ABOUT
Hospitality and retail design and architecture are the cornerstones of our firm. We recognize and deliver beautifully designed spaces that elevate the guest experience while providing for operational efficiencies for owners maximizing profitability.
OUR MISSION
We are a multi-disciplined business consultancy and design firm; but not your typical firm.
With 75+ years of experience in restaurants, franchises, finance, and real estate, our core team offers deep knowledge in all facets of growth across various industries. Our goal is to deliver results-driven creative work that reflects your passion and integrates into your business. We blend your insights with ours to create a shared vision.
ABOUT US
How we help our clients
We are not only a creative group; we bring a varied and diverse background having successfully built many of the same businesses we work with. As former owner operators, we get it. We recognize the drive, passion and commitment you have in building and growing your business.
Hospitality & retail interior design
Hospitality and retail design and architecture are the cornerstones of our firm. We recognize and deliver beautifully designed spaces that elevate the guest experience while providing for operational efficiencies for owners.
Hospitality & retail construction management
Missed deadlines, and rising budgets are often the two most quoted fears of ownership. With a transparent approach when providing construction management services, we bring a wealth of knowledge, and ally both of these fears.
Hospitality & retail operations management
We provide financial guidance and on-sitemanagement of exisiting and new businesses to ensure the financial foundation of your business is built for consistent growth. We provide new and established businesses the tools in the toolbox to build a profitable and scaleable business model, regardless of industry.
Hospitality & retail brand development & management
We are adept at developing the essence of a brand, and creating a brand story. We are equally adept at communicating the brand and brand story across all media formats as well as the physcial spaces we design and build.
Financial consulting: forecasting, modeling, capital
Financially focused design is where our expertise merges heads and hearts to ensure you can continue to dream big while achieving measurable and realistic results. We ensure the financial foundation of your business is in place before, during and throughout the lifecycle of your business.
Our team
Anthony Marro, CEO
anthony@risehospitalityconsulting.com
With an in-depth knowledge of restaurant operations, employee training, cost management, construction management, and branding, Anthony has a proven track record of streamlining operations, significantly increasing profitability, and creating highly profitable concepts with the assistance of a core team with the depth, breadth and dedication in providing world class customer experiences.
Over the course of his 40 plus year career, Anthony has successfully designed, built, owned and operated a portfolio of over two dozen High Grossing Restaurants across multiple dining options from Fine Dining, Casual Fine Dining, Pubs, Taverns, QSR's and Nightclubs. In addition, he and his team have assisted both Individuals, large and small Restaurant Groups, and Corporate Hospitality Clients in the Creation, Launch, and Oversight of over 200 Local and International Brands.
Ray Payne, Chief Marketing & Design Officer
ray@risehospitalityconsulting.com
Ray brings over 25 years of experience across a wide range of disciplines as a the Chief Marketing & Design Officer
As the former owner/operator of multiple concepts within the hospitality vertical, and having worked with established iconic NY brands, as well as start up brands within a wide range of industries, Ray brings a varied and diverse background to each project with an uncompromising attention to detail.
With a degree in Economics and Finance, his expertise lies in marrying and delivering beautiful design with an eye toward the bottom line.
Joe Macari, CFO
joe@risehospitalityconsulting.com
Director of Finance Joe Macari has served as the Controller for GE Asset Management's $12.5B real estate portfolio, responsible for all client financial reporting, monthly close, financial statement preparation, real estate valuations and financial audits. He brings a strong knowledge restaurant and culinary operations as he previously served as CFO & VP of Finance for Urban Space, a National Food Hall company that reflects the local foods in the areas they are located in. During their rapid ramp up during his time there he completed a fundraising effort as well as establishing strong internal controls, reporting to investors, and directing finance operations.
Lindsay Krupa, Director of Operations
lindsay@risehospitalityconsulting.com
Lindsay Krupa brings 15 years of experience in the Hospitality Industry, coming from a multi-location GM background in Fairfield County where she operated multiple concepts ranging from full service restaurants, seasonal beer gardens, and corporate office establishments.
She successfully managed multiple locations through Covid by implementing revenue driving programs at a cost-effective level to remain profitable and capable of retaining employees. She brings value to the Rise Hospitality team by actively engaging with ownership, vendors, marketing professionals, staff and guests while recognizing and identifying opportunities to improve operations, increase profitability, enhance guest experience and strengthen team structure and morale. Proficient in all on-site restaurant operations, she has managed and assisted with multiple restaurant openings, working directly with local officials for permitting and compliance. She is skilled in developing management teams by implementing policy, planning and strategies to accomplish business objectives, identifying and hitting sales targets and labor/COGS budgets, database monitoring to identify and reduce waste/loss, and creating impactful programming.
Forest Pasternack, Executive Chef
Chef Forrest first began his career as an apprentice as a youth working with his Japanese stepfather, a Japanese master sushi chef, at their family’s Japanese traditional sushi and hibachi restaurants at 12 years old. At 18 he would go on to run the family kitchens before graduating from the Culinary Institute of America.
Now with over two decades of culinary experience, Chef Forrest brings a wealth of gastronomic inspiration having worked in many of the best modern restaurants, including: The Three Star Michelin rated Le Bernardin, Two Star Michelin starred Aquavit, David Chang's Momofuku, and with Chef Erik Battes of Michelin rated Jean-George and Morimoto fame.
Forrest has created seasonal/local purchasing directives, recipes, and menus for the SOHO Grand and Tribeca Grand Hotels managing their highly profitable over 20 million dollar a year culinary operation in New York City before becoming the Corp. Chef de Cuisine of Z Hospitality with the New York Times Excellent Rated Terra and Mediterraneo restaurants in Greenwich, CT, Aqua in Westport, Sole in New Canaan, and Aurora in Rye, NY.
He then reimagined and created the multi award-winning favorite locavore centric restaurant Bailey's Backyard in Ridgefield, CT winning both Most Innovative Chef and the prestigious Overall Award of Excellence from CT magazine several times over.
Before joining JKS’s Executive team as our Corporate Chef and Culinary Director Forrest was Culinary Director and Executive Chef for The Spotted Horse Group developing the menus, recipes, and the back of house operational teams for the openings of both The Spotted Horse and Little Barn Restaurants in Shelton, CT. He also reimagined the menus for The Gray Goose in Southport, CT and The Spotted Horse’s original location in Westport, CT hiring the staff, and training/overseeing the group’s kitchens.
