Differentiation is key to success
Differentiation is key to success
We grow concepts and provide strategic development services for emerging and established brands.
we focus on helping clients conceptualize, develop, and manage cutting edge culinary, restaurant, and bar spaces.
have an idea? need an idea?
concept in development?
time to Refine?
We are experts in developing concepts from scratch and assisting clients with creating focus in their visions. Then our operational expertise and management experience helps establish “day one” readiness to launch successfully.
Our focus is on the cutting edge. differentiation is essential.
We leverage the successes we have had with our clients and our own businesses to help you create the unique, create the next cool concept. With a focus on sustainable profits.
We Focus On:
01. Optimizing
Optimizing strategies and influencing operations to develop resilient growth- focused results.
02. Aligning
Helping owners, investors, and management get aligned with short and long term objectives and put in place accountability metrics to ensure progress.
03. Advising
Providing ESG, or Environmental, Social and Governance guidance so your company works with a greater purpose for profit that reflects real time ethos in this inclusive world.
04. Educating
Getting clients up to speed on trends and industry directions is key with FK partnerships. We keep you in tune with your segment leaders and help you leap forward.
Our goal is to craft efficient approaches that assist both accomplished businesses and early-stagers, establishing a strong connection to their consumer, while achieving the finest product or best result.
stay focused. It takes both technology and human capital
to make it in the “new normal”. Let us show you how.
Our Successful Projects Encompass:
Restaurants
Fine, Craft and Fast Casual
Quick Service Restaurants
Fine Dining Restaurants
Retail
Consumer Product Goods
Retail Stores
Hotel Outlets
Hybrid
Unique Pop-Ups
Airports and national parks
College Foodservice
Your project is strengthened by valuable client and business relationships forged over years in the industry. Alliances created are alliances shared.
Press
“Frank Klein is one of the Bay Area’s most respected consultants”
SF Chronicle
“If I had one week to open up a store or restaurant from scratch in any part of the world I would parachute in the FK Team and they would get it done.”
Shane Ortega, Ortega Family Enterprises
“FK worked with us over two years navigating a difficult workspace. The scope of their work and abilities was truly awe inspiring.”
Jeffrey Mills, Genuine Foods
“Their teams advice was priceless. Several strategy sessions later we had moved mountains and gained so much more traction than we ever could have thought possible.”
CB Harding, Hollywood Hot Co. Hot Sauce
Accolades
Top 50 Emerging Brands by Nation’s Restaurant News
Top 40 brands with under 40 units by QSR Magazine
Top 20 Movers and Shakers by Restaurant Business Magazine
CNBC News 10 Hot Brands To Watch
ZAGAT’s 5 Hottest Fast Casual Chains
Top 20 Brands under 20 Units by Restaurant Business Magazine
ZAGAT’S 12 Gourmet Fast-Casual Concepts you need to try
Top 20 healthy fast casuals by Food Network
The next big fast food chains by First We Feast
Next Big Things by Well and Good Magazine
California’s Top Takeaway Concepts
ZAGAT 8 Bay Area Chains We Love
Best Places to Slurp Noodles by Food and Wine Magazine
McPhail Green Business Award
Clients
Our Core Services
Concept & Brand Development
Business Development
Strategic Planning
Operational Assessments
Facility Design
360 Degree Hospitality
& project based fee arrangements.
Please contact us to see what we can accomplish together.
Our Team
At FK only principals do the core consulting work, so you have one-to-one
communication with an exceptionally experienced professional.
Frank Klein
Frank Klein is a respected subject expert in the hospitality space. A seasoned hospitality veteran, he has developed and operated multiple brands across several industry segments including the widely successful Asian Box.
Having consulted with hundreds of clients, Frank’s experiences include creating every facet of a brand from start-up to successful exit to private equity in both the CPG and restaurant spaces. It’s hard to find a hospitality or industry publication in which he hasn’t been quoted. Frank’s projects have taken him across ten states in the US, Mexico City, Havana, the UK, and Paris.
Frank cares deeply about staff engagements in the success-process, sustainability, responsibility to the earth’s resources, and working the smartest to achieve the best result. He’s fanatical about design and packaging and ensuring hospitality begins before the threshold and continues long after the guest or consumer leaves.
Ashley Ceaser
Ashley Ceaser has received numerous accolades for her work in business development. She specializes in recognizing differentiation for our clients so they stand out in their segment.
While working on the early stages of one of Frank’s brands she built a team that developed a catering division that went from six to six thousand clients in the space of eighteen months. Ashley is comfortable working across the spectrum of brand refinement, space design, and pushing clever sales initiatives.
Ashley focuses on ensuring our clients stay on task while keeping a mindful eye on always creating energy which increases revenues. Currently based in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles Ashley travels the US supervising opening projects for FK.
Frank Soto
Frank Soto started his career working for Michelin star chefs and restaurants in NY and then helped establish across the world the first Nobu restaurants with Robert De Niro and Chef Matsuhiro.
Continuing his work with Michelin starred groups he ascended to VP of Development of international successful Culinary Concepts by Jean Georges. Frank has opened up restaurants and hybrid stores in nine countries on three continents. He specializes in operations management with an intense focus on profitability in operations.
Frank has managed over a billion dollars of food and beverage revenue in his career and provided operational and financial oversite for nearly two hundred outlets. He is comfortable working with new entrepreneurs as well as seasoned and celebrity chefs and operators. Frank has hit well over one million miles flown supporting our clients.
The Elkan
The Elkan is a multi-talented member of the team who can drive the logo design and branding process and oversee a website build as easily as he can source outdoor furniture for Death Valley.
He can find that one of a kind vintage refrigerator that is perfect to hold water in your retail store and source that awesome hand sink for your unique bathroom. An skilled internet expert The Elkan transforms a client vision into the talk of the town. His clever insights into what makes a product or design “tick” is unparalleled. Sometimes you just know, you know?
He is keen on travel and always brings back ideas to throw into the mix on any project.
