Restaurant HR Consulting & Executive Search for a UK Brand Entering the U.S. Market 

Empowered Hospitality partnered with a UK restaurant brand to successfully launch their first U.S. location. Our restaurant HR consulting, executive search, and hospitality talent acquisition services established leadership, compliance, payroll systems, and operational procedures for scalable growth.

The Challenge: Expanding a UK Restaurant Brand into the U.S. Market 

Launching a new restaurant in the United States presents complex operational and workforce challenges. The UK restaurant brand needed to build a fully staffed location with experienced leadership, compliant systems, and structured processes from day one. 

 Key Restaurant Challenges 

1. Hiring a U.S.-based Head of Operations to guide restaurant strategy and market entry
2. Recruiting a General Manager to oversee flagship restaurant operations
3. Building foundational infrastructure including restaurant payroll software, HR compliance frameworks, and restaurant operating procedures
4. Staffing high-volume hourly roles efficiently for restaurant launch
5. Ensuring compliance with restaurant labor law and hospitality compliance solutions 

Without expert restaurant HR consulting and talent acquisition support, entering the U.S. market could have led to operational inefficiencies, compliance risks, and delayed time-to-market. 

Our Approach: Restaurant HR Consulting and Talent Solutions

Executive Search for Restaurant Leadership 

We conducted a targeted restaurant executive search to place the Head of Operations, ensuring strategic oversight for market entry. A General Manager was also recruited to lead day-to-day operations and establish a strong leadership team aligned with restaurant management training programs and restaurant manager qualifications. 

Restaurant Operational Infrastructure & Compliance 

We built the foundational systems needed to operate a U.S. restaurant, including: 

• Payroll setup and administration  

• HR compliance frameworks tailored for restaurant labor law compliance 

• Restaurant operating procedures to support scalable growth and ensure consistency across locations 

• Hospitality compliance solutions to maintain full regulatory alignment 

High-Volume Restaurant Recruitment 

To staff the flagship location, we designed a high-volume recruiting strategy for hourly employees, ensuring all front-of-house and back-of-house roles were filled quickly and efficiently while maintaining compliance. 

Ongoing Organizational Design & Multi-Unit Expansion 

Beyond the initial restaurant launch, we partnered with the brand to design the U.S. organizational structure and recruit key corporate roles to support multi-unit expansion, ensuring long-term operational and staffing success.

Measurable Outcomes:  U.S Restaurant Launch Success 

With Empowered Hospitality’s hospitality HR consulting services, executive search, and talent acquisition expertise, the UK restaurant brand entered the U.S. market confidently, with the systems and people in place to thrive. 

1. Successful Restaurant Launch: Fully staffed opening team ready for day-one service
2. Leadership Placement: Head of Operations and General Manager in place before launch
3. Operational Readiness: Payroll, HR compliance, and operational systems established for restaurant scalability
4. Efficient Restaurant Hiring: High-volume hourly staffing completed ahead of schedule and compliant
5. Ongoing Growth Support: Continuous HR and recruiting partnership to support multi-unit restaurant expansion
6. Restaurant Management Training Programs Implemented: Managers trained on HR policies, compliance, and operational procedures