Where Vision Meets Execution
Second Story partners with independent owners to bring clarity, structure, and expertise to every stage of your business, from preparing for opening day
to long-term success.
The second story is where the real work happens. We help you build it.
We're Restaurant People Too
Second Story Hospitality was founded by Kevin Grace and Jack Barth, two hospitality professionals who have worked alongside each other and independently across a wide range of concepts, from elevated dining to scalable fast-casual groups. We started Second Story because we believe the work that happens behind the scenes - the culture, systems, and standards - is what separates a restaurant that survives from one that thrives.
We partner with independent owners and operators to build the structure that makes great hospitality repeatable and built into the operation itself.
15 restaurant openings
Across concepts from counter-serve to elevated full service.
Scaled a concept
Took a counter-serve client into a new geographic market, from concept translation through opening day, for their third unit.
Expanded into a second market
Grew a fast-casual concept from 1 unit to 6, including a commissary kitchen and a franchised location.
Moved a unit from casual dining to elevated full service, including wine program training and an elevated culinary direction.
Re-concepted a restaurant
Our experience includes
Our approach
Two Lanes
We elevate your people.
Great hospitality comes from people who know what's expected of them and why it matters.
Owners
Vision, decision-making, and the operational realities of running a profitable restaurant.
Leaders
Coaching GMs and shift leads on accountability, communication, and building a culture of ownership.
Teams
Training FOH and BOH staff on standards, service, and consistency that holds after we leave.
We strengthen your operation.
Structure that makes great hospitality repeatable.
Accounting
Bookkeeping, payroll, financial analysis, budgets, and tracking tools.
HR Structure
Org charts, job descriptions, hierarchy, and clear responsibilities.
Process Improvement
Kitchen workflow, FOH floor management, coverage plans, service flow.
Technical Support
POS, scheduling, communications, and marketing systems.
Services
Every restaurant we work with is different, and while no two engagements look the same, these are the areas where we most commonly focus our work.
Opening
We prepare your concept, your team, and your operation for a confident, successful launch from day one.
Training
We develop your team's skills, standards, and service culture through hands-on, on-site training built around your concept.
Turnaround
We assess what isn't working, build a clear plan, and partner with you through the process of getting your restaurant back on track.
Administration
We handle the back-office details (bookkeeping, payroll, HR, and compliance) so you can focus on running your restaurant.
Let's Get In Touch
We'd love to hear about your business and learn how we can help.
