Fractional CFO and finance leadership for growing multi-unit businesses
For companies that need senior financial judgment on growth decisions but aren't ready for a full-time CFO. You get answers about which units make money, what growth will cost, and where margin is leaking.
Questions this answers
- Which locations actually make money after rent, labor, royalties, and their share of overhead?
- What does a new unit cost to open, and how long until it pays back?
- Where is margin leaking: discounts, delivery commissions, waste, labor scheduling, or purchasing?
- Can we fund next year's growth plan, and what has to be true for it to work?
- Are our numbers ready for a lender, an investor, or an acquirer?
What I do
Store-level P&L and unit economics
Build a four-wall P&L for every location and a model of what drives it, so you can compare stores fairly and see what a good one looks like.
Budget, forecast, and KPI reporting
An annual budget tied to store plans, a rolling forecast, and a short set of KPIs reported on a fixed calendar to leadership and the board.
Capital planning for new units
Model new-unit investment and return, and set the hurdle a site has to clear. I built and presented a $500M+ long-range capital model to an executive team and board of directors.
Pricing and margin
Menu and product pricing grounded in actual cost to serve. Earlier in my career, profitability analysis I built led to eliminating $20M+ in loss-making sales.
Cost control and purchasing
Vendor terms, sourcing, and spend governance. I've diversified sourcing through tariff and shipping disruptions and raised managed spend from 10% to 80% across a $150M+ portfolio.
Acquisitions and readiness
Underwriting, due diligence support, and post-close integration of systems and costs, drawing on IT finance leadership for 30+ acquisitions. Controls and cost accounting that hold up under audit.
Common questions
What's the difference between this and my accountant?
Your accountant records what happened and handles tax and compliance. I focus on what to do next: which locations to fix or close, what a new unit needs to return, how to price, and whether the growth plan is affordable. I work alongside your accountant, not instead of them.
Are you a CPA?
No. I don't prepare taxes, issue audit opinions, or sign financial statements. My background is corporate finance, FP&A, cost accounting, and operations, including remediating GAAP cost accounting ahead of a public IPO.
How much time does a fractional engagement take?
Typically a set number of days per month, agreed up front, with more time in budget season, a raise, or an acquisition. The goal is senior judgment on the decisions that matter, not a second bookkeeper.
Do you work with companies outside restaurants?
Yes. Multi-unit and growing companies in distribution, consumer products, logistics, and services face the same questions about unit economics, capital, and reporting.
Tell me what isn't adding up
Send a few lines on your business, your locations, your systems, and what's breaking. I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.