Blog Posts

Hospitality Consulting for Renovations: Making Smart Updates Without Starting Over

By August 17, 2026No Comments

Renovating a hospitality business is a balancing act. Owners aim to refresh spaces, improve guest experiences, and invest in the future — all without inconveniencing guests or losing what makes the business successful already.

Before construction even begins, teams must make choices.

Should renovations happen in phases? Is it possible to remain open during construction, or is a temporary closure the better choice? Which improvements will have the greatest impact on guests, employees, and the organization as a whole? How do we prioritize?

The hospitality renovation consultants at Morrissey Hospitality can help navigate those decisions with a practical understanding of how construction plans, business priorities, and the guest experience all intersect.

In today’s blog, we explore how hospitality consultants help leadership teams plan thoughtful renovations that support guests, employees, and the future of the business. Keep reading to learn more!

Every Renovation Requires a Different Approach

Every hospitality organization is different, which means that every renovation project is different, too. The best approach to each project will depend on many factors — the property, the community, the goals of the project, and how construction will affect guests, employees, and the business itself.

Some organizations remain open throughout construction. Others renovate in phases or choose a temporary closure to complete work more efficiently. Understanding those tradeoffs early helps owners make informed decisions before construction begins.

Hospitality consultants can bring an outside perspective to those conversations, helping owners weigh options, anticipate challenges, and develop renovation plans that fit the organization’s priorities.

Smart Design Solves Real Challenges

Renovations are opportunities to improve more than just the look of a restaurant, hotel, or event center. Thoughtful design can make service more efficient, improve the guest experience, and create a better working environment for employees.

Sometimes it means rethinking a kitchen layout or adding storage. Other times it’s improving accessibility, updating technology, creating better guest flow, or making it easier for teams to deliver consistent service.

Morrissey Hospitality helps owners look beyond the design itself, evaluating how renovation decisions will affect guests, employees, and the business long after construction is complete.

Keeping People Informed and Aligned

Renovations affect more than physical spaces. They change routines, workflows, and expectations for everyone involved.

Employees need to understand changing new procedures, temporary adjustments, and shifting expectations. Guests appreciate honest communication about temporary disruptions. Vendors, contractors, and leadership teams all need to stay aligned as the project moves forward.

Clear communication makes guests feel informed, helps employees adapt, and keeps teams focused on delivering the hospitality people expect—even while the organization is evolving.

A Hospitality Partner with Experience

Every renovation comes with unexpected challenges. An experienced hospitality advisor can help recognize opportunities, anticipate bottlenecks, and make decisions with a clearer understanding of how those choices will affect the business.

For more than 30 years, Morrissey Hospitality has partnered with hospitality organizations through renovations, repositioning efforts, and operational transitions. Because we’ve managed hotels, restaurants, event venues, and other hospitality concepts ourselves, we understand how construction decisions influence guests, employees, budgets, and daily service.

That firsthand experience helps us ask better questions, offer practical guidance, and support owners as they prepare their organizations for what’s next.

Building on What Already Works

Renovations are opportunities to invest in the future of a hospitality business — without losing sight of what makes it successful.

Morrissey Hospitality partners with owners throughout the renovation process, helping balance construction decisions with business priorities and the guest experience. By bringing together practical planning, hospitality experience, and collaborative problem-solving, we help organizations make thoughtful improvements that continue delivering value long after the project is complete.

Ready to renovate? Book some time with the Morrissey Hospitality experts. 

Share

Richard Dobransky

President & CEO

Richard joined Morrissey Hospitality as President in 2018 and accepted the role of CEO in 2023. Under Richard’s leadership, the organization implemented best-in-class solutions to support its hotel, restaurant, and events venue portfolio. He spearheaded efforts to upgrade all internal systems, embrace automated workflows and data analysis, and streamline every aspect of the organization for real-time, accurate reporting and accountability.

Focusing next on the employee experience, Richard oversaw a restructuring of employee compensation to ensure that every Morrissey employee earns more than a living wage. With his team, he improved employee benefits packages and ushered in numerous new initiatives to reflect the needs of employees and promote better work-life balance.

Under Richard’s leadership, the Morrissey portfolio has grown from 5 to 18 owned and managed properties. He oversees a team of over 100 managers and 1,000+ employees, leads efforts to provide authentic hospitality experiences at every location, and is an active coach and mentor to many.

Well respected and highly regarded throughout his career, Richard enjoys annual recognition in the Minnesota Top 100 and Top 500 Business Leaders list, and was named among Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2026 Most Admired CEOs. He serves on the Board of Directors for Visit Saint Paul and The Downtown Saint Paul Alliance.

Richard intrinsically understands the communities he serves, helping to create hospitality concepts that serve as long-lasting, meaningful gathering spaces. He aims each day to make, do, and be better for Morrissey customers, employees, clients, partners, vendors, and community members alike.

Elizabeth Morrissey

Senior Vice President

As Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer at Morrissey Hospitality, Elizabeth leads the company’s growth strategy with a focus on business development, strategic partnerships, and brand expansion. With nearly a decade of internal leadership experience and deep roots in hospitality, she drives new revenue opportunities, cultivates client relationships, and strengthens the company’s presence in new and existing markets.

Elizabeth began her career at The Saint Paul Hotel before taking on leadership roles at the Waldorf Astoria New York, Johnson Brothers Liquor Company, and Moet Hennessy. She returned to Morrissey Hospitality to help shape the company’s next chapter, progressing quickly from operations into business development. Her background spans hospitality operations, marketing, human resources, and sales strategy — making her uniquely positioned to scale the organization’s impact while preserving our guest-first, people-focused culture.

Elizabeth’s leadership is grounded in purposeful growth: building high-performing teams, elevating client brands, and delivering exceptional service across every property in the Morrissey Hospitality brand portfolio.

Paula Soderberg

Vice President of Human Resources

Paula is a results-driven professional with comprehensive and extensive human resources experience. She is well-versed in labor relations, employee relations, retention, training and development, HRIS, compensation and benefit management, domestic and international recruiting, job description development, HR audits, unemployment hearings, worker’s compensation claim management, and risk and safety management. She is also well versed in Def Leppard — so don’t mention the band unless you want her to talk your ear off.

Paula’s experience helps her foster an optimal working environment through development and deployment of new strategies in recruiting, onboarding, training, job description and standards, benefit administration, and employee development. She is a versatile and motivated leader, with proven communication and organizational skills. She is practical, articulate, and creative with a demonstrated ability to solve difficult issues.

Paula started in hospitality while a teenager at her family’s restaurant in Stillwater, MN. She continued to work FOH positions while in college pursuing her HR degree (don’t ever let her work BOH. She can’t cook…at all.) She understands operations, allowing her to support management and coach employees effectively. She also has held many HR management roles within healthcare, insurance, telecommunications, and government, but hospitality is her home.

Keith Reardon

Vice President

Keith is a hospitality management professional with 30+ years of experience leading food & beverage operations for hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and sports & entertainment facilities. His peers describe him as a high-capacity, intuitive, creative, thoughtful, and disciplined leader. With years of industry knowledge and experience in multifaceted hospitality environments, he routinely demonstrates strength in strategically building high-performance teams, resulting in stable revenues and profits.

Before joining Morrissey Hospitality, Keith held positions with Ritz Carlton Hotels in Palm Springs, before moving on to Centerplate, where he operated the Colorado Convention Center and opened Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. Keith’s passion is restaurant and kitchen design and construction. He recently completed the design and construction of all the hospitality components at Morrissey’s newest location, Tattersall Distillery in River Falls, Wisconsin. Keith is active in the Twin Cities community, serving as Treasurer on the Executive Committee for the Hospitality Minnesota’s Educational Foundations Board, and as an advisor to Visit Saint Paul.

Johnessa Hardyman

Vice President of Finance

Johnessa has always had a passion for finance and accounting. She started her career in community banking and completed her bachelor’s degree in accounting before finding a passion for hospitality in 2012 at The Saint Paul Hotel. Johnessa spent two years working onsite at The Saint Paul Hotel before transitioning to the Morrissey Hospitality Shared Services Office.

Johnessa Hardyman brings over a decade of expertise in hospitality finance to her role as Vice President of Finance at Morrissey Hospitality. Since joining the company in 2012, she has held key leadership positions, including Senior Accountant, Controller, and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. Johnessa’s extensive experience spans budgeting and forecasting, cash management, internal and external audits, system transitions, and acquisitions.

With a Master of Science in Accountancy from Saint Mary’s University, Johnessa excels at leveraging financial data to drive informed decision-making. She leads the accounting team with a focus on accuracy, efficiency, and strategic planning, ensuring that financial insights translate into actionable business strategies. Passionate about financial forecasting, she thrives on analyzing how businesses actualize their projections and the impact on cash flow. Her deep understanding of both finance and hospitality makes her an invaluable asset to the organization and its clients.

Amy Houston

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

A Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) with a deep passion for hospitality, Amy blends creativity with strategic vision to build meaningful connections between brands and guests. Her expertise in brand development, campaign execution, and revenue-focused marketing continues to shape Morrissey Hospitality’s growth and industry leadership. Known for her empathetic leadership style, she fosters collaboration and inspires those around her to think bigger and work together to bring bold ideas to life.

Amy Houston brings over 20 years of experience in marketing, hospitality, and sales. Since joining Morrissey in 2020, she has led strategy for 18 independent brands, driving measurable success through data-driven campaigns and innovative storytelling. Under her leadership, the company has transformed its marketing operations, bringing services in-house and streamlining digital platforms to create a more cohesive, results-driven approach.

Callie Kiepke

Vice President of Operations

Callie Kiepke is Vice President of Operations for Morrissey Hospitality, bringing more than a decade of leadership experience across event venues, restaurants, and golf course operations. Known for building strong teams and implementing effective, scalable processes, she plays a key role in driving consistent performance across the organization.

Callie began her hospitality career at 18 and earned a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. After nearly ten years with TPC Twin Cities, she joined Morrissey Hospitality at Bunker Hills Event Center, where she advanced from Catering Sales Manager to Director of Catering and later General Manager. Under her leadership, Bunker Hills became one of the company’s top-performing properties.

In addition to her work at Bunker Hills and Kendall’s Tavern & Chophouse, Callie has supported operations at Stockyards Tavern & Chophouse, played a key role in the opening of Dawn Manor, and is instrumental in strengthening private dining operations. As Vice President of Operations, she leads menu development, systems strategy, and process standardization, with a focus on continuous improvement and exceptional guest experiences.

Name(Required)
How should we contact you?
Services Needed(Required)
Check all that apply
Tell us about your business needs and purpose for reaching out.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.