Resources
>
BLOG

Veteran Restaurant Industry Executive Phil Ratner

Apr 29, 2009

Premier industry experts Synergy Restaurant Consultants is pleased to announce that veteran restaurant executive Phil Ratner has joined the firm as Managing Director.

Mr. Ratner served as a CEO for more than twenty years in the casual-full service restaurant segment leaving a record of successful turnarounds with major chains.  His financial expertise and leadership skills most recently were highlighted as President and CEO of Marie Callender’s Restaurants where he improved both sales and profits and successfully merged the company with Perkins Family Restaurants.

Mr. Ratner’s record of highly successful turnarounds includes Acapulco Restaurants where he served as President and CEO for nearly ten years, taking the nearly bankrupt company and doubling its size to $90 million in sales with a 10 percent EBITDA. As Chairman, President and CEO of Spaghetti Warehouse he reduced debt from $19 million to $6 million in less than four years. He improved earnings per share from a low of $.04 to a high of $.34 by the time the company was sold.

Phil has both a Bachelors Degree and an M.B.A from Cornell University. He has served on the boards of five publicly traded restaurant companies.

In his role with Synergy Restaurant Consultants, Mr. Ratner will spearhead restaurant turnaround efforts and provide financial, operational, and structural expertise for major restaurant, hotel and hospitality chains.

Resources
>
BLOG

Burgers, all dressed up

Apr 09, 2009

Synergy Restaurant Consultants  has been retained by the hot and trendy gourmet burger concept m:brgr restaurant based out of Montreal, Canada.  “The senior restaurant management team was looking for ways to improve restaurant kitchen throughput, service and cooking capabilities along with design strategies to reduce back of house labor and complexity while improving margins” says Dean Small, Managing Partner of Synergy Restaurant Consultants.

While Montreal’s restaurant business would best be described as fragile, m:brgr – Drummond St.’s new upscale burger bar – is averaging 300 customers a day, after barely two weeks in operation.

“Synergy was chosen as the best resource to m:brgr because Synergy Restaurant Consultants are professional chefs and heave extensive experience in restaurant kitchens all over the world.  We needed sound restaurant management advice to determine what cooking platforms would be required to meet our high volume service demands.  Other needs included an assessment of our restaurant management team and recommendations to improve our hospitality solutions.  While restaurant profits have been solid we knew that with professional restaurant management consulting on our margins could be improved upon” says Steve Belitizky, CFO.

Opened in 2008 by the same owners of the renowned Moishes Steakhouse, m:brgr donates a percentage of its proceeds to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. At M:Brgr you can build your own gourmet burger, AAA Beef, Organic beef, Kobe beef, Chicken breast, Tuna and Veggie. Add your own special toppings from the traditional to the palate-tempting (torta mascarpone, apple-wood smoked bacon and grilled pineapple…), even truffle shavings (black/white) are offered – in season.

M:brgr features a wide range of gourmet hamburgers with meat selections ranging from lean, grass fed and Kobe beef.  Other unique concept features include the guest’s ability to customize their burger with gourmet sauces, exotic cheeses and toppings.  M:brgr is also know for their incredible fries which are hand cut daily. 

At m:brgr the sides are meant to compliment the most skeptical burger critic with our trio of sweet potato fries, regular fries, French fried onions, world famous “Moishes” pickles and coleslaw, poutine and grilled vegetables. The wine list, comprised primarily of exclusive imports, pairs perfectly with the menu.  M:brgr has a spacious dining area with booths, tables and chairs and can accommodate large groups or just a seat at the bar for a single individual.

m:brgr is located at 2025 Drummond St. Open Monday to Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Thursday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to midnight. Hamburgers start at $8.75. Call 514-906-2747 or visit the website www.mbrgr.com for more information.