service areas

HR Leadership & Strategy

Restaurant HR Strategy & People Strategy Consulting 

Growing hospitality businesses depend on their people. The right team, leadership structure, and HR systems can determine whether a restaurant scales successfully or struggles with turnover and operational strain. 

Yet many hospitality businesses grow quickly without a clear people strategy or HR roadmap in place. In fact, most small and mid-sized companies operate without a formal workforce strategy, making it harder to attract talent, develop leaders, and maintain strong culture across locations. 

Our experienced hospitality HR leaders help restaurant groups develop a comprehensive people strategy designed to support growth, strengthen leadership teams, and create scalable HR systems. 

Through our restaurant HR strategy consulting, we partner with founders, operators, and leadership teams to align your people strategy with your business goals — ensuring your organization has the talent, structure, and systems needed to grow. 

We commonly support hospitality businesses with

HR Support for Restaurant Openings

Opening a new restaurant is one of the most exciting — and demanding — moments in a hospitality business. New openings require coordinated hiring, onboarding, training, payroll setup, and compliance preparation within tight timelines. 

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups 60–90 days before an opening to help build the HR infrastructure needed for a successful launch. Even if your restaurant has already opened, we can step in to help stabilize operations and strengthen your people systems. 

Our team provides hands-on support across the entire pre-opening process, including: 

  • Recruiting key leadership roles 
  • Sourcing and interviewing FOH and BOH team members 
  • Implementing HRIS and payroll systems 
  • Developing onboarding and training programs 
  • Conducting required workplace trainings 
  • Preparing employee handbooks and HR documentation 
  • Implementing employee benefits programs 
  • Recruiting and training internal HR team members 

Growth Through Acquisition

Acquiring another restaurant or hospitality brand can accelerate growth — but it also introduces operational complexity.

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups during acquisitions to help manage HR integration and support a smooth transition for employees and leadership. Even if the acquisition has already taken place, we can step in to help stabilize operations and align people systems across locations.

Our team provides hands-on support throughout the acquisition and integration process, including:

  • Conducting HR due diligence during restaurant acquisitions
  • Reviewing employee classifications, compensation structures, and compliance risks
  • Aligning employee handbooks, policies, and workplace procedures
  • Integrating payroll, benefits, and HRIS systems
  • Supporting leadership transitions and organizational structure changes
  • Communicating operational and policy updates to employees
  • Addressing employee relations concerns during organizational change
  • Supporting HR leadership as the organization transitions to a unified structure

Organizational Design & Leadership Structure

Organizational Design & Leadership Structure

Multi-unit growth requires clear leadership alignment, defined responsibilities, and organizational structures that support consistent operations across locations.

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups during periods of growth to help design leadership frameworks that support operational clarity and long-term scalability. Even if your organization has already expanded, we can step in to help refine leadership roles and strengthen your management structure.

Our team provides hands-on support across the organizational design process, including:

  • Defining leadership roles and reporting structures
  • Clarifying responsibilities for multi-unit leadership teams
  • Supporting transitions from single-unit to multi-unit management structures
  • Developing organizational charts and leadership frameworks
  • Aligning operational and HR leadership responsibilities
  • Supporting leadership communication and decision-making structures
  • Developing management training and leadership development programs
  • Supporting recruitment for senior leadership and HR roles

Company Mission, Vision & Values

As hospitality businesses grow, clearly articulated values help guide leadership decisions, shape workplace culture, and ensure employees understand the company’s purpose.

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups to help define or refine their mission, vision, and core values so leadership teams and employees are aligned around shared goals. Even if your organization has already established these principles, we can help integrate them more fully into daily operations and employee experiences.

Our team provides hands-on support across the culture development process, including:

  • Facilitating leadership workshops to define mission and vision
  • Developing clear and actionable company core values
  • Aligning values with operational and leadership practices
  • Integrating mission and values into onboarding programs
  • Incorporating culture principles into employee communications
  • Supporting leadership teams in modeling organizational values
  • Embedding values into performance management practices
  • Developing internal messaging and culture documentation

HR Technology Optimization

As hospitality businesses grow, disconnected or outdated HR systems can create challenges across hiring, payroll, scheduling, and compliance management.

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups to evaluate and implement HR technology solutions that streamline people operations and support long-term growth. Even if your systems are already in place, we can help optimize existing platforms and improve how your HR processes function.

Our team provides hands-on support across the HR technology implementation process, including:

  • Evaluating existing HRIS and payroll systems
  • Selecting HR technology platforms for restaurant operations
  • Implementing integrated HRIS and payroll solutions
  • Optimizing onboarding and employee record management systems
  • Improving hiring and applicant tracking workflows
  • Aligning HR systems with compliance and reporting requirements
  • Supporting managers in adopting new HR technology tools
  • Training internal teams on HR systems and processes

Opening a new restaurant is one of the most exciting — and demanding — moments in a hospitality business. New openings require coordinated hiring, onboarding, training, payroll setup, and compliance preparation within tight timelines. 

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups 60–90 days before an opening to help build the HR infrastructure needed for a successful launch. Even if your restaurant has already opened, we can step in to help stabilize operations and strengthen your people systems. 

Our team provides hands-on support across the entire pre-opening process, including: 

  • Recruiting key leadership roles 
  • Sourcing and interviewing FOH and BOH team members 
  • Implementing HRIS and payroll systems 
  • Developing onboarding and training programs 
  • Conducting required workplace trainings 
  • Preparing employee handbooks and HR documentation 
  • Implementing employee benefits programs 
  • Recruiting and training internal HR team members 

Acquiring another restaurant or hospitality brand can accelerate growth — but it also introduces operational complexity.

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups during acquisitions to help manage HR integration and support a smooth transition for employees and leadership. Even if the acquisition has already taken place, we can step in to help stabilize operations and align people systems across locations.

Our team provides hands-on support throughout the acquisition and integration process, including:

  • Conducting HR due diligence during restaurant acquisitions
  • Reviewing employee classifications, compensation structures, and compliance risks
  • Aligning employee handbooks, policies, and workplace procedures
  • Integrating payroll, benefits, and HRIS systems
  • Supporting leadership transitions and organizational structure changes
  • Communicating operational and policy updates to employees
  • Addressing employee relations concerns during organizational change
  • Supporting HR leadership as the organization transitions to a unified structure

Organizational Design & Leadership Structure

Multi-unit growth requires clear leadership alignment, defined responsibilities, and organizational structures that support consistent operations across locations.

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups during periods of growth to help design leadership frameworks that support operational clarity and long-term scalability. Even if your organization has already expanded, we can step in to help refine leadership roles and strengthen your management structure.

Our team provides hands-on support across the organizational design process, including:

  • Defining leadership roles and reporting structures
  • Clarifying responsibilities for multi-unit leadership teams
  • Supporting transitions from single-unit to multi-unit management structures
  • Developing organizational charts and leadership frameworks
  • Aligning operational and HR leadership responsibilities
  • Supporting leadership communication and decision-making structures
  • Developing management training and leadership development programs
  • Supporting recruitment for senior leadership and HR roles

As hospitality businesses grow, clearly articulated values help guide leadership decisions, shape workplace culture, and ensure employees understand the company’s purpose.

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups to help define or refine their mission, vision, and core values so leadership teams and employees are aligned around shared goals. Even if your organization has already established these principles, we can help integrate them more fully into daily operations and employee experiences.

Our team provides hands-on support across the culture development process, including:

  • Facilitating leadership workshops to define mission and vision
  • Developing clear and actionable company core values
  • Aligning values with operational and leadership practices
  • Integrating mission and values into onboarding programs
  • Incorporating culture principles into employee communications
  • Supporting leadership teams in modeling organizational values
  • Embedding values into performance management practices
  • Developing internal messaging and culture documentation

As hospitality businesses grow, disconnected or outdated HR systems can create challenges across hiring, payroll, scheduling, and compliance management.

Our team frequently partners with restaurant groups to evaluate and implement HR technology solutions that streamline people operations and support long-term growth. Even if your systems are already in place, we can help optimize existing platforms and improve how your HR processes function.

Our team provides hands-on support across the HR technology implementation process, including:

  • Evaluating existing HRIS and payroll systems
  • Selecting HR technology platforms for restaurant operations
  • Implementing integrated HRIS and payroll solutions
  • Optimizing onboarding and employee record management systems
  • Improving hiring and applicant tracking workflows
  • Aligning HR systems with compliance and reporting requirements
  • Supporting managers in adopting new HR technology tools
  • Training internal teams on HR systems and processes

The entire E|H team is made up of visionaries, strategists and forward thinkers. It is a pleasure working with them as they consistently exceed expectations. E|H is an asset no company should be without.

— Todd Millman, Owner, Blue Radish & Bay Market Kitchen

Partnering with E|H has given us real breadth of support in place of having a single HR resource, and, most important of all, our team in the restaurant loves them!

— Ceri Gott, People and Performance Director, Hawksmoor

Let’s Build a Smarter People Strategy

If you’re looking for outsourced hospitality HR support, restaurant executive search, payroll consulting services, fractional HR leadership, or a hospitality recruiting partner, we’re ready to help. Let’s talk about your people!