01 / Service
Pre-openings
An opening is won or lost before the first guest arrives. Pre-opening work builds the kitchen, the team and the systems while there is still time to change them.
02 / What it covers
- 01
Planning
Critical path from kitchen design to first service.
- 02
Recruitment
Brigade structure, roles and hiring for each outlet.
- 03
Training
Skills, standards and service rehearsal before opening.
- 04
Commissioning
Equipment, workflow and kitchen readiness.
What pre-opening work covers
Pre-opening consulting means building a culinary operation from nothing into something that can serve consistently on its first night. It runs from the concept and the menu through to the people who will cook it and the systems that hold them to a standard.
The work is sequenced, not simultaneous. Concept and menu decisions set the equipment and the layout; equipment and layout set the brigade structure; the brigade structure sets the training plan. Taken out of order, each one has to be redone.
In practice
Pablo Arias is currently on the opening team for St. Regis Costa Mujeres, a Mexican resort with nine distinct dining concepts, 163 guest rooms and suites and 81 private residences — an opening where nine kitchens have to reach the same standard at the same moment.
Earlier openings and relaunches span London, Dubai, Verbier, Aspen and Punta Mita, in properties where the culinary operation is a significant part of what the guest is paying for.
04 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
- 01
What does Pablo Arias do on a restaurant pre-opening?
Pre-opening work covers planning, recruitment, training and kitchen commissioning — building the operation before the doors open. That includes defining the culinary concept and menus, structuring the brigade, and setting the systems and standards the kitchen will run on from its first service.
- 02
What does a culinary consultant do?
A culinary consultant develops the food side of a hospitality business: the concept, the menu, the kitchen systems and the team that runs them. Pablo Arias works across six areas — pre-openings, concept development, menu engineering and costing, culinary operations, team development and brand partnerships.
05 / Contact
Have a project in mind?
Whether you're opening a new property, developing a restaurant concept, relaunching an existing operation or looking to improve culinary performance, let's talk.