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Fractional HR for Independent Restaurants

Hospitality People Operations

Today's Human Resources can be your competitive advantage — stop losing money to turnover, disengagement, and compliance gaps. Senior-level people ops built for independent restaurant groups.

$0K
Avg Annual Turnover Cost
0+
Years HR Experience
0
Recent Hospitality Clients
Jim Needell — HPO
Hospitality People Operations
Meet HPO

Stop Losing Money to Hospitality HR Problems

The cost of turnover, disengagement, and compliance is real. You're likely already paying for this — just not in the way you want. Reallocating those hidden costs into intentional investments will improve your team's experience and your restaurant's performance.

With a robust background in Food and Beverage operations and Human Resources, Hospitality People Ops. (HPO) offers innovative support for the independent restaurant groups that mean so much to our communities.

Pricing is designed with the independent operator in mind:

Monthly Support Packages
Project-Based Pricing
Hourly Consulting
Recruitment Services
Explore Focus Areas
Trusted by Independent Hospitality Operators
Grub Durham NOSH La Farm Bakery Osha Thai Kitchen Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken Modesto Wood Fire Kitchen P&O Salsas Bomba VIR Client Grub Durham NOSH La Farm Bakery Osha Thai Kitchen Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken Modesto Wood Fire Kitchen P&O Salsas Bomba VIR Client

Try our People Ops Assessment and receive a FREE 1-Hour Consultation

HPO is now offering Full-Cycle Recruitment as a standalone service

The average restaurant spends $75K per year on turnover alone. Add compliance gaps, disengagement, and management overhead — and you're funding a people problem instead of growing your business.

$5,864
Average cost to replace a single hourly restaurant employee
15–25%
Annual revenue lost to people-related costs in high-turnover restaurants
50%
Longer retention in first 90 days with structured onboarding
4–6 hrs
Weekly time saved on HR issues for HPO clients
1 in 5
Independent restaurants face an employment complaint or audit each year
$75K
Average annual turnover cost per restaurant location
$1K–$10K
Typical cost of a DOL wage & hour violation in back pay and penalties
20+
Years of hands-on hospitality HR experience behind every HPO engagement
$5,864
Average cost to replace a single hourly restaurant employee
15–25%
Annual revenue lost to people-related costs in high-turnover restaurants
50%
Longer retention in first 90 days with structured onboarding
4–6 hrs
Weekly time saved on HR issues for HPO clients
1 in 5
Independent restaurants face an employment complaint or audit each year
$75K
Average annual turnover cost per restaurant location
$1K–$10K
Typical cost of a DOL wage & hour violation in back pay and penalties
20+
Years of hands-on hospitality HR experience behind every HPO engagement
Recruitment Services

Hiring? We run the whole search.

Full-cycle contingent recruitment for hotels, restaurants, resorts & food service. You pay nothing until the right person starts, and if it doesn't work out in 90 days we search again — free.

See how it works
0%Upfront cost — pay on hire
90-DayReplacement guarantee
20+ YrsHospitality HR expertise
3Sourcing channels
Our Approach

The HPO Trust Model

Our Trust Model is how businesses like yours transform their operations for the new hospitality industry. HPO specializes in delivering the right amount of support and the right level of expertise — only when you need it. We engage proactively, not reactively.

Proactive Communication

The new workforce never waits for information. Your employees won't either. We build communication strategies that meet them where they are.

  • Relevant & purposeful content
  • Customized frequency & mediums
  • People-centered resources

People-Centered Benefits

Affordable health and welfare options — a customized combination for everyone on every budget, including flexible scheduling.

  • PTO & sick leave bank programs
  • Predictive flexible scheduling
  • Multi-week schedule delivery

Growing Talent

The new workforce wants to be developed. HPO knows what that actually means in today's hospitality industry — and it doesn't need to cost a lot.

  • PT to FT workforce analysis
  • Micro-training programs
  • Comprehensive onboarding

Safe Work Environments

Everyone deserves to feel comfortable, welcomed, and valued at work. It's not a nice-to-have — it's a must-have for the new hospitality industry.

  • Psychological safety frameworks
  • Inclusive culture building
  • Employee relations support

Integrated Talent Management

Most operators manage hiring, onboarding, and development as three separate problems. HPO connects them into a single strategy — so each investment in people compounds over time. When recruiting, training, and engagement are aligned, your team stays longer, performs faster, and grows with your business.

  • Unified hiring-to-retention pipeline
  • Onboarding tied directly to performance goals
  • Development plans that reduce flight risk
  • Succession planning for key operator roles

New Health Benefit Options

Most independent operators assume competitive benefits are out of reach. They're not. HPO works with specialized brokers to build innovative, budget-friendly packages — including voluntary-only structures and HRA models that cost employers as little as $0 out of pocket while still giving your team access to real coverage.

  • Medical, dental & vision (group & individual)
  • EAP, mental health & wellness programs
  • HRA, HSA & flexible spending accounts
  • Voluntary 401K, life & disability options
Get Started

Ready to Transform Your
People Operations?

Take the People Operations Assessment and receive a free 1-hour consultation with Jim.

Learn About Jim
HPO
People Operations Assessment
Takes ~5 minutes  ·  Receive a complimentary 1-hour consultation with Jim
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3Capacity
4Capability
5Engagement
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Please complete all required fields before continuing.
Contact Information

Tell us who you are and how to reach you after the assessment.

General & Logistics

Basic details about your operation — only employee count is required, the rest helps us tailor the consultation.

Capacity

Your current recruiting and scheduling practices. All fields optional — share whatever you're comfortable with.

Capability

How you develop, train, and retain your team. All fields optional.

Engagement

Turnover, benefits, and employee experience. All fields optional.

Schedule Your Consultation

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Assessment Submitted!

Thank you for completing the People Ops Assessment. Jim will review your responses and reach out within 1–2 business days to schedule your free consultation.