Today
You are running everything
- Listings sit untouched for months
- Prices set once and never revisited
- Nobody is pitching your story to press
- Supplier prices creep up quietly
- You learn how the month went in the month after
VGM, Virtual General Manager for independent restaurants
A consultant recommends. A Virtual GM embeds.
We join your business on a retained monthly basis and do the work a senior general manager would: grow your delivery revenue, sharpen your brand, win press and tighten operations. We stay until the numbers move.
- The Guardian review
- Soho House partnership
- Deliveroo Restaurant Awards shortlist
- 110% year on year Deliveroo growth
You run the service. Nobody runs the growth.
Independent owners are on the pass, on the floor and on the phone to suppliers. Meanwhile delivery rankings slip, the press never calls and costs creep up without anyone noticing.
A full time general manager is out of reach for most independents. VGM gives you the same experience and attention, on a monthly retainer, with an operator who has done it before.
VGM
Founder's track record, Schnitzel Forever
Deliveroo, year on year+110%
Returning delivery customers52%
Years operating in London5
PressThe Guardian
PartnershipSoho House
Deliveroo AwardsShortlisted
Served in London
With VGM
Someone is running the growth
- Platforms reviewed, ranked and promoted
- Pricing tested against what the market pays
- Journalists and partners approached with a real story
- Supplier terms negotiated and checked
- A live P&L and an honest monthly review
Three ways to get a general manager
Two of these you already know. The third is what we do.
Hire one
A general manager on your payroll
- What you get
- A senior operator in the building every day
- Commitment
- A full time salary, benefits and recruitment
- Who does the work
- They do
- The catch
- Out of reach for most independents
Bring in a consultant
An outside adviser on a project
- What you get
- A report and a set of recommendations
- Commitment
- A fixed project, then it ends
- Who does the work
- You do, once they leave
- The catch
- Advice is easy. Execution is the hard part
Work with VGM
A Virtual General Manager, retained monthly
- What you get
- A senior operator embedded in your business
- Commitment
- A monthly retainer, on terms agreed with you
- Who does the work
- We do, alongside your team
- The catch
- We take on a small number of partners at a time
Where we work in your business
Five places where an independent restaurant wins or loses money. Choose a point on the plan to see what we do there.
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1 On the appsFrom Foundations
Ranking, pricing, menus and photography on Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, so more customers find you and more of each order stays with you.
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2 In the dining roomFrom Growth
Brand, positioning and the guest experience that builds loyalty and makes you the place people tell their friends about.
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3 At the front doorFull Partnership
Press, editorial and partnerships that give people a reason to walk in, with introductions at the right time.
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4 At the back doorFull Partnership
Suppliers, terms and the cost of everything you order in, negotiated and checked.
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5 In the officeEvery package
The numbers, the monthly performance review and the decisions that follow, with VGM Capture if you want a live P&L.
Opening a new site? We work with new operators from scratch: space design, suppliers, licensing, staffing and full operational setup before the doors open. Not a restaurant or cafe? See how we work with other businesses.
How the first months run
Every engagement is retained monthly and shaped around your business. This is how the early months typically run, depending on what you need.
This is not theory. It is experience.
Businesses built from the inside, from national press to venues opened from an empty room.
Restaurant group, London
Schnitzel Forever
VGM's founder helped start and run this group, building delivery growth, national press and a Soho House partnership through platform knowledge, brand positioning and operational discipline.
- Deliveroo sales up 110% year on year Delivery
- Reviewed by Jay Rayner in The Guardian Press
- Shortlisted at the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards Recognition
- Partnership with Soho House Partnerships
Cafe opening
Brook Cafe
Built from the ground up, from the look of the room to the first service.
- Interior design management Space
- Supplier setup Supply
- Front of house training Team
- Menu development Menu
- Full operational setup Systems
Openings and delivery
More from scratch
Two more businesses taken from an idea to trading, including a delivery kitchen backed by Uber Eats.
- Lovage Cafe Bistro, opened from scratch Opening
- Kentish Town delivery kitchen, funded by Uber Eats Delivery
Venues opened and grown
- Schnitzel Forever
- Brook Cafe
- Lovage Cafe Bistro
- Kentish Town delivery kitchen
Platforms and suppliers we work with
- Deliveroo
- Uber Eats
- Just Eat
- Brakes
- Matthew Clark
Photograph it. It files itself.
VGM Capture is our software for restaurant paperwork. Snap every invoice, receipt, Z report and delivery statement, and it files each one by date and keeps a live profit and loss on top.
- Every document filed by date, easy to find
- A live P&L you can actually read
- A clean paper trail, ready to hand to your accountant
Three ways to work together
Every engagement is bespoke and built around where your business is today. All are retained monthly, with terms agreed at the start.
Foundations
For businesses ready to unlock what their revenue channels can really do.
- Full revenue channel audit
- Positioning and pricing review
- Platform and listing optimisation
- Monthly performance report
- Ongoing monitoring
Most popular
Growth
Platforms plus brand, for a great product that not enough people know about.
- Everything in Foundations
- Brand positioning and identity
- Guest experience strategy
- Partnership identification
- Seasonal planning
- Fortnightly strategy calls
Full Partnership
The complete engagement: press, platforms, brand and operations.
- Everything in Growth
- Active press and editorial outreach
- Journalist and editor introductions
- Operations and systems review
- Supplier and partner negotiations
- Weekly availability
Pricing is shared after a first conversation, once we understand the business.
Built by an operator, for operators
Onurcan Celik
Founder, VGM
VGM was founded by Onurcan Celik. Not a consultant who studied the industry, but someone who has lived it: from bar to boardroom, and from delivery kitchen to national press.
That operating experience is what VGM brings to every partnership. We take on a small number of partners at a time, so each one gets real attention.
- Schnitzel Forever
- One of the founders, from delivery growth to national press and a Soho House partnership.
- Brook Cafe
- Full operational build: interior design, supplier setup, front of house training, menu development and operations.
- Lovage Cafe Bistro
- Built from scratch, from an empty unit to opening.
- Delivery kitchen
- A Kentish Town delivery kitchen set up with funding from Uber Eats.
- Wine and spirits
- WSET qualified, informing beverage strategy, pairing and menu development.
- Coffee and bar
- Hands on barista and cocktail experience.
- Press
- Working relationships with London journalists and editors, built over five years.
Questions owners ask
What is a Virtual General Manager?
A senior operator who works inside your business on a retained basis. Instead of handing over a report, we do the work alongside you and your team, and we are accountable for the results.
How long does an engagement last?
It depends on what the business needs. We agree the term with you at the start, and most changes need a few months to show properly in the numbers.
How much does it cost?
Each engagement is bespoke, so pricing depends on the package and the business. We share it after a first conversation.
Do you only work with restaurants?
Restaurants and cafes are our focus, but we also work with businesses outside hospitality. See how that works.
How does VGM Capture fit in?
VGM Capture is our own software for restaurant paperwork and a live profit and loss. It is a separate subscription and works on its own or alongside a VGM engagement. Find out more.
Let's talk about your business
We take on a small number of partners at any one time. Tell us where the business is today and what you want to improve, and we will find out if we are the right fit.
Prefer email?
info@vgmlondon.com