CHASHOSPITALITY ADVISORY SERVICES
Hospitality · Beverage · Operations · Compliance

Hospitality expertise.
Operational results.

Advisory services for restaurants, hospitality operators, wine and spirits importers, distributors, and brand owners, grounded in decades of hands-on leadership, commercial development, and operations experience.

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Our approach

Experienced counsel. Practical execution.

CHAS Hospitality Advisory Services works with restaurant owners, hospitality developers, wine and spirits businesses, and advisory firms. Engagements range from new concepts and openings to importing, distribution, brand strategy, financial analysis, regulatory compliance, and operational improvement.

Led by Lee Chasalow, a Culinary Institute of America graduate with an MBA and former Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of David Bowler Wine, CHAS combines hospitality leadership with hands-on experience in the commercial and operational realities of wine and spirits importing and distribution. The focus is on practical solutions that connect strategy, financial performance, systems, and execution.

What we do

Two industries. One practical approach.

From the guest experience to the supply chain, CHAS helps businesses solve operational and commercial challenges with informed, hands-on advice.

Hospitality & Restaurant Advisory

Restaurant Development

Concept development, feasibility and operating considerations, pre-opening planning, kitchen and bar coordination, staffing strategies, and launch support.

Beverage Programs

Wine and spirits selection, wine lists, cocktail programs, by-the-glass strategy, menu pricing, inventory, supplier relationships, and beverage profitability.

Operations & Service

Front-of-house systems, service standards, management procedures, staff training, guest experience, and operational assessments.

Financial & Business Management

Budgets, operating costs, revenue analysis, purchasing controls, pricing, margins, and practical financial oversight.

Wine & Spirits Industry Advisory

Importing & Distribution

Importer and distributor operations, supplier coordination, logistics, warehousing, inventory movement, fulfillment, and route-to-market considerations.

Brand Creation & Development

Wine and spirits brand development, private-label projects, product positioning, portfolio strategy, packaging coordination, and commercial introductions.

Pricing, Costs & Profitability

Landed-cost analysis, freight and warehouse costs, wholesale and delivered pricing, margin structures, sales performance, commissions, and profitability modeling.

Licensing & Regulatory Compliance

Federal and multistate licensing, COLAs, brand and product registrations, renewals, regulatory reporting, and distribution-related compliance processes.

Business Systems & Reporting

Experience with Xero, Zoho, CAVE ERP, and spreadsheet-based reporting to support accounting workflows, sales analysis, inventory visibility, and operating decisions.

Flexible Advisory Support

Focused projects and ongoing support for owners, importers, distributors, producers, management teams, and consulting firms seeking specialized expertise.

Selected experience

Built on a career in hospitality.

Lee Chasalow has worked across restaurant development, ownership, management, beverage programs, and hospitality advisory assignments. Selected projects and businesses from his career include:

  • Ninety Acres at NatirarRestaurant development, operations, and beverage program
  • Il Buco Alimentari & VineriaRestaurant development and opening support
  • Daryl Wine Bar & RestaurantCo-ownership and innovative wine-focused concept
  • Beacon RestaurantHospitality operations and private events development
  • David Bowler WineChief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer, 2012–2020. Financial strategy, budgets, forecasting, banking and credit facilities, foreign exchange, warehouse relationships, business systems, and operations.
  • V.O.S. SelectionsWine importing and distribution leadership, national sales, brand development, commercial operations, and financial oversight
  • Wine & Spirits Compliance ConsultingLicensing, registrations, renewals, and reporting for importing and distribution businesses

Lee has also provided wine and spirits regulatory and operational consulting to industry businesses and serves as an adjunct professor at County College of Morris, teaching hospitality and service-related coursework.

Let's connect

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CHAS works with restaurants, hospitality businesses, wine and spirits companies, and consulting partners on focused engagements and ongoing advisory assignments. Based in New Jersey, serving New York and clients throughout the United States, on-site and remotely.