Running a successful F&B business takes courage. At Cup of Courage Consulting, Kate brings the expertise and experience to empower you to take action, make decisions, and push your vision forward. With her guidance, you’ll gain the confidence to nurture your business into one that flourishes.
Every project I take on begins with a free 30-minute consultation which is an open, collaborative conversation where I listen closely to understand your unique goals, pain points, and operational realities. With 12 years of hands-on experience growing and scaling a high-volume café group from a single farmer’s market stand into a recognized thought leader in the specialty coffee and sustainable food space with over 200 employees, I know there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. My approach is customized, shaped by your team’s strengths, your business model, and your long-term vision. Whether you’re building from the ground up, restructuring, or navigating a sticky challenge, I’ll bring big-picture perspective and cross-functional insight to help you move forward with confidence.
Cup of Courage Consulting offers a comprehensive range of restaurant consultancy services designed to address the diverse needs of my clients. My goal is to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to succeed in a competitive industry. Here are some of the services I offer:
Every menu should reflect your concept, resonate with your guests, and work smoothly behind the scenes. I start by understanding your vision, local market, and kitchen capabilities, then build a structured, profitable menu that’s executable. From recipe development to pricing and layout, I make sure every item adds to your brand strength and contributes to your bottom line.
COGS control is essential to running a sustainable, profitable business. I’ll dig into your current costs - from portioning and vendor pricing to recipe adherence and ordering habits - to identify where dollars are being lost. Then I’ll help you set goals, streamline your systems, and build tools to keep your purchasing on track. The goal is not to just lower costs, but a more intentional way of managing them without compromising quality.
COGS control is essential to running a sustainable, profitable business. I’ll dig into your current costs - from portioning and vendor pricing to recipe adherence and ordering habits - to identify where dollars are being lost. Then I’ll help you set goals, streamline your systems, and build tools to keep your purchasing on track. The goal is not to just lower costs, but a more intentional way of managing them without compromising quality.
Hospitality is how people feel in your space, how your team works together, and the lasting impression guests take with them. A clear hospitality philosophy helps guide decisions across hiring, training, and daily operations. Drawing on the work of leaders like Danny Meyer and J.W. Marriott, I help restaurants and cafés clarify their approach to hospitality and embed it in everyday systems. This often includes reviewing core values, identifying culture gaps, and aligning service expectations with team practices, so your guest experience feels intentional and consistent.
I work alongside your team to design service standards that reflect your brand, then build custom training programs to bring those standards to life. That includes defining a clear sequence of service, developing product knowledge materials, and designing incentives and assessments (think secret shoppers and bonus structures based on regular service assessments).
I assist operators in refining their approach to hiring by creating job descriptions, interview questions, and evaluation rubrics that reflect the qualities you actually need - not just experience, but communication skills, adaptability, and alignment with your values. I can also help build onboarding materials and staff integration plans that set expectations clearly from a staff member’s first day.
I bring a hands-on, detail-oriented approach to developing programs that are operationally sound. That starts with gaining an understanding of your concept, customer base, and physical space. I research local demographics and competitors, explore regional trends, and help you shape offerings that are efficient and aligned with your goals. I’ll work with you to create a clear menu framework, balancing creativity with strategic pricing, ideal margins, and thoughtful organization. Then I can work with the founder, GM or chef to build out the operational side: recipes, prep and station guides, inventory tools, and training materials to set your team up for success. The result is a streamlined, smart food or beverage program that supports both your guests and your bottom line. Time on-site to ensure smooth systems, inspections, hiring, training and pre-opening events is often requested, and I love to do it! I can provide continued support either on a project-basis or on a retainer. My biggest goal is to see you succeed after your launch!
