Bureau Attarine

Hospitality advisory by William Leonard

I find the 20% your business is missing.

When margin is leaking, a big project is looming or you are at a crossroads, I help owners decide what matters and get it done.

Who I work withTypically 1–10 hospitality venues, with $1M–$50M in annual revenue.

Where I start

I interrogate P&Ls till they confess.

Then I get out onto the floor. The numbers show where to look; the operation tells us why.

The 3P framework

Profit, positioning and portfolio affect each other. I look at all three before recommending what to change.

  • ProfitWhere is the money going?
  • PositioningWhy do guests choose you?
  • PortfolioWhat is the next move?

Profit

A busy room should pay its way.

I read these six measures together to find the pressure on margin and cash.

  1. LabourSales per labour hour

    Are the right people on at the right time?

  2. InventoryStock turn

    What is selling, sitting or going to waste?

  3. RevenueRevenue per available seat hour

    How hard does each seat work?

  4. Balance sheetWorking capital

    Where is money tied up?

  5. CostPrime cost

    What is left after labour and ingredients?

  6. Cash13-week forecast

    Can you meet the bills coming due?

Positioning

Give guests a reason to come back.

I look at who you serve, what you charge and what guests actually experience.

  • Who is this place for?

  • What brings guests back?

  • What do they choose instead?

  • What makes a higher price worth paying?

  • Does the experience match the promise?

  • What would be hard to copy?

Portfolio

I help you decide whether to build, partner or acquire, and manage the projects that follow.

Build

Grow what you own

  • New concepts
  • More locations
  • Teams and systems
  • Technology

Borrow

Grow with a partner

  • Franchising
  • Licensing
  • Joint ventures
  • Operating partnerships

Buy

Acquire what you need

  • Acquisitions
  • Business consolidation
  • Established teams
  • Strategic locations

Projects

Get the plan delivered

  • Opening delivery
  • Refurbishments
  • Business integration
  • Systems rollout

How I work

You work directly with me. I can advise, run a project or join your leadership team part-time.

  1. 1Diagnose

    Read the numbers and the operation.

  2. 2Distill

    Get to the cause of the problem.

  3. 3Direct

    Agree the priorities and plan.

  4. 4Deliver

    Work through it with your team.

  5. 5Lead

    Take responsibility for delivery.

Selected results

Separate examples from confidential client engagements.

  1. 6 weeks

    back to profit

    After two loss-making years
  2. 7%

    year-on-year sales growth

    Strategic repositioning
  3. 32%

    reduction in collection time

    Receivables: 47 to 32 days
  4. $0.9M+

    additional revenue generated

    2024

Operating experience

20+ years in hospitality.

I’ve led the daily operation as well as openings, turnarounds and acquisitions.

Operations

  • Quick serviceHigh-volume service
  • RetailFood & beverage
  • Casual diningMulti-site operations
  • Premium diningHigh-touch service
  • NightlifeBeverage-led
  • EventsUp to 40,000 guests

Markets

  • AustraliaRestaurants
  • UKNightlife and events
  • UAECasual dining & events
  • SingaporeBeach clubs, dining & QSR
  • MalaysiaRegional operations

The book

When Are You Going to Get a Real Job?

What hospitality taught me about the future of work.

The book follows those years in hospitality: a Brisbane dishpit, twenty-seven quid at Brighton Station and a director’s office in Singapore.

I write about what those jobs taught me about people and judgment, and why that experience matters as AI changes work.

Find it on Amazon
When Are You Going to Get a Real Job? by Will Leonard

William Leonard

Let’s find your next move.

Tell me what’s happening in your business. We’ll work out whether I’m the right person to help.

Message me on LinkedIn