# BEYOND

# the plate

Established in 1988, we embarked on a journey fueled by a passion for food and remarkable dining experiences. With over three decades of expertise, we have emerged as an adept leader in the industry, each chapter filled with valuable insights and tailored solutions to navigate the unique challenges of this ever-evolving field.
Our philosophy centers around innovation and industry insight, empowering clients to thrive in a dynamic culinary landscape. More than consultants, we are companions on your unique culinary adventure. From the initial spark of an idea to the full realization of a restaurant dream, we engage in a hands-on collaboration and navigate every step, transforming aspirations into tangible realities.
At Synergy, we foster an environment where knowledge and an entrepreneurial spirit converge with a network of industry experts and seasoned professionals. Having collaborated with some of the nation's largest restaurant groups and food service operators, we continue to apply innovation and elevate industry standards.

# 1988

Dean launches Synergy Restaurant Consultants, focused on operator and supplier menu innovation starting with Nabisco and Chiquita. Danny joins a year later and the partners rely on time spent at 150+ restaurant kitchens to share insights on overcoming operational difficulties and commercializing recipes to create consistent products for national use.

# 1993

Dean & Danny’s Custom Seasonings is launched to help chain operators deliver memorable flavors in simple ways. Disney purchases seasoning blends for two restaurants and requests products to be packaged for retail sales at the park.

# 2000

Recognized as a leader in the industry, Dean was invited to present about menu trends at the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators Conference (MUFSO). Two years later, Dean and Danny are in demand as presenters at multiple industry events, including The Menu’s conference.

# 2007

Dean and Danny are asked to be contributing writers forecasting trends for Flavor and Plate magazines.

# 2008

Synergy completes 20 years of practice and grows the team to include experts in other areas of the industry, such as design, marketing, HR and supply chain management.

# 2011

The expanded Synergy team partners with industry leaders such as TGI Fridays to create an efficient new prototype, and Mike Roberts, former president of McDonald’s, retains Synergy to help develop and launch LYFE Kitchen, voted by Nation’s Restaurant News as Hot Concept of the Year 2014 in Fast Casual.

# 2012

Synergy goes international and works with clients in Guatemala, Mexico, Indonesia, Kuwait, and beyond.

# 2016

Moving beyond restaurants, The Mayo Clinic retains Synergy to develop a new concept for its outpatient dining facility, helping to change food service in healthcare. USMA at West Point Military retains Synergy to develop its officers’ catering program.

# 2017

Synergy is recognized for efficient design by several industry journals, including Foodservice Equipment Records for creating ergonomic and energy-efficient designs for the heart of the house for Pollo Campero and other operators.

# 2018

The Synergy leadership team is invited to present at several conferences, including the Multi-Unit Foodservice Equipment Symposium, Chain Operators Exchange, Urban Land Institute, and The Pizza Expo.

# 2020

Synergy provides free tools and strategies for operators working remotely during the pandemic shutdown to help restaurants pivot through the most challenging time in the industry.

# 1988

Dean launches Synergy Restaurant Consultants, focused on operator and supplier menu innovation starting with Nabisco and Chiquita. Danny joins a year later and the partners rely on time spent at 150+ restaurant kitchens to share insights on overcoming operational difficulties and commercializing recipes to create consistent products for national use.

# 1993

Dean & Danny’s Custom Seasonings is launched to help chain operators deliver memorable flavors in simple ways. Disney purchases seasoning blends for two restaurants and requests products to be packaged for retail sales at the park.

# 2000

Recognized as a leader in the industry, Dean was invited to present about menu trends at the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators Conference (MUFSO). Two years later, Dean and Danny are in demand as presenters at multiple industry events, including The Menu’s conference.

# 2007

Dean and Danny are asked to be contributing writers forecasting trends for Flavor and Plate magazines.

# 2008

Synergy completes 20 years of practice and grows the team to include experts in other areas of the industry, such as design, marketing, HR and supply chain management.

# 2011

The expanded Synergy team partners with industry leaders such as TGI Fridays to create an efficient new prototype, and Mike Roberts, former president of McDonald’s, retains Synergy to help develop and launch LYFE Kitchen, voted by Nation’s Restaurant News as Hot Concept of the Year 2014 in Fast Casual.

# 2012

Synergy goes international and works with clients in Guatemala, Mexico, Indonesia, Kuwait, and beyond.

# 2016

Moving beyond restaurants, The Mayo Clinic retains Synergy to develop a new concept for its outpatient dining facility, helping to change food service in healthcare. USMA at West Point Military retains Synergy to develop its officers’ catering program.

# 2017

Synergy is recognized for efficient design by several industry journals, including Foodservice Equipment Records for creating ergonomic and energy-efficient designs for the heart of the house for Pollo Campero and other operators.

# 2018

The Synergy leadership team is invited to present at several conferences, including the Multi-Unit Foodservice Equipment Symposium, Chain Operators Exchange, Urban Land Institute, and The Pizza Expo.

#### 2020

Synergy provides free tools and strategies for operators working remotely during the pandemic shutdown to help restaurants pivot through the most challenging time in the industry.

## Managing Partners

# Dean Small

# Founder & Managing Partner

# X

# Dean

# Small

# Founder & Managing Partner

Dean Small, the founder and CEO of Synergy Restaurant Consultants, has more than 35 years of hands-on food service experience. In addition to leading Synergy for nearly three decades, he has owned and operated restaurants, bakeries, juice bars, and retail specialty food concepts.
Upon graduating from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Dean completed a two-year culinary apprenticeship at Windows On The World, at the time the number one sales volume restaurant in the world, located atop the World Trade Center in New York City. During his apprenticeship, Dean also served as personal executive chef to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. In 1985, Dean became Director of Culinary Development and Purchasing Manager at El Torito Restaurants, which operated more than 220 units and 12 restaurant concepts, with operations grossing over $420 million.
In 1988, Dean founded Synergy Restaurant Consultants to provide innovation and efficiency strategies to restaurants and food manufacturers. Since then, Synergy has been a food, beverage, and operations resource to over 225 national restaurant chains and independent operators. Dean earned a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University and an AOS from the CIA.

# CLOSE

# Danny Bendas

# Managing Partner

# X

# Danny

# Bendas

# Managing Partner

Danny Bendas, a Managing Partner of Synergy Restaurant Consultants since 1989, has more than 30 years of practical food service experience and has worked for numerous restaurant operations ranging from quick-serve to fine dining establishments. Following his culinary education, Danny became opening chef at Houlihan’s Old Place in Kansas City, Mo., and was rapidly promoted to the position of the company’s first regional/corporate chef.
Later in his career, Danny was chef at the acclaimed American Restaurant in Kansas City; Director of Operations for American Food Service Enterprises (food service division of Hallmark Cards) in Kansas City; and Vice President, Food & Beverage for Nanco Enterprises in Santa Barbara, Calif., an operator of a nationwide chain of casual theme and steakhouse restaurants. At Synergy, he has partnered with more than 225 clients, providing services ranging from new concept development, menu innovation, and operations assessments to strategic planning and management development.
Danny earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, an AAS degree from Bucks County Community College, and an AOS from the Culinary Institute of America, where he was the recipient of the Waldorf Astoria Scholastic Achievement Award.

# CLOSE

### Consultancy Team

# Mandy DeLucia

# Chief Strategy Officer

# X

# Mandy

# DeLucia

# Chief Strategy Officer

With more than 20 years of diverse international project management experience, Mandy DeLucia ensures Synergy projects exceed client expectations through clear team communication and strategic problem-solving. She initially developed her client services and project coordination skills as a Valuations Manager at Sotheby’s in London, where she served high-net-worth clients cataloging the contents of multi-faceted collections and coordinating contributions from subject matter experts. She honed her project management skills as an editorial manager for Rizzoli Publications in New York City specializing in brand storytelling. She was responsible for coordinating all aspects of long-term projects requiring detailed documentation, adherence to tight deadlines, budgetary oversight, and international contract negotiations. In her ten years with Synergy, Mandy has led project teams through brand and concept development, managed restaurant startups and helped clients turn drifting brands around with a focus on connecting with target audiences through strategic points of difference.

Mandy is a graduate of Emory University and earned her master’s degree through the State University of New York.

‍

# CLOSE

# Lisa Fraser

# Chief Operations Officer

# X

# Lisa

# Fraser

# Chief Operations Officer

Born and raised in Southern California, Lisa Fraser has over 25 years of administration and organizational operations experience. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Lisa has worked for corporations in various industries over the course of her career. As an administrative and operational professional, she has worked in both large and small for-profit companies along with non-profit organizations, bringing her expertise to each role. Lisa seeks to increase efficiencies and optimize operation solutions in all administrative processes. Among several other positions, Lisa has worked as a National Account Manager, Operations Manager and Director of Operations.

# CLOSE

# Amanda Stokes

# Operations, Training & Recruiting Consultant

# X

# Amanda

# Stokes

# Operations, Training & Recruiting Consultant

Amanda is a highly skilled restaurant professional with almost 30 years of experience in the industry. Having spent most of her career at Brinker International and the last 15 years as a Director of Operations, she is well suited to drive operational excellence through creating winning cultures. She is a visionary leader experienced in building and developing high performing teams that deliver results.

Her collaborative approach, and passion for creating the best job in the industry for her team has proven to be a recipe for success. She strongly believes that if the team members and leaders feel valued, empowered, and critical to the organization, they will create great experiences.

She is experienced in turn-around situations and change management that can help leaders see their business through different lenses and bring clarity and solutions to under-performing restaurant teams. She was a key part of Women Take the Lead; a program developed to elevate and empower women leaders. This coupled with her involvement with the Women’s Foodservice Forum gave her enormous satisfaction that she played a part in championing and promoting talented leaders into next level positions.

Amanda proudly serves on the Board of Directors at Operation Enduring Warrior and Safe Animal Shelter. She loves giving back to these organizations and helping to bring awareness to their causes.

‍

# CLOSE

# Eric Lauer

# Operations & Culinary Consultant

# X

# Eric

# Lauer

# Operations & Culinary Consultant

Eric is a proud US Navy Vet with over 30 years in the hospitality industry. He has worked in every position, from delivery driver to Multi-Unit Manager. Eric spent the majority of his career working for some of the top restaurant chains in the country and leverages his knowledge of systems and tools to help others achieve operational excellence. He has mentored many leaders and enabled them to gain confidence and proficiency in their roles. Studying at the Culinary Institute of America has given Eric a strong culinary background that he has leveraged to develop craveable and executable menus for various restaurants. Eric excels in finding solutions for restaurant operations issues and helps leaders to solve problems that are holding them back from achieving their goals.

# CLOSE

# David Lessin

# Culinary Consultant

# X

# David

# Lessin

# Culinary Consultant

David Lessin is a seasoned food and beverage professional with a distinguished career spanning over 15 years working for esteemed concepts like Bazaar by Jose Andres as well as SAAM Tasting Room at the SLS Hotel and Destroyer by Chef Jordan Khan. A California native, David has honed his expertise in culinary operations and menu development through diverse roles including Executive Chef, Owner/Operator, and Start-up Consultant. His deep industry knowledge and passion for exceptional dining experiences have made him a valuable asset to Synergy Restaurant Consultants.

‍

# CLOSE

# Monica Challingsworth

# Operations Consultant and Catering Programs

# X

# Monica

# Lyons

# Operations Consultant and Catering Programs

Monica carries with her 14 years of experience in hospitality, leadership, and sales. Her background stands strong, with a record generation of over $16 million in catering sales alone. With a focus on catering, she has successfully designed, implemented, and executed extremely successful programs. Monica has a responsibility for developing, engaging, and sustaining her clients’ most important assets — their people and top line revenue. She believes that in a business, every existing team member possesses true leadership potential, and with a clear focus on development and training, this potential can be realized. Monica’s ability to effectively lead a large team in the hospitality industry has led her to work with some of the top names, including Darden Restaurants, Lemonade Restaurant Group, Bottega Louie Restaurant and Gourmet Market. Monica is a graduate of Kent State University with a degree in Nutrition and Food; specializing in Hospitality Management.

# CLOSE

# Nanette McWhertor

# Operations & Training Consultant

# X

# Nanette

# McWhertor

# Operations & Training Consultant

Nanette has 30 plus years in the restaurant industry. She is a diligent and enthusiastic training and development specialist. In addition, she is an operational expert with systems, initiatives and company programs. She specializes in team member and guest relations, and will be focused in building build loyalty through personal connection and recovery programs. She is able to develop and implement programs that grow sales and build consistency throughout the organization. Lastly, she is a restaurant opening expert opening over 150 restaurants with 4 major brands. Her approach is to be side by side with your team to understand how to help them best improve your business.

# CLOSE

# Jarrod Dellachiesa

# Technology & Operations Consultant

# X

# Jarrod

# Dellachiesa

# Technology & Operations Consultant

With an extensive background in restaurant operations, training and technology, Jarrod uses his real-world experience to develop total-solution technology packages for Synergy clients. He knows all too well how frustrating it is to utilize a system that appears to be simply “off the shelf”, and how annoying it can be to get connected with a help desk tech with no operational experience.
Jarrod brings a unique, and refreshing, perspective to restaurant technology, always keeping in mind the end user, whether that is the Guest, a cashier or management. His passion is providing clients with cost-effective, integrated, and easy-to-use systems that simply work the way they should.

# CLOSE

# Javier Navarro

# Culinary & Operations Consultant

# X

# Javier

# Navarro

# Culinary & Operations Consultant

Javier Navarro has over 30 years of restaurant experience ranging from menu development, supply chain management, restaurant operations, manager and team member training and development, along with various other roles. While he has worn various hats within his positions in the restaurant business, he excels at restaurant operations. Along with menu development, he has successfully helped open over 80 restaurants from the onset of hiring, training, compliance, and implementing kitchen systems and operating procedures. He is also well-versed in negotiating contracts or agreements with suppliers and distributors to make the most cost-effective decisions. He believes that for a restaurant to be successful, there must be a culture of accountability, commitment, and shared success.

# CLOSE

# Clyde Gilfillan

# Operations & Finance Consultant

# X

# Clyde

# Gilfillan

# Operations & Finance Consultant

Clyde Gilfillan, an operations specialist, concept/business developer, and catalyst for sales and profit improvement/turnarounds, brings expertise to established companies by centering operations personnel on primary objectives and critical issues, developing and implementing strategies that improve average unit volumes, area profitability and overall operating structure. He also helps startups grow, and improves emerging brands through concept formation; brand development; and creation or enhancement of policies, processes, and controls.
Clyde has more than 25 years of operational and executive experience in several key sectors of the food service industry, including restaurants, airline and hospital food service, and high-volume sports stadium/airport concessions. Among many other positions, he has served as COO for The Hamlet Restaurant Group and also for The Harper’s Restaurant Group, Market Partner for Flat Rock Grille. Directing the largest airline catering and ground services hub in the U.S., he was able to stabilize this high-profile profit center by turning $6 million in annualized losses into sustained profitability within eight months of taking charge.
Clyde has served on numerous boards and has spoken at numerous institutions on the subject of hospitality.

# CLOSE

### Industry Experts

# Laura Martin

# Brand Strategy Consultant

# X

# Laura

# Martin

# Brand Strategy Consultant

A dynamic hospitality executive with over 30 years of high-growth, chain restaurant experience, entrepreneurial ownership, big data analytics and strategic consulting work. Laura’s specialties include: brand assessment, strategy, concept development, guest experience, analytics, consumer insights, menu optimization, and marketing.
A Progress Strategist, Laura helps clients develop successful brand strategies and rejuvenation plans with holistic, realistic and creative solutions. With a knack for solving complex problems, she helps individuals and businesses achieve success they don’t think is possible. Whether in start-up, turnaround or stagnant conditions, Laura helps clients build brands and concepts that last.
Laura works with private equity groups, lenders, chain leadership and entrepreneurs to assess business and brand conditions and move clients forward – whether as emerging, new-growth concepts or a turnaround for large-scale, legacy brands.
A visionary – she Co-founded Czar Metrics, a Big Data consumer insights and analytics consultancy now merged with Fishbowl Analytics, a Symphony Technology Group company. Czar pioneered highly innovative methods to drive quantitative menu optimization and pricing, working with hundreds of restaurant brands.In her consulting practice, Laura developed a unique, strategic method for Guest Journey Design by mapping scalable, curated guest experiences that foster deep customer engagement. Harnessing proven psychological science around sensory, emotion and loyalty; the work is a collaboration with leadership teams to integrate the operation, culture and brand into a holistic guest and employee experience.

# CLOSE

# Bob Kuchinski

# Kitchen Design Consultant

# X

# Bob

# Kuchinski

# Kitchen Design Consultant

Bob Kuchinski, in 30 years as a design director, has received numerous restaurant industry awards for his innovative and highly adaptable designs. He specializes in designing kitchens with energy-efficient features, which is evidenced in his prototypical design for LYFE Kitchen. Bob’s extensive knowledge of ergonomic and efficient design strategies also guided the Synergy team in the development of a prototypical kitchen for Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Cue, a 127-unit chain. The new, more compact kitchen, with tightened work stations and reduced steps needed to work multiple stations, facilitated a reduced overall footprint for the store by 25 percent without impacting performance.
A cum laude graduate in architecture of Cal Poly Pomona, Bob credits his unique problem-solving skills and abilities to intense training and many years of practical application and experience.

# CLOSE

# Jim Campbell

# Supply Chain Management Consultant

# X

# Jim

# Campbell

# Supply Chain Management Consultant

Jim Campbell has more than 30 years of supply chain management experience developed with a dozen restaurant concepts ranging from fast food to fine dining. He is skilled at commodity market analysis and evaluation, as well as negotiating long-term contracts to protect operating margins. Jim has a proven vendor selection process that delivers quality and value to operating groups. He excels at developing center-of-the-plate programs with primary producers that emphasize specifications, production requirements and food safety, with the end result of delivering value.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton.

# CLOSE

# Margee Drews

# Interior Design Consultant

# X

# Margee

# Drews

# Interior Design Consultant

Margee Drews, a senior associate at Synergy, has more two decades of experience bringing her distinctive design, creativity, and extensive resources to restaurant organizations such as California Pizza Kitchen, Marie Callender’s, Impresario Restaurant at the Los Angeles Music Center, Amazing Jake’s Food and Fun, Chevy’s Restaurants, Crazy Horse Saloon, and dozens of other high-profile restaurants throughout the country. In California, she has served as Director of Design for Acapulco Restaurants in Long Beach, and as Senior Interior Designer at Beckham Eisenman Commercial Design in Irvine.
Margee is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach, where she received her BFA in interior design with a minor in industrial design.

# CLOSE

# Christi Christian

# Marketing Consultant

# X

# Christi

# Christian

# Marketing Consultant

Christi joins the Synergy team with over 14 years of marketing experience. Born and raised in California, Christi has a love for baseball, dogs, sushi rolls and spicy shrimp tacos (okay she loves lots of food as long as she has an eating companion). Small and mighty you don’t want to catch this petite one off guard as she is a Sr. 4th degree martial artist and she packs a punch. No shortage on energy Christi has spent the last decade taking a small sandwich chain to meet the big boys 5 units to 18 and counting. Specializing in integrating new marketing systems and changing the way hospitality is delivered. Christi has a proven track record of developing innovative unique marketing plans while opening new stores with a bang! A Passionate hard-working people lover is the best way to describe this one.

# CLOSE