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Lettuce Consulting Group^®

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With over 60 different concepts, from kiosks and quick service to full-service and fine dining restaurants, Lettuce has learned how to manage them all, regardless of size, cuisine, and sophistication level.

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Over the years we successfully led projects such as operations improvements, concept development, and new product rollouts. We work shoulder to shoulder with our clients to accomplish the project's goals.

John Buchanan - President of the LCG

Consulting Staff

Richard Melman

Richard Melman is Founder and Chairman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a Chicago-based corporation that owns over 80 restaurants nationwide. The restaurant business has been Melman’s life work, beginning with his early days in a family owned restaurant, and later as a teenager working in fast food eateries, at a soda fountain, and selling restaurant supplies. After realizing that he wasn’t cut out to be a college student, and failing to convince his father that he should be made a partner in the family business, Melman met Jerry A. Orzoff, a man who immediately and unconditionally believed in Melman’s ability to create and run restaurants. In 1971 the two opened R.J. Grunts, a hip burger joint that soon became one of the hottest restaurants in Chicago. Here Melman and Orzoff presented food differently and with a sense of humor, creating the youthful and fun restaurant which was a forerunner in the trend towards dining out as entertainment that swept this country in the early ’70’s. Melman and Orzoff continued to develop restaurant concepts together until Orzoff’s death in 1981. Through his relationship with Orzoff, Melman formulated a philosophy based on the importance of partners, of sharing responsibilities and profits with them, and of developing and growing together. Today, Melman has 55 working partners, most of whom have come up through the organization. To operate so many restaurants well, Lettuce has needed to hire, train and develop people, and then keep them happy and focused on excellence. Melman’s guiding philosophy is that he is not interested in being the biggest or the richest restaurateur, just in being the best he can be. He places enormous value on the over 6,000 people who work for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, and feels tremendous responsibility for their continued success. Melman’s personal life revolves around his family. He and his wife Martha have been married for 34 years and have three children.

John Buchanan

John began laying plans for the Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) consulting division in 1995. At that time, he conceived a different approach to professional consulting. Rather than simply theoretical analysis and written reporting, the Lettuce consulting services would involve a hands-on, partnering method. This approach has resulted in Lettuce Consulting’s high level of success. As lead manager, John has conducted engagements in acquisition evaluation, concept creation, operations start-up and improvement as well as menu and product development. John has also developed new consulting services in the areas of leadership culture and human resource practices.

Loret Carbone

Loret is a former Lettuce partner who has 40+ years in the restaurant industry, starting as a server and progressing to President/COO of mid-to-large size restaurant organizations. In the last 5 years, she has become a certified Executive Coach through the International Coaching Federation, serving the restaurant industry. She has been there and knows what your challenges are and can help you sort through them…and find a clear path to success.

Testimonials

"With LEYE's vast experience in both the full service restaurant and the fast casual space, we knew we had to listen to them. Their expertise speaks for itself, but their commitment to ensuring that this was not simply a "consulting engagement", but a long term commitment to ensure that we also succeeded was extremely compelling. Additionally, having the ability to visit their locations and see how their systems worked, was of utmost importance, and their proof is certainly in the pudding. Having John Buchanan always available to answer EVERY question (even before we were a client) gave us the confidence that we were talking to the best in the industry. "

Eric Papachristos, Founder & President, Greek Hospitality Group

"We are in the process of growing our restaurant group from two to four full-service locations over the course of the next 18-24 months. As part of our growth plan, we hired LCG in a consulting capacity to teach, coach and mentor our ownership team with learning how to effectively and successfully operate multiple restaurant locations. Without question, our investment in the Lettuce training program has transformed our current operations and provided a very strong foundation for future expansion. John Buchanan is extremely knowledgeable in all facets of restaurant operations and has assisted us every step of the way as we continue to align our restaurant operations with LEYE's."

David J. Reinert, President DR Inc. Grand Rapids, MI

"Lettuce's successful track record for the last 50 years driven by its focus on robust systems and processes along with 40 years of hands-on experience are the key reasons I decided to engage . "

Manish Mallick, Owner, "ROOH Progressive Indian Restaurant & Cocktail Bar" & "BAR GOA"

""They are geniuses in creating restaurant concepts that work at every level. They are done with exquisite design in every discipline. Internally, they are powered by a solid company culture that inspires and supports every team member. They've been my heroes since I learned about them in the early 80's and they still are.""

Lalo Durazo, DZO Hospitality

Some of our clients...

Consulting Services

The combined originality of Lettuce’s restaurants is unparalleled, with over 65 working concepts representing a complete repertoire of America’s favorite service styles and cuisines

We do an initial assessment on every client.to determine things like:
- How efficiently does your concept operate?
- What opportunities exist for far-reaching savings?
- How do your costs measure up against industry benchmarks?
- Do your managers have the proper work ethic and attitudes?
- The leader sets the tone for the operation. LCG helps you develop your managers to realize their full potential as well as helping them to meet your specific business goals.
- Customized Management Training Programs
- Leadership Training
- Foodservice Culture Programs
- Quality Management
You can train for great service, but you must hire for hospitality. LCG provides techniques, templates and seminars to do both effectively.
- Interviewing for Success
- Efficiency, Salesmanship & Personality Seminars
- Employee Retention Strategies
- Service Standards & Evaluation Techniques
- Employee Handbooks
- Training & Policy Manuals
Our BOH Operating System addresses:
- Food cost fluctuations (and their control)
- Confident management control of kitchen operations
- Cost-saving efficiencies
- Kitchen layout & equipment specifications
For LCG, it all starts with the food. LCG’s team of culinary experts stands ready to create and develop the great-tasting food that has become a Lettuce trademark.
- Culinary Creation & Enhancements
- Menu Engineering, Planning & Design
- Nationally Prominent Corporate Chefs
- Specializing in “Popular” Menu Items
Executive Coaching provides an ongoing process for leaders at all levels to develop their full leadership potential. Research from Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg and Forbes confirms that organizations that provide Executive Coaching have an exceptionally high return on their coaching investment. They also report that companies with a strong coaching culture enjoy higher employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention.

Additional Services

Whether you want to create multiple new concepts or acquire existing concepts, learn the tools that Lettuce has used to build its portfolio of over 60 concepts. We can assist with:
- Scaling what you’ve learned and applying it to any type of concept, regardless of its price point, size or sophistication
- Maintaining a consistent reputation across your Company for quality, value, and hospitality
- Leveraging your reputation to draw your customer base into your newest concepts
- Efficient cross-utilization of the Company’s talent
LCG provides expert presentations on a number of critical topics such as:
- Sanitation and Food Safety
- Quality Management
- Getting the Staff to Care
- Crisis Communications: What to do when YOU are the news!
- Four Walls Marketing: How to enhance your marketing and build your business from within your immediate area
- Public Relations, Special Events and Promotions: Getting the word out about your concept!
- Successful Marketing Programs: How to build and grow them
- Integrated Marketing: How to build an Integrated Program and tie it together to enhance your marketing efforts
- Managing Confrontations
- Guide to Handling Customer Dissatisfaction
- Preventing Foodborne Contamination
- Creating & Maintaining a Safe Environment for Your Guests
Building an infrastructure too soon can consume profits needed for your expansion efforts. Wait too long and valuable growth opportunities can be mismanaged. LCG provides expertise on how to “right-size” your company and maximize your corporate resources.

A brilliant corporate strategy without execution is unproductive. At the Lettuce Consulting Group, we understand that the backdrop for delivering desired financial results includes excellence in several corporate departments and that the relationship between these two is an ongoing collaboration.

Our services offer support in all these areas. We know that the combination of strong technical skills, a clear culture and quality leadership gives an organization a firm foundation for both strategic and financial success.
- Finance and Accounting
- Human Resources
- Culture Assessment and Development
- Performance Management
- Team-building at all levels
- Organizational Development
- Acquisition Evaluation
- Purchasing and Distribution
- Marketing Strategy and “Four Walls” Marketing
- Risk Management
- Succession Planning
Operational services include:
- Business Problem Identification
- Labor Cost Analysis
- Recipe & Cost Analysis
- P&L Evaluation
- New Store Openings
- POS System Consulting
- Sales Forecasting
- Time & Motion Studies
- Business Plans

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Lettuce Consulting Group^®