People
Clear roles. Confident managers. Teams that know what good looks like.
Good advice. Real action.
The Nitty Gritty —Hospitality Consultancy,
Without the Fluff.
Practical, hands-on consultancy helping independent pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants improve operations, increase profitability and grow their businesses.
Built on real operating experience. Based in Hampshire, working across the South Coast.
Built by an operator24 years in hospitalityPractical advice. Hands-on support.Hampshire & the South Coast
Who we help
Your kind of business.
Our kind of work.
From the local pub to the neighbourhood café, every venue has its own challenges. Start with your sector. We’ll get into the details together.
From the first pint to the last orders.
Pub & Bar Consultancy
A stronger operation behind every great night. Practical support with your people, drinks offer, margins, marketing and the everyday running of your venue.
Explore pubs & bars
From the morning rush to the evening service.
Café & Restaurant Consultancy
Good food. Great service. A business that works. Support with menus, teams, costs, brand and the systems that keep everything moving.
Explore cafés & restaurantsOne consultancy. Two starting points. Support built around your business.
Built around the reality of hospitality
Better systems. Better teams.
Better hospitality businesses.
Running a venue means balancing great service with staffing, costs and the unexpected. Our hospitality business improvement work brings the people, the systems and the commercial picture together — with practical support to put the changes into action.
Start with what matters
Hospitality operations.
With people at the heart.
Looking for a hospitality operations consultant? We work alongside you on the everyday details: confident managers, clearer numbers and routines your team can actually use.
Numbers
Know what is happening, what it means and where the opportunity sits.
Systems
Practical ways of working that make the right thing easier to do.
A sensible place to start
Hospitality Health Check
A practical review of the business as it really operates — not just how it looks on paper.
- People, leadership and accountability
- Financial reporting, labour and stock
- Systems, standards and everyday routines
- Priorities, opportunities and the next practical steps
What we do
Different venues.
The same hands-on support.
One consultancy, working across the whole business. We tailor the same core services to your venue, your people and your priorities.
Operations & systemsMake the everyday work better.Marketing & brandingGive people a reason to choose you.Financial performanceUnderstand costs, margins and opportunity.People & leadershipBuild a confident, capable team.Concepts & projectsTurn ideas into working venues.Business growthPlan the next step with purpose.
Real work. Real venues.
From first idea to opening night.
Creative ideas only matter when the building, the team, the numbers and the operating plan all work together.
Rapscallions Chichester
Wildwood to Rapscallions.
Concept, brand, décor, build and project management inside a Grade II listed building.
Delivered in just over seven weeks.Explore the Chichester project →
Mahina Tiki Bar
A complete hospitality experience.
Concept, design, build, recruitment, training and launch brought together as one programme.
From inherited site to opening-ready venue.Explore the Port Solent project →
Who you’ll work with
Operator first.
Always.
I’m Adam Lewis, founder of The Nitty-Gritty. I’ve spent 24 years in hospitality, including 15 as a general manager and several as an area manager. I understand the pressures because I’ve lived them.
24years in hospitality
15years as a general manager
From teams of five to over a hundred and regions turning over more than £10 million a year, my experience spans small businesses and complex operations. My drive is simple: to make a difference to people and their businesses.
Meet AdamGood advice. Real action.