduction strategies, Synergy provides a portfolio of restaurant procurement services. Our supply chain expertise includes knowledge of furniture, fixtures and equipment, all raw materials, and operations supplies. We also offer management training to support supply chain strategy which ensures continued cost controls.

Supply Chain

The most successful restaurant is the one with the best people. Synergy clients have preferred access to a full range of human capital solutions including recruitment, new staff on-boarding, employee relations and retention strategies. We also specialize in training, creating policy and compliance systems and reviews, safety initiatives, staff and management development, loss prevention, and even offer on-site pre- and post- opening support.

Human Capital

Synergy has written operations manuals for more than 200 restaurant chains, developing documentation that becomes the backbone of a strong operation. Synergy creates customized operations manuals for each client, providing direction and serving as a reference for both management and staff. Covering topics from cash handling to meat storage, this reference volume answers important day-to-day questions before they arise, sharing industry best practices and targeted tactics.

Operations Manuals

Synergy’s highly successful, standardized training programs help develop both FOH and BOH team members, equipping them with the knowledge, practice and confidence to provide an optimal guest experience. Synergy creates customized training materials for our clients and has extensive experience with setting up training “universities” to train management and hourly staff in preparation for multi-unit opening plans.

Training

Every decision, from menu strategy to steps of service, is interconnected with other decisions, like kitchen design and labor planning. Synergy works with clients to make sure they understand all of the decisions they are making from the outset and helps them plan for expansion with integrated strategies. Synergy is a team of creative problem solvers who bring real-world operations experience to the table.

Strategic Planning

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Synergy was engaged by Pollo Campero USA and the parent company in Guatemala to complete product research and development to introduce a line of sandwiches to

their QSR chain. A marketing campaign developed to support the new products included menu boards, billboards and direct mailers. In light of the incredible success of the new product line, Synergy was asked to design a new kitchen to support the expanded menu items.

Synergy collaborated with the Pollo Campero teams in both countries to create a strategy for menu board design and to implement that straetgy through an optimized menu design. Marketing materials and signage were developed to support the revitalized menu and were met with great success.

Case Study: Pollo Campero Menu Development & Kitchen Design

cAMperoTwO-HAndEd

SAndwICHEs™NEW

REFRESH! lATIN DRINKs

WITH  TRADITIONAL

Mango  Guava  Horchata

Hot  Crispy  or  G

rilled  Chicken

   

Hearth-­‐Baked

 on  a  Rustic  T

elera  Roll

3  Flavor-­‐Fille

d  Varieties  to

 Choose  From

!

Pollo Campero is a passionate place, and your team brought your passion to the table as well. Your professional and straightforward comments were invaluable. With your help and insight, we were able to streamline our operations, menu and BOH design in our new prototype, which will allow us to reach our goals.

The multiple projects were completed flawlessly and allowed us to increase efficiencies while still improving our food quality. We look forward to working with Synergy again if the need arises.

Roberto Denegri, President and COO, Campero USA

Testimonial from Client:

Case Study: La Crepe Brand Refresh

Synergy was engaged by the parent company for a heritage brand that had fallen out of favor with the public, but which had great sentimental appeal for a certain segment

of the population in Guatemala. Wanting to return the brand to its former glory, Synergy was asked to refresh the look, feel, service model and menu for the concept. After a competitive market tour and a menu development and strategic planning process, the Synergy design team collaborated with the local architect to develop the facility design. Synergy turned allocated space into an efficient and strategically organized kitchen capable of meeting varying sales volumes and accommodating two different service styles. La Crepe Kitchen is designed to be fast casual during the day and full service at night with a glassed-in exhibition kitchen designed to create a show for the queue. The Synergy team completed a menu overhaul to bring the offerings in line with the brand vision, creating a strategy for new menu categories and performing all product development work. The revised brand opened its doors February 2015.

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Case Study: Dickey’s BBQMenu Board Optimization and Design Strategy

While developing a new prototype facility, Dickey’s Barbeque Restaurants was looking to address the Dickey’s menu boards from an information architecture and schematic

standpoint. Dickey’s, the nations largest barbeque restaurant brand with about 450 locations, had undertaken a brand refresh approach to their interior building design. As a part of this new design, 2 horizontal overhead menu panels were to be used, based on a black chalkboard approach.

Synergy completed a brand immersion process to understand the guest experience and then led the management team through a competitive market tour to understand market trends in menu board strategies to give the team a comprehensive basis for devloping the new strategy. Synergy helped the Dickey’s team determine the best way to bundle their offerings and to optimize the menu design to drive desired sales.

See the old menu and new menu designs below.

Case Study: LYFE KitchenConcept Development & Facility Design

The Synergy team played an active role in developing the concept, menu engineering and recipe development including nutritional analysis for hundreds of recipes. Synergy

was tasked with the creation of all operating systems which involved innovative tableside ordering and a GPS delivery system that was a significant deliverable for this project.

Synergy spearheaded the organizational infrastructure, supply chain management, financial oversight, human resources, culinary and operations training, architecture, interior design and complete kitchen design including the testing of many innovative cooking platforms. The Synergy team was asked to develop an interior and kitchen design scheme that featured a comprehensive commitment to environmental and social sustainability using materials and equipment that supported the brand’s core values. Synergy supported the opening of the flagship location with multiple Synergy associates on-site for two weeks both prior to and after opening to guarantee a successful transition.

LYFE Kitchen was named Hot Concept of the year 2014 by Nations Restaurant News.

When we were first developing LYFE Kitchen, we knew from experience that our concept would need a highly skilled team of consultants that could help us design our kitchen, fine-tune a sustainable menu and formulate a system of service and operations. We interviewed several firms, but Synergy’s passion and experience made it stand out. Synergy brought its best and brightest to our multi-disciplinary requirements and helped create our amazing first restaurant, which is now a huge success.

Mike Roberts, CEO (Former President of McDonald’s)

Testimonial from Client:

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Case Study: Tai PakBrand Refresh & Leadership Training

When looking to completely refresh their brand, ownership at the Tai Pak chain of Chinese restaurants in Mexico engaged Synergy to assess their operations and

develop new menu items to engage the millennial market. Synergy created a new menu category for the brand, called Mexicanese, with fusion items like nachos that utilized wonton skins instead of chips, and a burrito that featured traditional Chinese flavor profiles. Synergy created a new logo for the company as well as menu optimization and marketing campaigns to support the new products, which elevated the brand profile and increased brand reach. Synergy’s holistic apprpoach to revitalizing the brand resulted in a 20% increase in transactions and a 15% increase in net income. Synergy has been a valued consulting partner to Tai Pak, having completed multiple project for the chain, including menu optimization and management training to improve consistent guest experience across all units

The work we have done so far with Synergy has been very useful and our sales have improved with the new menu work. We have really opened our eyes and mind to figure the long-term future of the company. We appreciate the guidance that Warren, Danny and Clyde have given us. I think we have a great long-term relationship with Synergy we will continue to work together in the near future.

Jaime Pun, President and CEO, Tai Pak

Testimonial from Client:

Case Study: California Pizza KitchenOperations Assessment & Menu Innovation

The Synergy Team performed a time and motion study for CPK on 350 prep ingredients and 100 plate recipes. CPK used the comprehensive data supplied in the Synergy

report to determine the labor portion of the fully burdened margin for every menu item. This allowed the company to then make much better menu pricing decisions as well as re-engineer recipes for items with good sales but a low margin. The time/motion information also allowed CPK the ability to assign a prep time for each item on a daily prep list to better allocate necessary prep hours and hold the employee accountable for completing that list on time. Synergy was retained again for a BOH Operations Assessment where the team identified inefficiencies within CPK’s production model. Based on the recommendations in that study CPK was able to remove 40 to 60 BOH hours per unit per week from the labor schedules.

California PIzza Kitchen then hired Synergy to help revitalize their brand by developing creative and on-trend menu offerings. With a focus on improving sales volumes at lunch time, Synergy developed premium pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, small plates and main dishes that would enhance the brand profile.

The process included creating inviting menu descriptions, optimized to increase user reach. The brand was returning to their roots, bringing hand-stretched and store-made dough back into their operating model. Synergy was asked to think outside the box to develop on-trend menu items that were in keeping with CPK’s revised culinary direction, and which would speak to quality while delivering big flavors.

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Case Study: Toppers PizzaTURF Analysis

Synergy was retained by ownership of the fast-growing franchise pizza chain to refine the brand’s overall positioning, engineer the existing menu and to develop new innovative

menu items and LTOs that would fit the refined brand positioning.

To perform this task most effectively, Synergy conducted quantitative consumer research to validate the existing menu and proposed menu concepts. A TURF Analysis was conducted among current brand users and non-users that were competitive users, to help identify the ideal menu that contained the smallest number of menu items that reached the maximum number of potential customers and to explore price elasticity on all menu items. Included in the TURF were all current menu items as well as the new menu concepts that the Synergy team developed. The research reults allowed a streamlined menu to be developed, with three menu categories being removed. entirely. Proposed menu concepts that were well recieived in the study were developed into working recipes for implementation at the store level. As a result of the revised menu, sales improved, employee training has been simplified, speed of service has been improved and most importantly, the brand now offers a tight menu that embodies the brand positioning, generates buzz and provides improved profitability.

TURF Analysis Illustration

Menu Innovation

Toppers was looking to develop innovative and creative signature pizza builds and topped breadsticks to build brand awareness. Synergy began the R&D process

with a review of the client’s operations and an understanding of the brand’s points of differentiation, which include unusual topping combinations, sauce drizzled on the pizzas and a dipping sauce included in every order. Synergy created five new pizzas and three breadsticks for Toppers, including the Three Little PIgs PIzza, Chocolate Bacon Topperstix and the Tott-Za, a tater tot topped pie with green onions and nacho cheese drizzle, which has been wildly successful. In addition to the new recipes, Synergy commercialized the company’s existing sauces, allowing for centralized offsite production and consistent guest experience as the chain grew. The key to successful menu innovation initiatives lies in developing new products that embrace the brand identity and expand brand reach, drawing on trends and translating them to fit brand culture

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Case Study: CiaoConcept Development and Start Up Services

Synergy was asked to develop a single unit fast-casual Italian concept for an experienced restaurant operator who was looking to expand his portfolio. Synergy organized and

led a multi-market discovery tour to determine best practices in fast-casual service and to create an Italian concept that would thrive in the local market. A Concept Book was written from which a brand identity and business plan were developed.

Synergy was tasked with developing every aspect of the concept, including menu offerings and recipes, brand identity and voice, interior and kitchen design, and operational and human resources procedures. With a strong project manager in place, Synergy supported ownership through each phase of the development process and trained each staff member, remaining on-site during the grand opening to ensure a successful launch of the concept.

Case Study: Mayo ClinicConcept Development and Turf Analysis

Synergy was retained by the Mayo Clinic to develop a new concept for their on-site dining facility. The facility serves patients and visitors at the Jacksonville campus, and

the Mayo team wanted to create an innovative service model with an inviting environment and a focus on delicious healthy food. Upon completing the inital new brand development process, Synergy was asked to oversee the design process by architectural firm Perkins + Will, to design the kitchen, perform consumer research, develop all menu items for strict flavor, nutrition, and cost profiles, organize all operations strategies and manuals, and fully manage the process of bringing the concept to fruition.

The final cafe design includes a grab and go marketplace, made-to-order dishes and a service model that puts the needs of the patients first, while embodying the mission and values of the esteemed Mayo Clinic. This ongoing project will produce a new gold standard for patient dining, with a hospitality strategy designed to create an unparallelled guest experience for users.

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Case Study: Leisure Sports Inc.Assessment and Brand Refinement

Synergy was tasked with evaluating the food service component of a high-end members-only wellness and social club with 7 locations. The club locations offer differing menu

offerings and each facility has varied equipment and capabilities with a range in service styles from deli counters to full table service. The goal was to develop an overarching strategy for the food service outlets by creating a brand identity for the cafes within the clubs that would be in line with their health-conscious yet luxurious club brand.

The Synergy team completed a holistic operations assessment at four locations and delivered a report identifying opportunities for improvement. Synergy was asked to assist with implementing the recommendations through a brand refinement process that included a competitive market discovery tour and brand strategy session that ultimately resulted in a road map for the new food strategy for all the club cafes. This strategy focused on tailoring the offerings to the members’ needs and creating points of difference that would drive trial and improve member satisfaction.

Case Study: Pelican Pub & BrewingOperations Assessment, Recruitment, Menu Development

The Pelican is an oceanfront microbrewery operating since 1996 serving the vacation community in Pacific City, Oregon. The Pelican group has an award-winning brewery

that produces 20 varieties of beer, the original pub, and an on-site eatery called the Tap Room which serve the residents of the vacation properties and hotel guests at the company owned hotel. Pelican’s resort location created a seasonal nature to the business and led to staff retention issues, ultimately affecting the restaurants’ ability to execute their menus consistently.

Pelican ownership sought Synergy to complete an operations assessment of Pelican’s two dining facilities and help leadership understand how to create standardized systems that would allow more consistent execution. Upon completion of this assessment, a strategic planning session addressed issues uncovered during the assessment. A second scope of work allowed Synergy to redevelop the menu and elevate every offerings to meet guest expectations for the resort property. Synergy was also asked to recruit an executive chef and CEO to oversee the operations for all three areas of the business. The new CEO has helped stabilize operations and establish standard operating procedures to help Pelican grow its business strategically. The project took five months to complete, from the first day of the assessment, through the implementation of the recommendations and recruitment.

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Case Study: T.G.I. FridaysLabor Mapping for Kitchen Design

Synergy was engaged by a national chain in 2011 to to develop a comprehensive plan to reengineer the kitchens and bars of their concept. The goal being to develop a

compelling new restaurant prototype design that would re-establish the brand’s position with innovate foods and beverages, an improved guest experience and updated quality store environment. Part of this strategy was to include new freshness cues and an open-plan kitchen to support the brand’s high energy experience.

In order to accomplish this task, Synergy completed a time-motion study to evaluate labor costs for each dish and to optimize staffing levels for the BOH operations. Synergy timed prep motions and mapped the labor and equipment required for different meal times and sales volumes reducing labor hours by 500 year over year. Additionally, Synergy tested new equipment to introduce further labor efficiencies and to improve execution and ticket times. Synergy designed a kitchen around these efficiencies which was implemented to great success.

Kitchen Design – Labor Mapping Super Heavy Volume

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Case Study: Sonny’s Pit BBQKitchen Design

While developing a location that was considerably smaller than existing Sonny’s units, 4,400 sq. ft. instead of the usual 5,800 sq. ft, it was discovered that the kitchen

was too small to permit the usual Sonny’s cookline configuration. At about the same time, Sonny’s corporate executives hired Synergy to assess operations and efficiency at select Sonny’s locations.

From the information gained through the assessment, Synergy was able to design a kitchen to fit the space. The resulting kitchen featured a compact, straight-line layout with the smaller of the unit’s three smokers anchoring one end; charbroiler, fryers, rethermalizer, range and ovens arranged along the back wall; and hot- and cold-holding drawers and wells, slicing station, soup wells and salad/dessert area along the make-line. To prevent bottlenecks at the expediting area, the planners specified an extra-wide pass-through window. The prototype continues to match and even outperform other Sonny’s units, despite being 1,400 sq. ft. smaller.

First month sales and ticket times exceeded expectations. In an article published in the journal Food Equipment Review about the performance of the new kitchen, Sonny’s ownership stated: “Production was really efficient. It’s typical for cooks to get backed up on orders at first, but this opening was quite smooth—ticket times never went past 12 minutes, which was one of our goals.”

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Let Our Experience Work For YouSimply put, no other restaurant consulting group in the United States has greater

chain and multi-unit experience than Synergy.

Our intellectual capital has been built on extensive experience supporting hundreds of the largest and most successful restaurant chains in the world. Simplicity is the cornerstone of a successful restaurant; execution is the secret to great guest experiences. The Synergy team is passionate about achieving consistently great food and delivering warm hospitality. We believe that our experience and accomplishments uniquely position us to deliver outstanding results for you.

Synergy Food Consulting Group, LLC23 Corporate Plaza, Suite 150

Newport Beach, CA 92660synergyconsultants.com