Start Smart: Simplify to Succeed in 2026

 The funny thing about January in the restaurant world is that it doesn’t feel like a fresh start... it feels like the morning after a house party you didn’t realize you were hosting. You’re tired, the walk-in looks like someone tossed a hand grenade in there. Why are there no tongs like... anywhere? And I don’t even want to know what happened at table eight.  

Most independent operators don’t start the year energized.
They start the year worn out.  

And that’s okay.

January isn’t about reinventing your entire business — it’s about giving yourself a breath, a reset, and a simpler plan for the months ahead. At Navigator Consulting, we say this all the time because it’s true:

“We like easy, because easy gets done.”

This is the month to lean into easy.
It's not lazy.
Not cutting corners.
Just… easier.
You deserve that.

Before we dive in, here’s something new we’re excited about.

Each month in 2026, Navigator Consulting will walk you through one practical, real-world improvement you can make inside your restaurant. Menu strategy, vendor management, prime cost, training, operations. The whole journey.

Follow along with us month by month, and by the end of the year you’ll have stacked twelve small, doable wins that actually move your business forward.

Easy.
Consistent.
Sustainable.

January's easy:

1. Simplify Your Menu (Your Kitchen Will Thank You)

If the holidays taught you anything, it’s which dishes fly and which ones take up space like that treadmill in the basement. January is your permission slip to trim the menu down to the things you execute beautifully.

A smaller menu means faster service, fewer mistakes, less waste, and more consistent sales. Think of it as decluttering your kitchen’s closet. You’re not losing anything.. you’re making more room for success!

2. Quiet Money Moves (are your top dishes still paying the rent?)

Take one calm morning — coffee in hand — and look through your top dishes from the last couple of months. Make sure every dish you’re keeping is really pulling its weight in terms of profit, so you’re getting every dollar out of the recipes that have earned their spot.

Not every recipe, ugh. Just the top movers.

You’re not rebuilding your menu.
You’re just keeping your money moving in the direction you need it to move.

3. Reconnect With Your Team (Even If It’s Just One Conversation)

Team morale in January is usually somewhere between:

“We survived!” and “…Can we please  not do that again?”

You don’t need a retreat or a giant meeting. Sometimes the best leadership is a five-minute check-in.

“Hey, how are you doing? What’s one thing we can make easier this month?”

People don’t need perfection.

They need presence.

And you can give that in small, human doses.

That's your January Reset

You don’t need a new concept, a new kitchen, or a new version of yourself.
You just need a moment to reset and a commitment to keeping things simpler this year.

One menu category trim.

Re-cost one recipe.

Have one staff conversation.

That’s it.

Because remember…
Easy gets done. And done consistently.

If you need some fresh eyes on any of these topics — menus, recipes & costs, team dynamics, or where to simplify next, give us a call.
We’re here to make the hard stuff feel a whole lot easier.