Blog Posts

What to Know Before Opening Day: A Restaurant Owner’s Guide to Success

By May 5, 2026No Comments

Every restaurant opening comes with a checklist — concept finalized, build-out finished, permits approved, licenses obtained, vendors secured, teams hired, menus printed, POS programmed, staff trained, marketing and promotions pushed out.

But a completed checklist doesn’t guarantee a successful restaurant opening.

What matters most is whether the new concept is ready to perform under real conditions. Can the kitchen handle the volume? Do managers know how to adjust to the moment? Are the right systems in place to track costs and performance? Does the restaurant flow easily for service?

These factors — and so many more — determine whether a restaurant will run smoothly or operations become reactive.

In today’s blog, we’re outlining what restaurant owners in the Twin Cities should have in place before opening day, how the right preparation supports a stronger start, and how partnering with a hospitality management consultant like Morrissey Hospitality can set you up for success.

Staffing and Training For Seamless, Easy Service

Hiring the right people is just one step in the staffing process. The real question is whether the team is really ready for service.

Before opening day, restaurant owners should have:

  • Clear roles and responsibilities across front- and back-of-house
  • Defined service standards and expectations
  • Structured training that reflects real service scenarios, not just best-case ones

Training should prepare teams for volume, timing, and pressure. Staff should know how to communicate during a rush, how to recover when something goes wrong, and how to stay consistent across shifts.

Many restaurants struggle in these areas at opening. Teams are in place, but they’ve not worked through the realities of service together.

“Service simulations connecting all parts of the sequence, from reservation to kitchen, are essential investments before opening day, said Senior Vice President Elizabeth Morrissey Brown. “Friends and family events or soft-openings let staff practice training, spot issues, and fix them before opening to the public, creating a safe space for team members to turn theory into practical experience.” 

An experienced restaurant management consultant like Morrissey Hospitality can help build and implement training programs and practices that reflect how the restaurant will actually  operate, not just how it’s designed on paper.

Menu Engineering That Supports the Kitchen

Menus are often finalized before opening — but they’re not always tested in the context of real operations.

Before opening a restaurant in the Twin Cities, owners should understand:

  • How each item impacts kitchen flow and ticket times
  • Where margins land across the menu
  • How pricing aligns with both brand positioning and cost structure

A menu can look strong on paper and create challenges during services. Overly complex dishes, inconsistent prep times, underutilized ingredients, or unclear station responsibilities can slow down the entire operation.

An experienced hotel and restaurant management partner like Morrissey Hospitality can pressure-test the menu against real kitchen conditions to ensure every menu item supports flow, consistency, and margins. 

Established Cost Controls and Aligned Quality Checks

Cost management should never be a post-opening project. Instead, cost and quality checks should be built into the operation from the start.

Before opening day, restaurant owners in the Midwest should have:

  • Defined food and beverage cost targets
  • Inventory and ordering processes in place
  • Vendor agreements and pricing confirmed
  • Systems to track theoretical versus actual costs
  • Regular management meetings scheduled to align goals with reality

Without these elements of restaurant management in Minneapolis, it becomes difficult to identify issues early. Small variances in labor or food cost can compound quickly, especially in the early days after opening.

A strong restaurant management consultant in the Midwest can help establish these controls and set up systems early, including purchasing processes, reporting structures, and accountability across teams.

When cost controls are in place from day one, restaurant operators can make better decisions — faster.

Operational Systems That Keep Services Smooth 

Restaurants can only move as efficiently as their systems allow.

Before opening a restaurant in the Midwest, operators should have clarity around:

  • POS functionality, programming, and reporting
  • Scheduling and labor management tools
  • Reservation and online ordering solutions
  • Communication protocols between FOH and BOH
  • Standard operating procedures for service

When these systems aren’t fully aligned, friction will show up immediately. Orders slow down, flow becomes imbalanced, communication breaks, and teams spend more time troubleshooting than executing.

“A dining experience, like a theatre production, relies on everything working together seamlessly,” Brown said. “Systems are essential for measuring a restaurant’s success during and after service. Trusted data comes only from properly set-up systems, enabling sound business decisions.”

With the right restaurant management consulting services, owners can align systems to support the pace and flow of service. The goal is consistency — across teams, across shifts, and across the guest experience.

Leadership Alignment and an Opening Plan

Time moves fast when you’re opening a new restaurant in the Twin Cities. Decisions must be made quickly, and teams look to leadership for direction.

“Opening a restaurant involves extensive planning and preparation, necessitating strong organizational, leadership, delegation, and management skills,” Brown said. “Engaging a management company like Morrissey Hospitality provides valuable support and oversight, significantly enhancing operational capabilities and increasing the likelihood of a successful launch and ongoing performance.”

Before opening, ownership and leadership teams need to be aligned on:

  • Priorities for the first 30, 60, and 90 days
  • Decision-making structure and escalation points
  • Key performance indicators for early success
  • Communication pathways across teams
  • On-the-fly action plans and emergency protocols

Without solid alignment among decision-makers, even the best teams can lose momentum.

An experienced hospitality management partner like Morrissey Hospitality can provide structure and establish alignment early on, helping leadership stay focused while adjusting to real-time challenges.

Opening with Structure, Not Guesswork 

The first few weeks of service do more than introduce a new restaurant to its community — they establish how the restaurant will (or won’t) run.

Teams fall into habits quickly. Systems either hold up or show strain. Small gaps in training, menu engineering, or cost control become problematic patterns when not addressed early.

Restaurant owners who take the time to build structure before opening are in a stronger position to lead through the early days. They can adjust with intention, support their teams more successfully, and keep the focus on consistency rather than constant correction.

An experienced hospitality management consultant like Morrissey Hospitality can provide an added layer of support during the early stages. With the right partner, restaurant owners can open their doors with a clear plan, tested systems, and a team that understands how to work together.

Opening day is just the start. Schedule a call with Morrissey Hospitality to create a concept built for long-term success. 

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.