Aaron Allen & Associates, a global restaurant consultancy, shares some of their recent projects and past experience. The firm has represented clients spanning 6 continents and over 100 countries and has also worked extensively in the Middle East.

1. MIDDLE EAST

2. WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO
ABOUT US
HIRED BY
We don’t just wade into building a brand or launching a concept. That’s an open invitation to get bitten by
something you didn’t anticipate. Planning is important—thinking ahead and agreeing on how certain challenges
and scenarios will be handled.
Addressing just a few things at a time in this industry is like forgetting to get dressed in the morning; you’re not
ready for the day ahead. It’s poor planning and when you realize what you’ve done, you lose time and money
making the drive back home to finish what you started.
Our experience in all areas of foodservice operations and our global and cross-cultural knowledge and
experience provides us with a comprehensive insight. Our clients have included many of the largest restaurant
companies in the world, as well as caterers, leading contract foodservice companies, hotels, malls and
commissaries encompassing nearly all food and beverage formats.
2
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

3. SEEN & HEARD
Aaron Allen has become one of the most sought-after restaurant industry media sources and most-quoted experts in
the global restaurant industry. He has been a go-to source for esteemed media outlets such as the Wall Street
Journal, Entrepreneur, Smart Money, MSNBC, TIME, Forbes, USA Today, Nation’s Restaurant News, Chain
Leader, Restaurants & Institutions, European Food Service News, Food Service Middle East, QSR Magazine, and
literally hundreds more news sources. His publicity skills and campaigns have also helped land clients features on The
Food Network, Top Chef, Travel Channel, Bravo, Fine Living Network, and led to a number of pilot program
invitations.
A sought-after speaker, Allen has lectured around the world on important restaurant industry trends and innovative
approaches to marketing, branding, design, concept development, culinary development and general business growth.
He has presented to capacity crowds at the European Foodservice Summit, International Boston Seafood Show,
Aquavision in Norway, Healthy Meals and Healthy Profits Conference, National Caterers Association, FSTech, The
Restaurant Show (London), and for numerous other industry associations, conventions, corporate and franchise
conferences, and universities. He has been top rated speaker and frequent guest lecturer for the University of
Central Florida’s Rosen School of Hospitality.
3
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

4. MULTI BRAND PORTFOLIOS
The restaurant industry is, well, global in both brand and cuisine. Our depth and breadth is wide—the benefit of years of experience in
operations, marketing, customer service, supply chain and management. We’re experienced with multiple concepts: quick service
restaurants, casual, fine-dining and resort hospitality, all of which present unique challenges.
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com
4

5. WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO:
Quite simply, we help build restaurants—all over the world—working with brands in more than 100
countries on six continents. We help owners and operators tackle obstacles, develop strategy and
streamline finances, all while considering labor and cultural issues, menu execution, design, management and
a host of other things.
Our clients post an exhilarating $100 billion annually in revenue, which equates to a lot of full bellies all over
the world. And that makes everybody happy.
5
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

6. SERVICES
RESTAURANT CONCEPT DESIGN
Color. Texture. Furnishings. Lighting. Interior design is all of these, and within the restaurant industry, it’s so
much more. AARON ALLEN & associates' designers and architects strive to capture the personality and
original concept of the restaurant.
It takes a lot of collaboration to develop a design package worthy of your dream. The concept development
team members are experts in the art of visualization, originality, spatial relationships, fluency of ideas,
creative thinking and problem solving. They ensure all interior considerations integrate seamlessly with
every other aspect of the process
– strategy, design, training, research, culinary development and public relations.
AARON ALLEN associates' concept development department develops key components that align with
the overall vision of a restaurant. Those include a conceptual development package that defines the space
and the brand, along with a design development package which show you how the space will be built. They
also provide uniform design, props, accessories, artwork, graphics and interior signage design.
AARON ALLEN associates' concept development services allow them to build a restaurant’s brand into
its design whether it’s creating a concept from scratch, remodeling an existing space or rolling out an
existing concept in multiple locations.
6

7. WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO
MENU ENGINEERING DESIGN
So much of what happens in a restaurant is creative. All cooks like to think of themselves as artistes. It is,
after all, called the culinary arts. But when it comes to the menu, that’s where science kicks in. In fact, too
much creativity on a menu can have negative consequences.
That isn’t to say the menu shouldn’t be creatively produced. Indeed, the right colors, typeface, even photos
in some cases are key elements. But knowing which colors, what typeface and font size, and whether or
not pictures should be incorporated are important considerations. They’re components in the science of
menu engineering, and learning how to put the knowledge to work with your own menu can increase
your profits significantly — without raising menu prices.
7

8. WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO
PUBLIC RELATIONS (STRATEGY IDEAS)
Restaurant Public Relations personalizes your brand and your story.
Through a variety of vehicles, an effective restaurant public relations campaign lets your intended audience
become familiar with what your business is all about. Other forms of advertising, like billboard advertising,
limit you to post a single message that customers may only see for a split second.
8

9. WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO
BRAND TRANSLATION
Adapting an existing restaurant concept to grow in new foreign markets (i.e. US chains going abroad, and
companies from abroad planting their brand flag in a new country).
9

10. SERVICES
STRATEGY
Everything starts with the desire to be more than you are
today; a highly coveted brand, a fiercely dominant player, a
more profitable entity, a better and more stimulating place
to work. What will be your legacy and how will you create
it?
Massive change doesn’t have to be painful. When executed
correctly, change can be accomplished through easy-tounderstand actions that gradually send sales and profits
rocketing.
Every business deserves and demands a thoughtfully
constructed plan for growing sales and profits – a strategic
road map that efficiently helps you reach the fullest
potential of your company. Aaron Allen Associates helps
you build it by developing strategy in the areas of branding,
positioning, culture, public relations, training, design, local
store marketing, new store openings, concept development
and an overarching growth strategy.
Even better, we present it in a way that’s easy to
understand and execute. No detours, no roads closed.
10

11. WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO
TRAINING
Marketing, operations and human resource issues are inextricably connected. The best strategy conceivable
is useless without the ability of the organization to execute it. Buy-in and understanding are vitally
important. Moreover, the culture of an organization – the practices, beliefs and values — are often the
difference between the have’s and the have-not’s in business.
AARON ALLEN associates offers a variety of training programs to help its clients improve culture, buy-in
and system-wide understanding of core values and company objectives. AARON ALLEN associates
involves and enrolls the entire organization in the pursuit of your vision through tools such as strategic
planning sessions, seminars, executive retreats and conference planning. The training team also offers
cutting-edge service training systems development delivered through video, Intranet, CD-Rom and
classroom.
AARON ALLEN associates' training team has experience
in developing and implementing training systems for
organizations such as the United States Air Force and
Houston’s. The training programs are custom-built around
your unique operation and designed to raise the bar for
service and performance.
11

12. PROJECT UNDERSTANDING
We understand that you want to know how to expand
efficiently and effectively in your market. Will your budget
work with your vision? How will you maintain current
operations while expanding? What challenges might you
encounter? What about staff and management, budgeting,
hiring and construction?
There is so much to consider. Proper planning is essential.
Our knowledge is unparalleled when compared to other
food service consultancies of global repute. Our team will
provide direction and guidance as it relates to the overall
mix of venues, as well as conduct the necessary feasibility
studies to evaluate the best service providers.
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

13. OUR THE INDUSTRY
STATE OFPORTFOLIO

14. SONIC – America’s Drive-In
14
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

15. CHICKEN RED
CHICKEN
RED
15
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

16. PoFOLKS
16
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

17. BLIMPIE SUBS SALADS
ONLINE GAMES
17
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2012, Aaron Allen
•
www.aaronallen.com
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

18. KURENT COFFEE TEA
18
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

19. FIREHOUSE SUBS
19
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

20. WRAPSHURE
20
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

21. EXTREME PITA
21
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

22. SMOKY MARKET
22
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

23. VAMANOS – Auténtica Taqueria Mexicana
23
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

24. CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
FRUITION
www.aaronallen.com

25. TONY LUKE’S
25
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

26. WOKT
26
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

27. DE ALBA BAKERY
Existing Façade
Recommended Façade Rendering
27
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

28. TIMES GRILL
28
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

29. HOFBRAU
29
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

30. GRUPO ANDERSON’S
Grupo Anderson’s, the largest restaurant company in
Mexico, endeavored to aggressively expand into the
US market. They searched for a stateside firm
capable of managing this large endeavor, ultimately
outsourcing their entire marketing department to
AARON ALLEN Associates. Señor Frog’s, a brand
that has been around for many years, but
unrecognized in the US, was the initial focus for
expansion.
SOLUTION: AARON ALLEN Associates conducted a marketing planning
session with Grupo Anderson’s executives. They attained a solid understanding of
the company’s goals, dreams and visions. The session also informed the
executives about AARON ALLEN Associates and how they could enable
Grupo Anderson’s to expand to the next level. A strategic plan was developed,
including a rebranding, for the grand opening of the company’s flagship
restaurant, Señor Frog’s located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The June 2005
grand opening included Frogs Falling from the Sky and a Guinness Book record
breaker for the World’s Largest Pair of Underpants. It attracted a full house for
the restaurant as well as local, regional, and national print and broadcast media
attention. Next, AARON ALLEN Associates began plans for the second U.S.
restaurant opening, in Honolulu, Hawaii in the summer of 2006. AARON ALLEN
Associates is also spearheading the strategic development of three other
Grupo Anderson’s brands to prepare them for a rapid U.S. expansion.
RESULT: Grupo Anderson’s now has a clear vision of its expansion plans in the
United States for four of its brands, including Señor Frog’s, Carlos ‘n Charlie’s, a
fast-casual authentic Mexican concept and a seafood concept.
30
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

31. CARLOS’ n CHARLIE’S
In May 2005, the Carlos ‘n Charlie’s in Aruba faced a
media crisis with the disappearance of a Birmingham,
Alabama teen, Natalee Holloway. Because she was
last seen at Carlos ‘n Charlie’s, the restaurant’s name
appeared in more than 40,000 print articles and was
mentioned on every major U.S. national news
broadcast within the first four days of her
disappearance. The majority of the information the
media was given about Carlos ‘n Charlie’s and the
situation at hand was not factual.
SOLUTION: Within 36 hours of Natalee Holloway’s disappearance, AARON
ALLEN Associates had a crisis communications specialist on-site to provide
information and facilitate interviews with the numerous reporters visiting the
restaurant. AARON ALLEN Associates also recommended that the restaurant
donate $5,000 to the reward fund, which demonstrated Carlos ‘n Charlie’s support
of the cause.
RESULT: Because of our willingness to cooperate with the media and provide
factual information to them, the overall perception of Carlos ‘n Charlie’s (in this
situation) changed quickly from negative to neutral. AARON ALLEN Associates’
public relations specialists were able guide the restaurant managers through
interviews to correct some of the misconceptions about what happened that
evening, which has continued to receive international print and broadcast coverage.
31
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

32. CARLOS’ n CHARLIE’S
32
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

33. SENOR FROG’S
33
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

34. SENOR FROG’S – PR Campaigns
34
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

35. SENOR FROG’S – Retail Product Development
35
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

36. MEL’S GOURMET DINER
36
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

37. T.G.I. FRiDAY’S
37
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

38. ARABIC HOSPITALITY GROUP
38
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

39. FILLFILAH
39
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

40. FILLFILAH CATERING
40
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

41. SNAPPY’S FRIED CHICKEN
41
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

42. DALLAH CAFE
42
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

43. RIVALS SPORTS KITCHEN
43
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

44. THE SWEET LIFE
44
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

45. EL SHRIMP BUCKET
45
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

46. ROUTE 46 – ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
46
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

47. BRICKHOUSE
47
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

48. AGAVE AZUL
48
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

49. THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY
49
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

50. OLD VENICE PIZZA Co.
50
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

51. TEXAS de BRAZIL
51
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

52. TANTRA
52
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

53. LILLY’S WORLD
53
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

54. KARU Y
54
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

55. CONCEPTS BY CATEGORY
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

56. SIGNAGE
56
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

57. UNIFORMS
57
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

58. MENUS
58
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

59. RETAIL PRODUCTS
59
CONFIDENTIAL
© 2013, Aaron Allen
www.aaronallen.com

60. www.aaronallen.com
contact@aaronallen.com
United States
390 North Orange Ave
Suite 2300
Orlando, Florida 32801
407-936-1010 (US)
(866) 436-4002 (US fax)
Central Europe
1051 Budapest
Október 6. utca 17,
Budapest, Hungary
+36-1-798-3578 (Europe)
www.aaronallen.com