Restaurant Operations & Beverage Consulting

    Better restaurant systems.
    Higher profits.
    Less chaos.

    Practical consulting for independent restaurants — improving beverage profitability, inventory controls, staff training, and front-of-house operating systems.

    Built by a working restaurant operator who still manages service, people, inventory, purchasing, training and a 400+ label wine program.

    Request a Profitability AuditSchedule a Discovery Call

    Fixed fee audit: $1,250  •  No long-term commitment

    Stemware prepared for service in a restaurant dining room
    Ivo Cooper, General Manager and Beverage Director at M Grill, Los Angeles

    Ivo Cooper · General Manager & Beverage Director · M Grill, Los Angeles

    Built by someone who still works Saturday night service.

    • 20+ years in hospitality and restaurant operations
    • Oversees an award-winning wine program with 400+ labels
    • Approximately 3,000 bottles under management
    • Leads restaurant operations, training, purchasing and beverage strategy

    No theory. No recycled consulting slides. Practical systems that have to work during real service.

    Built by an operator, not a spectator.

    Ivo Cooper is a Los Angeles restaurant operator and beverage director with more than two decades in hospitality. As General Manager & Beverage Director at M Grill, he oversees day-to-day restaurant operations and an award-winning wine program of more than 400 labels and approximately 3,000 bottles.

    His consulting approach is practical: protect margin, reduce unnecessary complexity, build controls managers can maintain, and give teams systems they can actually use during service.

    "Theoretical knowledge is not enough. The system has to work on a Saturday night."

    Wine · Hospitality · Restaurant Leadership

    Press & Published Work

    Authored trade commentary and independent conversations about wine buying, service and the work of leading a restaurant.

    By Ivo

    The SOMM Journal

    Authored trade commentary

    Reframing an Underdog

    At FLX Riesling Camp, Questions—and Answers—Arose About How the Trade Should Talk About the Finger Lakes.

    October/November 2026 · p. 121 · By Ivo Cooper

    Original authored trade commentary by Ivo Cooper on Finger Lakes Riesling, wine buying, regional positioning and placement — and how the trade can bring regional discovery to the wine list.

    Read article · Publisher PDFRead article · Page reader

    Read the original at the publisher. Article copyright remains with its respective rights holders.

    Interviews & Features

    Los Angeles Blade

    Editorial profile · April 19, 2026

    Intentional hospitality: How Ivo Cooper is redefining the dining experience at M Grill

    A profile of Ivo’s approach to leadership, team development, and creating a consistent guest experience.

    Read article

    VoyageLA

    Interview · February 10, 2026

    Meet Ivo Cooper of Los Angeles

    Ivo’s journey from Bulgaria to restaurant leadership in Los Angeles and the service philosophy behind his work.

    Read article

    Industry Recognition

    Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards

    M Grill · Best of Award of Excellence

    Restaurant wine program recognition · Since 2023

    The restaurant wine program Ivo oversees earned Wine Spectator’s two-glass Best of Award of Excellence. This is a program award, not an individual editorial byline.

    View award listing

    20+ Years

    Hospitality & Operations

    400+ Labels

    Wine Program Management

    ~3,000 Bottles

    Inventory Experience

    Los Angeles

    Operator-Led Consulting

    Where Systems Break Down

    Restaurants rarely lose money because of one thing.

    They lose money when systems do not connect.

    Inventory does not match purchasing.

    Staff are not confident selling.

    Menus and pricing are not engineered for margin.

    Training is inconsistent.

    Dead inventory accumulates.

    Managers spend too much time putting out fires.

    Service standards live in people’s heads instead of usable systems.

    Beverage programs grow without clear controls.

    The beverage program often exposes these operational weaknesses first — which is why it is the most practical place to start.

    Who I Work With

    Best fit for restaurants that want better systems without adding corporate bureaucracy.

    Practical support for owners, general managers and opening teams who want stronger margins, clearer controls and more consistent service.

    Independent restaurants

    Chef-driven concepts

    New openings

    Restaurants adding beer & wine

    Restaurants with underperforming beverage programs

    Multi-unit independent groups

    Wine remains a strong starting point. The goal is a beverage and front-of-house operation that works as one system.

    What I Review

    Restaurant Profitability Audit

    Beverage + Front-of-House Review

    A focused $1,250 review of the revenue, control, inventory, training and service systems closest to the guest experience.

    A.

    Beverage Program & Wine Architecture

    List size, BTG mix, selection balance, concept fit, duplication and opportunity gaps.

    B.

    Pricing, Margins & Menu Profitability

    Bottle/glass economics, price ladders, trade-up opportunities, check-average opportunities and menu alignment.

    C.

    Inventory, Purchasing & Controls

    SKU count, pars, ordering, receiving, dead stock, storage, bottle-location workflow and management visibility.

    D.

    Staff Selling & Training Readiness

    Wine/beverage selling language, pairing confidence, menu knowledge, onboarding gaps and practical floor tools.

    E.

    Service Standards & FOH Execution

    Guest-facing standards, service consistency, opening/closing gaps, manager ownership and workflow friction.

    F.

    Technology & Preservation

    Preservation and inventory system suitability evaluated only when the restaurant’s scale and complexity justify them; software arrangements are subject to provider approval and separate terms.

    What You Receive

    A diagnosis you can act on.

    Every audit ends with a written action plan and a working session — not a report that sits in a drawer.

    • Restaurant Profitability Audit & Action Plan
    • Beverage and wine architecture assessment
    • BTG / beverage profitability review
    • Pricing and margin observations
    • Inventory and purchasing assessment
    • FOH service / training readiness review
    • Technology suitability assessment
    • Top five immediate actions
    • KEEP / CHANGE / ADD / REMOVE / CONTROL / TECHNOLOGY / TRAIN framework
    • 45-minute findings & strategy meeting

    The Audit Framework

    KEEP
    CHANGE
    ADD
    REMOVE
    CONTROL
    TECHNOLOGY
    TRAIN

    Sample Audit Deliverables

    See what a $1,250 diagnosis actually looks like.

    Illustrative report structure based on the audit methodology. These are samples, not findings or results from a real client.

    Ivolution / Sample01

    Executive Summary

    Priority operating gaps

    Revenue & control opportunities

    Scope and next decisions

    Beverage + Front-of-House Review

    Ivolution / Sample02

    Audit Scorecard

    Beverage & margin

    Inventory & purchasing

    Training & FOH execution

    Beverage + Front-of-House Review

    Ivolution / Sample03

    Decision Framework

    KEEP

    CHANGE

    ADD

    REMOVE

    CONTROL

    TECHNOLOGY

    TRAIN

    Beverage + Front-of-House Review

    Ivolution / Sample04

    Profitability Analysis

    Bottle cost / pour size / glass price

    Gross profit & waste exposure

    Price ladders & menu alignment

    Beverage + Front-of-House Review

    Ivolution / Sample05

    Top Five Action Plan

    01–05 / Prioritized immediate actions

    Owner / practical next step

    Control / review checkpoint

    Beverage + Front-of-House Review

    Ivolution / Sample06

    30 / 60 / 90 Roadmap

    30 / Stabilize core controls

    60 / Build training & workflows

    90 / Review and refine systems

    Beverage + Front-of-House Review

    Restaurant Profitability Audit

    Beverage + Front-of-House Review

    $1,250

    Fixed project fee

    A focused review of the restaurant systems closest to revenue, margin, inventory control and guest-facing execution. Includes the written action plan and a 45-minute findings & strategy meeting.

    Move forward with a qualifying implementation engagement within 30 calendar days after audit delivery and $500 of the audit fee is credited toward implementation.

    Request a Profitability AuditStart with a Discovery Call

    Implementation, staff training, inventory setup and broader FOH systems are available separately when appropriate. Commercial software arrangements require provider approval and separate terms.

    Process

    A clear path from first conversation to action.

    01

    Request an audit or discovery call

    Tell me about the restaurant and what you want to improve.

    02

    Fit check / scope confirmation

    Confirm the right starting point and the focused review scope.

    03

    Agreement + payment

    $1,250 fixed fee. Agreement and payment before audit work begins. No long-term commitment.

    04

    Intake + restaurant materials

    Menus, beverage costs, inventory, sales reports, training materials and relevant SOPs.

    05

    Audit completed

    Generally within 7 business days after all required materials are received.

    06

    Findings & strategy meeting

    A 45-minute working session on the action plan and next steps.

    Implementation is optional and quoted separately only if you want help executing the recommendations.

    Hospitality lounge with glass-front wine storage walls along a bar lined with gold velvet seatingWine storage room with labeled bottles organized on wood shelving and metal racks around a tasting table

    If You Want Help Executing

    The audit identifies what should change. Implementation is where we build it.

    Implementation is optional and quoted separately. Build only the systems the restaurant needs — not a bigger consulting commitment.

    Wine Program Build / Refresh

    Build or refine the list around concept, margin and what guests actually order.

    Beverage Profitability & Menu Strategy

    BTG economics, pricing, selection and menu alignment built for sustainable margin.

    Inventory & Beverage Controls

    Independent bottle reconciliation, cost accuracy, purchasing and multi-location controls. Evaluate first; cleanup and implementation scoped separately.

    Explore inventory & profitability

    Staff Training & Sales Systems

    Onboarding, menu knowledge and practical selling tools teams can use during service.

    FOH Operating Systems

    Opening / closing procedures, training manuals, service standards, manager tools and beverage SOPs.

    See exactly what the $1,250 restaurant profitability audit covers, or read the operator guides on wine cost, by-the-glass pricing and inventory variances.

    Independent inventory consulting

    Wine Inventory, Reconciliation & Controls

    Know every bottle. Control every dollar.

    For wine-forward independent restaurants, steakhouses, fine dining, private clubs and boutique hospitality managing multiple wine storage locations. Clear records, usable controls and a team that knows the system — not a software sales pitch.

    Reconcile every bottle

    Physical bottle counts reconciled to existing records; SKU and vintage mapping, bottle-cost accuracy, and receiving and purchasing controls.

    Find it across locations

    Bottle-location tracking, cellar organization and storage mapping across cellars, service stations and overflow storage.

    Understand the economics

    Identify slow-moving stock and tied-up capital; review by-the-glass versus bottle profitability using available cost and sales records.

    Connect the workflow

    POS-to-inventory workflow design and variance reporting where actual integrations permit. No promise of direct integrations or continuous real-time sync.

    Make controls stick

    Practical service SOPs, clear receiving and count responsibilities, and hands-on staff adoption and training.

    Choose what fits

    Technology-neutral selection: a spreadsheet, your existing POS/back-office solution, or a qualified digital wine inventory tool. No required software purchase.

    Evaluate first. Implement by agreement.

    01 / Evaluate

    Existing $1,250 audit

    Wine program and profitability review within the Restaurant Profitability Audit — Beverage + Front-of-House Review. Includes system suitability evaluation and priorities, not a physical count or system rollout.

    02 / Implement

    Starting around $1,500–$2,500

    Inventory cleanup and implementation, scoped separately. Agree the count, reconciliation, controls and training work before starting; final fees depend on scope.

    03 / Map

    Separately quoted

    Complex custom cellar mapping priced to the storage layout and project requirements. Third-party software fees are separate from consulting fees.

    Technology options, including InVintory's hospitality inventory platform where suitable and available, are assessed case by case; commercial software arrangements remain subject to provider approval and separate terms. Any InVintory hospitality sale, referral or implementation requires prior provider approval. No guaranteed savings.

    Request an Inventory & Profitability AssessmentExplore the inventory service in detail

    Selected operating experience · Ivo Cooper

    M Grill: making seven wine storage areas usable by the whole team

    3,000+ bottles · 400+ labels · 7 storage areas — scale context, not savings

    In his GM & Beverage Director role, Ivo combined InVintory’s existing 3D mapping platform with hands-on bottle mapping, physical storage reorganization and service procedures. The result was less reliance on one manager to locate wines. This was operating work at M Grill, not an external Ivolution engagement.

    Read the experience case study

    FAQ

    Straight answers.

    Is this only for restaurants with large wine lists?

    No. Small and new programs can benefit most from getting selection, margins, pars, training and controls right early.

    Is this a full restaurant operational audit?

    No. The $1,250 audit is intentionally focused on beverage, profitability, inventory, training and guest-facing FOH systems. Broader implementation can be scoped separately.

    Are Coravin or InVintory required?

    No. Technology is recommended only when it solves a real operational problem.

    What do you need from us?

    Current menus at minimum; ideally beverage costs, inventory, pricing/invoices, POS sales reports, training materials, pars and relevant SOPs.

    How long does it take?

    Generally 7 business days after all required materials are received.

    Can you implement the recommendations?

    Yes. Implementation can be scoped separately after the audit.

    Let’s Talk About Your Restaurant

    Request an audit or discovery call

    A few details about the restaurant and what you'd like to improve. Ivo reviews every request personally.