Ask questions that reveal what the consultant has actually been responsible for, how they assess evidence and how their advice will reach your team. A useful interview should clarify the business decision and the working responsibilities, not simply confirm that the candidate knows hospitality terminology.
Key takeaways
- Ask for the candidate’s personal responsibilities, not only a list of employers.
- Test how they handle missing information, disagreement and limits to their expertise.
- Clarify how the owner and existing leaders will assess recommendations.
- Finish with a written understanding of the question and what remains unresolved.
What should you send before the conversation?
Send a short description of the business and the question. Include the location, current stage and major commitments already made. Explain who leads the operation and which decision ownership needs to make.
Separate your observations from your explanation of them. “Guests leave before ordering” is an observation worth investigating. “The menu needs redesigning” is one possible conclusion. An advisor should have room to examine the connection.
Do not begin by sending unrestricted access to business systems. Start with enough context to establish relevance, then agree on what records are needed and how they will be shared. Preparation should make the discussion clearer without exposing unnecessary information.
What were you personally responsible for in the roles you mention?
Ask the candidate to distinguish their work from the broader organization’s work. A concept may have involved an owner, designers, chefs and several operating leaders. Each person’s experience can be valuable, but it is not interchangeable.
For example, at Life House Hotels I built the F&B department and set portfolio-wide standards, programs and the technology platform. At Kiki Group, I built corporate infrastructure across functions including HR, events, marketing, reservations and development. Those descriptions identify responsibilities more clearly than the titles alone.
Follow up with: which parts of that background help with our question, and which do not? A good answer should become more specific as the conversation continues.
What would you need to know before recommending a change?
Listen for evidence that could support or challenge the initial view. Depending on the question, that might include current menus, service observations, reporting, property plans or interviews with the responsible leaders.
Ask how the candidate would handle records that disagree. An operating report may use different categories from the P&L. A menu description may not match the recipe being followed. Those inconsistencies need explanation before the recommendation becomes confident.
A useful follow-up is: what could make you decide our initial diagnosis is wrong? The answer tells you whether the candidate is investigating a question or looking for a way to sell a predetermined solution.
Who would provide the advice and review the work?
Ask for names and responsibilities. If several people are involved, establish who owns the overall recommendation and who contributes specialist knowledge. Find out who will explain disagreements within the work.
Do not assume the person leading the introduction will be the person reviewing your business. Equally, do not assume a larger team is automatically better. The relevant question is whether the proposed people have the experience and attention the decision requires.
Ask what happens if a key person becomes unavailable. You are evaluating continuity and accountability, not looking for a promise that nothing will ever change.
How would you work with our existing leaders?
Explain how decisions are currently made. Ask how the advisor would involve the general manager, chef or department head without creating competing lines of instruction.
The operating leaders should understand what is being reviewed and how their knowledge will be used. They should also know who can approve a recommendation. A review can become unproductive when staff cannot distinguish a question from an instruction.
If the business lacks someone to carry daily authority, discuss that directly. The guide to consultants and management companies can help distinguish a decision-support need from a missing operating structure.
What should we expect to understand when the work is complete?
Ask what decision the owner should be better able to make. Then ask what evidence, assumptions and remaining uncertainties will accompany the recommendation. A deliverable name is not enough to answer those questions.
Use this interview sheet to keep the conversation grounded:
| Ask about | Listen for | Follow up with |
|---|---|---|
| The decision | A specific owner question | What falls outside this review? |
| Evidence | Records and observations relevant to that question | What if they conflict? |
| Recommendations | Choices with consequences explained | What could change your view? |
| Leadership | Named decision and review responsibilities | Who needs to participate? |
| Materials | Documents people can use | Who will keep them current? |
| Completion | A clear point at which the question has been addressed | What may remain unresolved? |
The aim is shared understanding. More material does not necessarily mean more useful advice.
How do you handle confidentiality and conflicts of interest?
Ask who will see the information and why. Discuss permitted sharing, storage and how material will be returned or removed when appropriate. Make sure the candidate understands any obligations you already have to partners or third parties.
Ask about financial or professional relationships with vendors or operators they might recommend. A relationship is something to evaluate openly, not something that should emerge after a decision.
The IMC USA Code of Ethics is a reference for discussing these issues. Ask how the principles would work in practice. Do not infer membership or certification from an advisor simply agreeing that confidentiality matters.
Which questions belong with another professional?
Ask the consultant to identify the limits of their role. Legal agreements, tax treatment, engineering decisions and regulatory determinations may require other qualified professionals. Hospitality experience can help frame those questions without replacing the relevant authority.
This distinction matters during development. A restaurant concept can be attractive while a site remains unsuitable for the proposed use. For Florida projects, DBPR’s plan-review resources help identify issues to confirm with the appropriate agency and design team.
An advisor who identifies a specialist need is giving you useful information. Claims of universal expertise deserve more questions, not automatic confidence.
How do you respond when ownership rejects your recommendation?
Ask how disagreement is documented and discussed. A candidate should be able to explain a recommendation without treating every objection as resistance. Ownership may have information, constraints or priorities that were not clear at the outset.
At the same time, an advisor should be willing to state when a preferred decision rests on an unsupported assumption. Ask how they would explain the consequences and what would need to be verified next.
My founder experience at Dasher & Crank sits alongside corporate operating roles. That combination shapes a question I consider useful: does the recommendation help the person who must live with the decision understand it better?
What should you write down afterward?
Record the question discussed, the candidate’s relevant responsibilities and the important gaps in information. Note who would participate and what needs clarification. Compare candidates using the same questions rather than whichever presentation felt strongest.
The Miami consultant selection guide adds context on firms, independent advisors and local experience. Leviathan’s restaurant and bar page and capabilities describe the owner decisions our background addresses.
Before moving ahead, make sure you can explain why this person fits this question. That is a stronger basis for a working relationship than a persuasive introduction alone.
What else should you know?
What is the most useful first question to ask a consultant?
Ask which part of their experience is relevant to the decision you face and why. Then ask what they would need to understand before offering a recommendation. The combination tests both experience and restraint.
Should I ask for examples of previous work?
Yes, but ask for material the candidate is authorized to share. A general framework, a sample created for discussion or a precise account of an earlier operating role can be useful. Do not expect access to another owner’s confidential information.
Who from my team should join the conversation?
Include the owner or person authorized to make the decision and the leader closest to the operating question. Avoid making a large audience a substitute for preparation. Agree beforehand on the problem you want the discussion to clarify.
What if the consultant disagrees with my plan?
Ask them to explain the evidence, assumptions and consequences behind the disagreement. A reasoned challenge may be valuable, especially before a difficult-to-reverse commitment. You should also be able to ask what new information would change their recommendation.
How do I know when I have enough information to choose?
You should understand the person’s relevant experience, their proposed responsibilities and the information needed next. Important uncertainties should be visible rather than dismissed. If you still cannot explain who will provide the advice or how it will help the decision, ask for clarification before committing.
To discuss a decision for your business, start a conversation with Daniel.
About this guidance
This article provides general operating guidance, not legal, tax, accounting, or investment advice. Requirements and business conditions vary by location and project. Verify current requirements with the relevant agencies and qualified professionals before acting. Contact us about a correction.