OUR EXPERTISE

Practical support for cafes and
hospitality businesses.

From first idea to an established operation, Counter & Co works with founders and operators across the areas that determine how a hospitality business performs.

01 — BUILD

From idea to opening day.

For new hospitality businesses, we support the journey from early concept through to a commercially considered opening.

Concept & Positioning
Concept development, customer proposition, brand direction and defining what the business needs to become.

A stylized light bulb illustration with a plant inside, representing ideas and growth.

Site Search & Feasibility
Site identification, commercial assessment, rent and occupancy considerations, footfall, completion and feasibility.

A stylized map pin marker with a gold outline and red and yellow fill inside.

Lease & Site Support
Commercial input during negotiations and coordination with the relevant property and professional teams.

Icon of a document with a key, representing secure or protected file access.

Financial Planning
Opening budgets, cost planning, sales assumptions, staffing models and understanding the numbers before committing.

A rising gold bar chart with an upward arrow indicating growth or increase.

Build & Supplier Setup
Design coordination, equipment planning, supplier introductions, operational setup and pre-ordering preparation.

A neon sign shape in yellow and brown resembling a hammer, screwdriver, wrench, and a ruler arranged in a square outline.

Opening & Launch
Recruitment, systems, training, menu setup, pricing, launch planning and opening support.

A wooden door with a round handle, standing open. Four wooden sticks are positioned around the door, all angle toward the door.
Interior of a room under renovation with debris, tools, and unfinished ceiling.

02 — OPERATE

Better systems.
Better performance.

For existing hospitality businesses, we look at what is happening behind the counter as closely as what the customer sees.

Operational Review
A practical review of how the business currently operates and where performance is being lost.

Golden checklist clipboard with three checkmarks and a magnifying glass.

Profitability & Cost Control
Food costs, labour, overheads, waste, purchasing, pricing and margin improvement.

Stack of gold coins next to a yellow calculator.

Menu & Pricing Strategy
Menu structure, product mix, pricing, contribution margins and opportunities to improve spend.

A set of pizza delivery boxes and a pizza cutter with a red handle against a yellow background.

Staffing & Systems
Team structures, responsibilities, rotas, workflows, training and operating procedures.

Outline icon of three people with a person in front wearing a tie, suggesting a business or team concept.

Suppliers & Purchasing
Reviewing purchasing agreements, identifying opportunities to improve quality, consistency or cost.

Golden shopping cart with a checklist clipboard.

Commercial Performance
Using actual trading information to identify weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.

Gold bar chart with an upward trending arrow indicating growth or increase.
Barista pouring latte art at Stillroom Chelsea.

03 — GROW

Built for what comes next.

For businesses ready for their next stage, we help put the structures in place for growth without losing control of the operation.

Expansion Strategy
Assessing when, where and how the business should grow.

Gold-colored map marker icon with an upward trending arrow inside an open box-like frame.

New Site Acquisition
Commercial assessment and support when identifying additional locations.

Gold-colored keychain with a magnifying glass and building icon.

Management Structures
Building management systems that reduce dependence on the founder.

A gold-colored organizational chart with one top-level figure connected to three lower-level figures, each depicted as keyholes with silhouettes of people inside.

Central Production
Assessing central kitchen and production opportunities where appropriate.

Illustration of three location markers connected by dashed lines, forming a network.

Multi-Site Operations
Systems, purchasing, staffing and operational structures designed to work across multiple locations.

A line drawing of a slice of cake with three small square layers, a tall candle on top, a knife, and a fork, all in gold color.

Commercial Growth
Finding practical ways to increase revenue, improve margins and strengthen the underlying business.

Bar chart with four gold bars increasing in height from left to right, with a gold upward arrow overlay showing growth or increase.
Interior of a cafe with wooden floors and white walls, decorated with abstract art paintings, warm lighting, and a breakfast counter with coffee machines, baked goods, and menu signs.

NOT SURE WHAT YOU NEED?

Start with the business,
not a package.

Every cafe and hospitality business is different. We start by understanding where the business is today, what you are trying to achieve and where the greatest commercial opportunities or problems sit.

Discuss Your Project →