Optimizing operations,
Elevating service.
Labor Productivity
Throughput
Speed of Service
ROI

About Us

We bring seasoned operations engineering expertise to help foodservice, hospitality, and retail businesses unlock their full growth potential. Our mission is to enhance operational efficiency and elevate the customer experience through tailored, innovative solutions. Committed to measurable results and sustainable improvements, we partner with clients to drive lasting success.

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  • Assessment

    To quantify operational performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and compare platform alternatives

  • Labor

    To control and reduce labor costs, while simultaneously improving customer service

  • Design

    To improve the unit-level economics and guest service performance of the operating platform

15 Years of Learning
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"Over the span of 25 years in 3 fast casual and casual dining concepts, we have engaged the Industrial Engineering firm, The Productivity advantage for a variety of projects.  The scope of work ranged from creating a just in time ordering system to restaurant design, efficiency, and labor management efforts.  They focus on the restaurant industry and have worked with most of the big name companies. Most recently they were able to help us dramatically expand our production capacity and reduce our service times. Today, we are achieving record hourly sales, since implementing their recommendations."
- Bill Vivian, Owner, Regents Pizzeria
"The Productivity Advantage team offers a difference that I have not yet encountered with other 'labor / productivity' services. TPA takes a holistic approach in ensuring that the work they complete is useful in enhancing margins while setting up the organization for growth. This is done by fully understanding the client’s business, opportunities highlighted while diving deep into the P&L, ensuring there are clear operational standards that are laser focused on delivering a great guest / player experience and providing actionable process changes that lead to significant improvements in margin performance. I have had the pleasure of working with Rick’s team in several brands. The work has included everything from hard labor savings work to asset optimization, to service model enhancements and organizational structure enhancements. The output of the work has driven substantial benefits on the labor side, significant reduction in hurdle rates for new builds, improved guest metrics and reduced turnover via playmaker increased revenue. Would not use anyone else."
- Homero Ortegon, VP, TopGolf
"The Productivity Advantage brought a fresh, innovative perspective to our kitchen operations. They didn’t just offer generic efficiency solutions—they took the time to truly understand our business, our workflow, and our challenges. Their approach was both creative and methodical, ensuring that every recommendation had a meaningful impact. What stood out most was their attention to detail and commitment to a thorough development process. From concept to implementation, they focused on solutions that would drive the biggest improvements without disrupting what already worked. Their insights and strategies have made a lasting impact on our business, improving both performance and profitability."
- Javier Vasquez, CEO, Miguel's Restaurants
"The Productivity Advantage brought exceptional expertise in managing labor costs and improving workforce efficiency. They helped us establish clear labor standards and implement systems that transformed our scheduling process. We now use these standards not only for scheduling but also to measure performance and develop a bottom-up budget for our annual financial planning. Their approach goes beyond standard Sales-per-Labor-Hour (SLH) models by considering each location’s unique business flow, resulting in more accurate staffing and financial projections. Their deep knowledge and hands-on approach have made a significant impact on our operations."
- Paul Potvin, CFO, California Fish Grill
"Having worked with The Productivity Advantage as a client, I was always impressed by their ability to uncover inefficiencies and implement practical, data-driven solutions. Their expertise in optimizing operations made a tangible impact on our business, and when I later found myself between roles, the opportunity to join their team felt like a natural fit. Being on the inside only reinforced what I had experienced as a client—their commitment to delivering real, measurable results and their passion for helping businesses thrive. I highly recommend The Productivity Advantage to any organization looking to improve efficiency and drive sustainable growth."
- Dave Gates, Former VP of Enterprise Transformation, Red Robin

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