About Us

JC Restaurateur is a restaurant consulting firm built on more than 20 years of running restaurants, not only advising them.

Portrait of Gene, founder of JC Restaurateur, in a gray blazer and dark knit tie
Gene, founder

Our story

Gene founded JC Restaurateur after more than 20 years in the restaurant industry, working across both front of house and back of house. Over that career, he has served as a chef, general manager and director of operations, leading multi-million-dollar projects and managing a business of 250 employees.

His experience spans single-unit restaurants to multi-unit groups, including central kitchen operations, across formats from Korean barbecue and a New York City bakery to modern Korean fast casual. He has launched new concepts, guided restaurants through build-out to opening day, and turned around struggling businesses.

Every one of those projects taught the same lesson. Great food is only the beginning. A restaurant succeeds when its concept, menu, space, team and numbers all work together, and most of the problems owners face come from one of those pieces being out of step with the rest.

We help owners see the whole picture. For new restaurants, that means making the big decisions in the right order, from concept through construction to opening day. For restaurants already open, it means finding what is holding them back and fixing it alongside the people who run it every day.

Where our experience comes from

  • DupBopBro

    Modern Korean fast casualLower East Side, New York City

    A counter-service format built on speed and consistency, where a tight menu, efficient line and strong brand do the heavy lifting.

  • Antoya KBBQ

    Full-service Korean barbecueNow operating as Anto

    Tableside grilling is one of the most demanding formats in the industry: ventilation, grill turnover, banchan, and a dining room where every table is cooking at once.

  • Angelina Bakery

    Bakery and caféNew York City

    Early production schedules, a display case that has to look full at 7am and sell through by close, and a steady stream of walk-in guests.

  • SUTE Korean BBQ

    Korean barbecueKokomo, Indiana

    Bringing Korean barbecue to a market outside the big cities, where staffing, sourcing and guest expectations all work differently.

How we think about the work

Practical first

Every recommendation has to work during a busy service with the team you actually have.

Numbers in plain language

We explain food cost, labor and margins clearly, so you can make decisions with confidence.

Built to last

We train your people and leave systems behind, so the improvements hold after we step away.

Have a restaurant to open, or one to improve?

Tell us where things stand and what you want to change.

Book a consultation