OPENING A RESTAURANT/KITCHEN? WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT!
As the name implies, we hold your hand through every step of a kitchen launch, allowing our expertise to touch every aspect of the project. We get more involved in areas where you need more help and less in areas where you have it all under control.
• Menu Development
• Concept Development
• Branding Development
• Systems and Procedures
• Staff Training
• Kitchen Design & Implementation
• Equipment Purchase/Selection
• Product Inventory/Cost Control forms
• Elevation of the guest experience
• Social Media Creation & Development
• Supplier set-up & Realtions

RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT: WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT!
If you own a restaurant and require diligent overseeing of the restaurant and your business. Our team will oversee every aspect of the operation:
• Management and Direction of the GM and the Executive Chef
• Leadership for Menu Changes and Staff Training
• Implementation and Maintenance of Cost Control Processes
• Elevation of the Guest Experience
• Marketing Initiatives
• Social Media Integration
• Food/Becerage Cost/Margin Management

ABOUT US:
Our team has seen it all. We focus on the complete spectrum, from operations management to start-up. We know that the hospitality industry is one of the toughest around – long hours, a stressful pace, getting patrons in the door, keeping good staff – it’s a business with demands and pitfalls like no other.

EXPERIENCED:
We have more than 25 years of experience working and managing all types of businesses from private chefs, quick service kitchens to fine dining establishments. We pair clients’ vision and needs with our contacts and experiences.

TRUSTED:
Being honest and transparent is essential in making effective business decisions, and that’s what we do. You can rely on us to provide you with honest insight and support to guide your kitchen in a direction of growth.

YOUR PROJECT TEAM LEAD:
Marina Mellino CCC, has over twenty years of culinary experience and holds several memberships in Chef de Cuisine associations. Her journey began in Argentina as a young child, witnessing authentic Italian dishes created all by hand from her paternal Nonna.
She attended fine Arts University where she studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree. After moving to Canada as a young adult, Marina started working in the restaurant industry front end service and quickly moved up the ladder and took a job with the Hard Rock Café group. There, Marina was part of the openings of several restaurant locations such as in Playa del Carmen and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She then came back to Canada and was part of the opening of the Calgary Hard Rock Cafe.

During her career in the restaurant hospitality industry she has worked in all positions from hostess, public relations, bartender, expo, sommelier, prep cook, executive chef, B of H manager, manager and for the last 5 years Executive Chef/ Professor of the Spice Chica Pop-Up Schools & creator of the Mellino Gourmet Spices & Blends which have taken her as guest Chef in Mexico, USA, Korea, Argentina and Japan.
Marina consideres herself an energetic Chef expert in Asado & Fire with Pasta; her favourite cuisines which takes her back to the roots of her native Argentina and Italian heritage.

Marina’s strength and passion in making a restaurant successful are:

Menu engineering: The menu engineering process starts with a complete costing of your menu, so that you know the exact cost, margin and profit of each item. This process usually results in a 4-8% of sales profit increase.
System and procedure implementation: Properly implemented Systems and Procedures do many things, but serve to eliminate shrinkage, and give you, the owner, more control of your business while freeing up more of your time to do the better things in life.
Staff training: To give your guests an 11 out of 10 experience, your staff need to be functioning at incredibly high levels. Whether you are fine dining or a pub, excellence in staff execution is something that can be delivered at all levels and styles of restaurants.

Book a consulting discussion with Marina at marina@thespicechica.com