I'm Steven. I've spent 19 years in hospitality, working both front and back of house, including nine years as an operating partner and GM at Ciao Italian Bistro. I'm still in restaurant management today, and seeing how different restaurants operate has given me a different perspective on the same problems a lot of owners deal with.

A restaurant can be busy and still have a tight week. Food costs go up, a piece of equipment breaks, or you need an extra person on the floor just to get through service. You're watching labor, trying to keep prices fair, and making sure the guest still gets the experience they came in for. In the middle of all that, it's easy for something like getting gift cards online or following up on a private event inquiry to get pushed to tomorrow.

That's where House/FWD came from. I build things that make it easier for guests to spend money with a restaurant and easier for the team to handle it. Sometimes it's as simple as letting someone buy a gift card after closing or giving them a place to ask about a private party while the staff is in the middle of dinner service. Those are small things, but when margins are tight and everybody's already busy, they matter.

Say someone calls on a Friday night at 7pm, in the middle of dinner service, asking about a private party for 45 people six months from now and roughly what it would cost. They can check the website and get an honest estimate, and then get a call back Monday or the next day. That call shouldn't have to wait until tomorrow — and the guest shouldn't have to wait for an answer, either.

skhospitalitiesgroup@gmail.com

@onthehousefwd