The New England Group announced the addition of John Richards to its exclusive Restaurant practice. The existing Restaurant practice is headed by Founder & CEO, Gary Stibel and Managing Partner & Principal, Dave Stone in the company’s Westport and Norwalk, Connecticut headquarters offices.

The move comes as a result of increased demand for more experienced and successful consultants, as NECG’s Restaurant practice has grown significantly in recent years. Managing Partner and Principal, Dave Stone, noted that “In light of all our recent work, the team looks forward to the addition of John given the fact that the restaurant industry is entering a period of slow(er) growth.”

Richards brings a wealth of experience to the New England Consulting Group’s Restaurant practice, having been President of Starbuck’s in addition to Dean & DeLuca, Elizabeth Arden, LifeTime Fitness, and The Joint Chiropractic.  Richards was also an Engagement Manager at McKinsey and Company and Sales Manager at Procter & Gamble.

The practice team’s areas of focus are affectionately referred to as “the three tions” and include acquisition, retention and extension.  Currently, acquisition and retention are the largest practice areas, although New England is increasingly involved in projects to extend restaurants’ businesses beyond the core, from delivering to CPG.

Gary Stibel says, “I’m very pleased to see the accelerated growth of our Restaurant practice, which had already been growing dramatically in recent years, and I am equally proud to have John Richards working with us in this space. He has considerable brand and concept growth and turnaround experience that will be invaluable to the team already in place.”