Case Study – Food Business

The situation

A well-established hospitality group with strong demand was experiencing mounting financial pressure. Revenue was steady, but cash conversion tightened, supplier stress increased, and reporting lag reduced weekly visibility. Advisors identified elevated insolvency risk within 6 to 12 months unless execution discipline and financial controls improved quickly. 

What we found 

The underlying issue was not demand. Operational complexity had outgrown the foundations, creating leakage and inconsistency across sites. 

• Working capital leakage from inconsistent billing, delayed reconciliations, and weak follow-up on exceptions such as refunds, chargebacks, and delivery platform disputes. 

• Cost drift as labour and food costs moved above target due to roster inefficiencies, wastage, and inconsistent purchasing controls. 

• Fragmented systems with POS, payroll, rostering, delivery platforms, and finance not aligned, leading to duplicate handling and delayed month-end close. 

• Inconsistent execution across sites in shift handovers, stock routines, and customer recovery practices. 

• Limited governance rhythm with no dependable weekly cadence linking performance, actions, and accountability.

What we did 

We ran a structured stabilisation and foundations program alongside the leadership team and finance advisors, focused on rapid control, clarity, and repeatability. 

• Established an execution cadence with a weekly operating and financial snapshot, clear decision rights, and tracked actions. 

• Standardised site operations through role accountability, shift handovers, and non-negotiable SOPs for opening, closing, stock control, and incident handling. 

• Strengthened financial controls with daily reconciliation discipline, exception queues for refunds and disputes, and tighter approval workflows. 

• Optimised the cost base through roster model improvements, wage controls, menu and wastage actions, and procurement discipline with clear targets. 

• Aligned systems and data flow by reducing re-keying, improving data hygiene, and creating consistent reporting inputs for early visibility. 

• Improved onboarding and training with site-ready guides so new staff could perform consistently without reliance on key individuals. 

What we delivered 

• A practical operating model and governance rhythm including weekly and monthly cadence, decision log, and action tracking. 

• Standardised SOPs and shift checklists across front and back of house, including handovers and compliance points. 

• A defined reconciliation and exception-management workflow from POS and delivery platforms through to finance. 

• A consolidated performance dashboard for owners and site leaders covering sales, labour, food cost, wastage, variances, and customer recovery. 

• A systems rationalisation plan with lightweight integrations and data hygiene controls. 

• Onboarding and training materials to support consistent site execution. 

Results within 90 days 

• Reduced leadership and admin load through clearer accountability and fewer manual workarounds. 

• Improved cost control with reduced labour and food cost variance and fewer week-to-week surprises. 

• Faster issue resolution through exception queues and daily reconciliation discipline. 

• Improved cashflow stability through stronger controls, earlier visibility, and reduced leakage. 

• Higher operational consistency across sites through standardised handovers, SOPs, and execution cadence. 

Why it worked 

We focused on foundations that hold under scale: clear accountability, disciplined operating rhythms, system-aligned workflows, and controls that prevent leakage. Delivery was implementation-led and designed for adoption by site teams, not just leadership. The result was a stabilised operation with a platform for sustainable growth. 

Confidentiality note: Client name and identifying details are withheld due to confidentiality obligations.