Hospitality consulting, design & marketing · Atlanta
We help independent restaurants and bars turn that sketch into a working business. Operations, kitchen, dining room and bar design, marketing and SEO that bring guests in, and help buying the right equipment, from people who run a restaurant every night.
What we do
Hire us for one piece or the whole build. Most clients start with a single problem, like a kitchen that doesn't flow or food costs that won't come down, and we take it from there.
Systems for the day-to-day, built by an operator who still works the floor.
Kitchen layout, dining room and bar design, and graphic design under one roof, so the room, the line and the menu all come from the same plan.
We work closely with leading manufacturers to help you choose equipment, furniture and fixtures that fit the space and the budget, at competitive prices.
Get found on Google, turn searches into reservations, and keep regulars coming back. For restaurants and other small businesses.
Design studio
A pretty room with a bad kitchen costs you every shift. We design the line, the dining room and the brand together, with the health inspector, the fire marshal and your cooks in mind.
Workflow-first plans for new builds, second-generation spaces and remodels.
Beautiful rooms that fit the concept, seat the right number of guests and hold up to service.
Brand pieces that look good and work in a dim room with a busy server holding them.
Dining room & bar design
The dining room and bar are what guests see, photograph and come back for. We design them to look good, and we plan them around how service actually moves, so the room stays comfortable on a slow Tuesday and works on a packed Saturday.
42–48" work aisles hand sink within reach of every station 18–20 sq ft per dining seat menus you can read by candlelight
Marketing, SEO & websites
Most small businesses lose customers online before anyone walks in the door. A stale Google listing, a slow website, a menu that's only a PDF, a review nobody answered. We fix the basics, then build steady marketing that brings people in on the nights you need them.
For restaurants, bars and cafes, plus bakeries, shops, salons and other neighborhood businesses.
Complete, accurate listings with current hours, menus, photos, posts and booking links. For a local business, this is often the first thing a customer sees.
more calls, clicks and directions
Keyword research, on-page fixes, local citations and content so you show up for searches like "brunch near me" or "best patio in Virginia Highland."
found by people ready to go out
Fast, mobile-first sites with a real HTML menu, online ordering and reservations, private events pages and the structured data Google reads.
a site that books tables
Systems for getting more reviews on Google, Yelp and TripAdvisor, with timely, on-brand replies to every one, good or bad.
a rating that earns trust
Content calendars, photo and video direction, and posts that sound like you. Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, planned around your menu and events.
a following that shows up
Build a guest list you own. Birthday offers, new menu launches, event announcements and win-back messages for regulars you haven't seen lately.
repeat visits you can plan for
Google and Meta campaigns aimed at your neighborhood, with tight budgets and clear goals like reservations, catering leads or event tickets.
spend that pays for itself
Simple monthly reports tying Google, web and social numbers to covers and sales, in plain language, with what we'll do next.
know what's working
We review your Google listing, website, reviews, social and competitors, and show you where customers are slipping away.
Listings, website, menu, photos and tracking, done right once.
Content, SEO, email and ads on a steady schedule, with a short report on results.
we try it on our own restaurant first
Trade purchasing
Equipment, furniture and fixtures are usually the largest checks you'll write before opening. We work closely with top manufacturers and their reps, so we know what holds up in a busy restaurant and what doesn't. We help you pick the best product for the job and get it at a competitive price.
We build the equipment schedule and FF&E list from your kitchen and interior plans, so you only buy what the space needs.
We recommend specific products from manufacturers we trust, explain the tradeoffs, and get you competitive quotes.
You approve line by line. We place orders, confirm lead times and track freight.
We coordinate delivery windows with your contractor and check every piece against the spec before sign-off.
Ranges, fryers, combi ovens, reach-ins, walk-ins, ice machines, dish machines, stainless tables and smallwares.
Commercial-grade chairs, booths, banquettes, bar stools, table tops and bases, patio furniture.
Lighting, plumbing fixtures, tile, millwork hardware, shelving and back bar components.
Purchasing support is available to design and consulting clients. You see every quote and approve every item before it's ordered.
Anthony Vipond
Founder, Back of the Napkin Hospitality
I started Back of the Napkin to give independent restaurants the kind of help the big groups get from their own in-house teams.
I've spent twenty years in restaurants and hospitality, and I still run one. Whiskey Bird, my Pacific Rim neighborhood restaurant in Atlanta's Virginia Highland, opened in 2017 and is where most of our advice gets tested first. When I recommend a POS setup, a prep system or a table layout, it's because we use it or tried something that didn't work.
Most of our clients are first-time owners, chefs going out on their own, and small groups adding a second location. We keep engagements scoped and practical, and we'd rather solve the right problem than write a long report.
Get in touch
Tell us what you're working on. A first conversation is free, and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.