A small portfolio, described honestly: what the engagement was, and what was actually built.
Operational systems & management support
A continuing engagement with an independent Los Angeles café: assessment, management systems, operations manual development, and support recruiting and onboarding a general manager.
Presented as work in progress rather than a finished project — the systems are built alongside the team that runs them, so they hold on a real service rather than only on paper.
Opening & operational systems
Pre-opening and launch support for a neighbourhood deli led by Chef Eric Greenspan, alongside the management and employee resources that keep a large team consistent from the first service.
Comprehensive SOPs, opening and closing checklists, service standards, onboarding and training materials, clear management responsibilities and California-specific operational documentation — real restaurant workflows turned into resources a team can actually use.
Wine retail & hospitality operations
Wine retail and hospitality operations support for a London wine business: how the list is presented, how the team talks about it, and how the room hosts the people drinking it.
Engagement spanning wine retail operations, service standards and experiential programming — keeping a considered selection approachable for the guests in front of it.
Wine events & tasting programming
Event programming for a London wine retailer: conceiving, building and hosting the tastings and events that bring customers closer to the selection on the shelf.
Concept, format, wine selection, pricing and hosting for a calendar of events — designed to sell wine and build a returning audience, not simply fill a room.
Operational change & reopening support
Guiding a London wine merchant through the pandemic: the Covid registrations and compliance requirements of staying open, the operational changes needed to keep trading, and a programme of wine events.
Registration and documentation work alongside reworked operations — service standards, retail layout, sales approach and team responsibilities adapted as restrictions shifted — plus conceiving and hosting wine events and tastings, with support through reopening and business transition.
Photography shows each business as it is. Project descriptions reflect the work delivered; specific outcomes are stated only where they can be verified. Projects are listed most recent first.
Experience — not a client project
Founder / operator experience — not a client engagement
Founded and ran Damn Yankee, an independent wine bar and merchant in London: buying and curation, the retail and on-premise programs, guest experience, suppliers, staffing and commercial leadership. That firsthand experience informs how the practice advises today.
Damn Yankee — Covent Garden, London
Your project
Tell us what you are working on — we will tell you honestly whether we are the right help.