IV · The Compass
Restaurant and hospitality consulting in New York
Upright
Someone who has stood on the line at 10pm on a Saturday and knows which system breaks first. The plan fits your business and the kitchen can run it on Monday.
Reversed
A deck of recommendations from people who have never worked a service or at a scale that isn't personalized, a menu that costs more than it earns, a team that burns out by spring.
What we consult on
- Kitchen operations: prep systems, station design, ordering, the schedule that stops the burnout. Jess knows how to write a prep list that keeps it standing.
- Menu development: dishes that fit the room, the season, the equipment and the margin.
- Food cost analysis: plate costs, portion control, the five items quietly losing money.
- Culinary coaching for chefs and owners opening their first place or their fourth.
- A fractional CMO or creative director: the marketing leadership from two professionals at a fraction of the cost.
Why a chef and a strategist together
Most consultants see the dining room or the spreadsheet. Jess went from line cook to head chef in under two years; Yas closed seven-figure contracts and nearly doubled the revenue of a worldwide SEO department. The advice comes from both sides of the pass.
Proof
Malka, opened on the Upper West Side with Jess as head chef, remains one of the most sought-after reservations in the city.
Questions people ask
What is a fractional CMO?
A marketing lead who works with you part time, usually a set number of days a month, owning the plan, the calendar and the agencies, without the salary of a full-time hire. For a restaurant or a small business, it's the difference between a marketing plan that runs and one that stays in a folder.
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
A monthly retainer sized to the days per month and the scope. We quote after one conversation about what needs to move this quarter.
When should you hire a fractional CMO?
When there is more marketing work than one owner can lead in the evenings, and not enough to fill a full-time role: an opening, a second location, a rebrand, or a year where the numbers stopped growing.
Who are the top consulting firms in NYC?
Ask any firm two questions: who on the team has run a service, and what number changed for the last client. Then ask for a one-page plan. We are one of the small ones, and we can answer both.
- XXXII The season Hands seasoning the meat on the board.
- XXXIII The balance Jess with the egg, from the black-and-white frame.
- XXXIV The caramelle Caramelle pasta on the board.
- XXXV The haul The produce haul on the wooden table.
- XXXVI The sandwich Tea sandwiches with the dish of pickles.
- XXXVII The room Jess at the end of a long set dining room under the lamps.
