ABOUT COUNTER & CO

Built in hospitality.
Focused on results.

OUR STORY

Real hospitality experience.
Practical advice that works.

Counter & Co was founded from more than 15 years of first-hand experience in hospitality — from working within the industry from a young age to building, operating and growing independent businesses.

That experience spans restaurants, cafes, new openings and established operations, with involvement across the entire business: concept development, site selection, negotiations, build, suppliers, staffing, menus, pricing, systems, profitability and growth.

We understand the realities behind the numbers because we deal with them ourselves — everyday, inside the operating hospitality businesses.

Counter & Co was created to bring that experience to founders and operators who want practical advice grounded in what actually works.

FOUNDER & OPERATOR

Built from the operator’s side of
the counter.

Counter & Co was founded by Mehmet Gerekli, bringing more than 15 years of first-hand hospitality experience to businesses he advises.

Mehmet began working in hospitality at 16, gaining experience across cafes and restaurants before moving into ownership and operation himself. His journey has included Schnitzel Forever, followed by the development and operation of independent London cafes including La Maison Highbury and Stillroom Chelsea.

His experience spans the full journey of a hospitality business — from concept development, site selection and lease negotiations through to build, suppliers, staffing, menus, pricing, operations, profitability and growth.

That first-hand operating experience shapes the way Counter & Co works today. Advice is grounded in decisions Mehmet has had to make himself — managing costs, building teams, improving margins, solving operational problems and creating businesses designed to perform commercially.

Counter & Co brings that experience to founders and operators who want practical, commercially grounded support from someone who understands the realities of running a hospitality business.

15+ YEARS IN HOSPITALITY

Experience across the whole business.

A blueprint of a floor plan with a pencil above it.

01
Build

Concepts, site search, leases, design
coordination, suppliers and
successful openings.

A yellow gear icon with a person symbol in the center, representing settings or user management.

02
Operate

Teams, systems, menus, pricing,
cost control and day-to-day
operations that drive performance.

Gold 3D bar chart with upward trending arrows and empty white label area on the right.

03
Grow

Profitability, management structures, expansion strategy and scalable multi-site operations.

FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE

Businesses built and operated in London.

The exterior of a restaurant named Still Room Chelsea with a white brick facade and large windows. There are tables and chairs outside, set with small vases of flowers, and the interior is visible through the open door. The street in front features a sidewalk, a drinking fountain, and black bollards.
Street scene with a red brick building featuring a blue awning for La Maison Highbury, several pedestrians on the sidewalk, and a clear blue sky.

The thinking behind Counter & Co has been developed through real hospitality businesses — including launching a new cafe from empty commercial shell and repositioning an established cafe operation for stronger commercial performance.

“We advise from experience,
not from the sidelines.”

WORK WITH COUNTER & CO

Building something new — or making something existing work better?

Tell us where the business is today, where you want it to go, and where you need support.

Discuss Your Project →