Restaurant Playbook Series

Opening a restaurant is first and foremost about making good decisions. And trust me, there are a lot of them. From finding the right location to hiring a GC who actually meets deadlines, every choice can make or break your opening. That’s why we’re pulling back the curtain. We’ve interviewed brokers, lawyers, financial pros, architects, marketing experts, and restaurant owners who’ve been in the trenches. They’re sharing the tips, the traps, and the things they wish they’d known before signing that lease. Think of this as your restaurant opening cheat sheet—full of real talk, hard-earned lessons, and referrals we’ve actually used ourselves. Because a smooth launch? That’s the dream.

PLAYBOOK INTERVIEWS

Part 1. Lessons in Opening a Champagne Bar from Melanie Bauer

Opening a bar is no easy feat. From navigating financials to finding the right location, every step presents its own challenges. As Melanie Bauer prepares to open Winston Champagne Bar in the summer, she sat down with our CEO and owner Mistie Boulton (also the CEO and co-owner of Oren’s Hummus Restaurant Group), to discuss what she wishes she had known before embarking on her first hospitality entrepreneurial venture. Read the full blog post here.

Part 2. How to Choose the Perfect Space

Opening a restaurant is a thrilling journey, but it’s also one filled with unexpected challenges—many of which can be mitigated with the right architect on board. Our CEO Mistie Boulton sat down with Jimmy Turner, founder of Studio Turn Architecture, to discuss the ins and outs of restaurant design. Turner has spent over 25 years shaping commercial and residential spaces, bringing restaurants to life from the inside out. With experience designing for Crate & Barrel, Westfield Valley Fair, and a variety of Bay Area restaurants, including Forbe’s Mill and Oren’s Hummus, Turner has seen it all. From lease negotiations to feasibility studies, he offers restaurant owners a guide to bringing their vision to life without getting stuck in red tape. Read the full blog post here.

Part 3: How to Choose the Right General Contractor

Opening a restaurant is an exciting venture, but without the right team in place, it can quickly become overwhelming. One of the most critical hires? A General Contractor (GC). Our CEO, Mistie Boulton, sat down with Sam Carlson, owner and founder of Carlson Construction, to discuss how restaurant owners can choose the best GC for their project. With years of experience handling commercial tenant improvements and restaurant build-outs, Sam shares valuable insights on what to look for, what to avoid, and how to set your project up for success. Read the full blog post here.

Part 4: How to Open Your First Restaurant

What does it take to open a restaurant that people fall in love with and keep coming back to year after year? In EyeSpy’s New Restaurant Playbook series, CEO Mistie Boulton sits down with industry leaders and emerging voices to uncover the real journey behind opening a successful restaurant. In this episode, she talks with David Linares, the visionary behind Macarena, a new Spanish restaurant that recently opened in Palo Alto. Read the full blog post here.

Part 5: How To Avoid Employment Law Pitfalls

When you’re opening a restaurant, most operators focus on what guests will see: the design, the menu, the lighting, the vibe. But according to Alden Parker, Regional Managing Partner of Fisher Phillips and Co-Chair of the firm’s Hospitality Industry Group, one of the most important things a new restaurateur can do happens long before service begins: get wage and hour compliance right from day one. “The moment you open your doors, that’s where I’d start first and foremost,” Parker says. “Understand the payroll system and timekeeping software you’re going to use, because that’s where liability begins to multiply by the minute.” Read the full blog post here.

Part 6: How To Build the Finance Engine That Guides Your Opening

Opening a restaurant takes vision, stamina, and a numbers engine that tells the truth. Laurie Aaronson and Seth Davies at AOC SF, Inc., have spent two decades building that engine with operators. AOC runs full-cycle accounting so founders can focus on the floor. That includes payroll, accounts payable, bookkeeping, and month-end close, plus project work when needed. Here is a practical framework you can put to work before you sign a lease. Read the full blog post here.

Part 7: How To Create Your Brand and Approach Marketing

For nearly nine years, Nisha Maxwell has guided our clients and us in marketing efforts. In our conversation, she shares how she approaches brand development, why visuals matter, and how operators can think more creatively about community, communication, and the nonstop content cycle. Read the full blog post here.

Part 8: How To Navigate Restaurant Leasing

When it comes to finding the right space for a restaurant, few decisions matter more than the lease. To help demystify the process, we sat down with Steve Maxson of Synergy Real Estate Group Corporate Advisory, a tenant representation broker with two decades of experience and nearly a decade focused specifically on restaurants. His perspective is that the earlier you bring in expert support, the better your chances of securing a space that fits your concept and your long-term goals is. Read the full blog post here.