ABOUT US
The Restaurant Advisory Group is invested in the health of our local Southern California business community. We strive to assist restaurants and other commercial ventures – which are currently experiencing financial distress – to turnaround their operations and improve overall profitability. With more than 100 years of combined experience in the food, beverage, and hospitality industry, our group provides clients with the following:
Legal Advice
Accounting Assistance
Insurance Advice
Design/Construction Consulting
Lending Services
Landlord Communication
CUP Specialists
Energy Efficiency Consulting
Culinary School Connections
Selling & Location Assistance
Please contact us for further information or to arrange a meeting.
THE TEAM
Learn more about the people invested in helping your business succeed.
With over 100 years of collective experience, our members are able to solve restaurant challenges and maximize efficiency. Clients may choose to work with all or just one of the specialists in the Group. Here are additional details on each member’s services and qualifications.
PEDRO BLANCO
Design & Architecture Services
With several completed restaurant designs, and 30 years of experience in architecture and design, Pedro, and his restaurant-design team at Downtown Long Beach-based Kardent Design can lead a restaurant owner seeking to start new, or refresh existing, and provide architectural concept/planning/design services, as well as permitting, government-approvals interfaces and construction/project administration services.
562-884-4723
AUSTIN CHILES
Owner, Chiles Realty; Broker Emeritus with CAR
Over 40 years selling One to Four units, commercial, land, and business opportunities.
Austin attended Cal Poly Pomona majoring in Finance & Real Estate. His family are early immigrants to California dating back to 1841 and still farm in the State.
714-931-1944
R.L. DINO CICCIONE
Restaurant Turnaround Specialist
R.L. Dino Ciccione has had 23 years of experience in Food Service Management and Production. He has worked as a Certified Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director with such companies as: Western Host Food Services, Westin Hotels, Specialty Restaurant Corp., Delaney's Restaurants, International Foods, and Howard Johnson Corp. (Ground Round Division).
He is also the Business Owner/Chef of a Full Service Catering business, and works as an Instructor in the Community College System in Southern California, teaching Food Facilities Design and Concept, as well as Hands-On Food Preparation.
562-754-3130
JOANNA COBURN
Commercial Escrow, Bulk Sale Escrow & Liquor License Transfer
Joanna is the Business Development Representative for International City Escrow, Inc., a family-owned and operated escrow company, located in Long Beach, California. International City Escrow, Inc., offers the same small business feeling with an exceptional level of service and knowledge for restaurant owners.
Joanna graduated from the University of California, Irvine, in 2011, with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in English Literature, and has spent the bulk of her career in marketing and sales roles. Additionally, she has a 15 year history of working in local mom and pop restaurants as a server and bartender.
562-497-9777 ext 201
GEORGE O'HARA
Insurance/ Business Risk Solutions
George O’Hara has 33 years in the insurance business, starting fresh out of college with Farmers Insurance. In the 1980s, Farmers Insurance became the dominant insurance carrier for restaurants. He wrote accounts such as Pioneer Chicken, Papadakis Taverna, Legends, and Spaghettinis.
In 2007, George partnered with Colony-West Insurance agency, where he has better market reach and the ability to offer virtually any product available through the independent agency system – as well as effective risk management tools and services all designed to help lower the cost of insurance. Colony-West insures many local restaurants, including chain and franchised operations. The agency offers specialized support such as Human Resource services, Experience Modification reduction services, work comp claim mitigation, and a unique premium recovery audit service.
714-476-3934
MICHAEL OURIEFF
Restaurant Operator
Michael J. Ourieff has over 50 years’ experience in the restaurant industry. From beginning as a pizza cook at Mike’s Pizza to owning and operating Michael J’s Italian Kitchen which eventually became Michael J’s Catering Kitchen for 35 years, he has also owned and operated 9 restaurants over the years.
In 2000, he began operating one of the first “ghost kitchens” when he moved Michael J’s from the San Fernando Valley to the bottom floor of one of the USC medical buildings. His focus was corporate catering delivery primarily to the pharmaceutical industry servicing all of Los Angeles County as well as parts of Orange, Ventura and San Bernardino Counties from one central kitchen. During the mid-2000’s Michael J’s Catering Kitchen was delivering 40-50 catering orders from this kitchen per day.
In 2012, Michael created a new concept and opened a gastropub with a craft cocktail program and 12 rotating beers, which he combined with his existing catering business. He contributes much of his success over the years to the leases he has negotiated, almost always keeping his rent below 5 or 6%.
323-997-1335
RON SCHUSTER
Selling & Location Assistance
Ron Schuster has been in the Real Estate Profession for 35 years starting with Century-21 specializing in Residential, Commercial, and Land transactions before moving to the Restaurant Broker specializing in Restaurant sales for the past 17 years. He has sold such restaurant operations as Woody’s Wharf, Newport Beach; Kinda Lahaina, Seal Beach; Park Pantry and Babette’s Feast, Long Beach, and the historic Anchor restaurant, Hemet, with all its land holdings and the historic Chowder Barge, San Pedro, with all its floating rights.
Ron is a graduate of Long Beach City College; California State University, Chico, major in Mathematics; and California State University, Long Beach, earning his MBA degree. He is the Founder of Business Opportunity Council California, as well as being Founding Member of the Long Beach Commercial Real Estate Council, and the Restaurant Advisory Group.
562-301-8214
PATRICK SHARPLES
Commercial Broker
Patrick Sharples is a licensed commercial Broker in California and has more than 19 years of experience in the Southern California
real estate market. He has managed and led a real estate team that has allowed him to close and personally oversee hundreds of
real estate transactions. He has experience with marketing, advertising, selling and leasing commercial properties including but
not limited to industrial, warehouse, manufacturing, R&D, retail, shopping centers, strip centers, automotive, gas stations,
restaurants, bulk sale, multi-tenant office, hotel/motel and multi-unit residential properties. He also has knowledge and experience
with short sales, REO handling, BOV s, cash for keys, asset managers, evictions, property management, etc. which makes him a
vital asset at G&S Group - KW Commercial. He has experience selling REO and bank assets for Bank of America, Fannie Mae, IndyMac, Chase, Washington Mutual and Alaska Seabord Partners.
In addition to assisting property owners with selling their commercial properties, Patrick has extensive experience with Landlord
and Tenant representation and has represented clients such as USA Veins Clinics, Keller Williams Realty, Allstate, State Farm
Insurance, Farmers Insurance, Varsity clothing, SoCal Flexographic, Vintage Vortex VV, KA Motors LLC, Pepe's Restaurants,
HANA Investment Group, Bay Grill and Karaoke, Landmark West, Donlan Investments, SD Commercial, Stanton Office Plaza, LP,
Herbalife, RSSA, and many other industrial, retail, medical and professional office users. Patrick has completed over 300 lease
transactions totalling over 575,000 Sq. Ft.
714-293-2792
AFFILIATES
SANDRA KALEY
714-724-4847
JOSEPH KHALAP
626-893-1514
ED NANCE
714-898-4935
TOM PEREZ
714-473-7096
CARL SHERRILL
951-286-1503